Webasto Show Car at the IAA Cars 2017
Webasto, global systems partner to almost all automotive manufacturers, is presenting new solutions for the mobility of the future at this year’s IAA Cars from September 12 to 24, 2017 in Frankfurt am Main. Under the umbrella motto of “Advanced Future Driver”, the Webasto Group is featuring an innovative show car, which articulates solutions for vehicles of tomorrow—it can be viewed at the Webasto booth in hall 8.0, booth A19.
Show car demonstrates systems competence of Webasto
The show car bundles new Webasto products in the context of electromobility and demonstrates the interaction of the new solutions. Every one of the products provides a special Plus for the passengers in the vehicle and makes the world of new mobility come alive: A visionary roof system provides for more light and air in the interior, charging solutions and battery systems generate more performance and the high-voltage heater ensures that special plus in comfort. The show car underscores the expertise of the automotive supplier in vehicle integration. At the same time, the interactive exhibit demonstrates very impressively just how well the new electromobility solutions fit into the Webasto world.
“With our high-quality, transparent roof systems, we fulfill our customers’ wishes for more light and space in the vehicle interior,” is how Dr. Holger Engelmann, Chairman of the Management Board, Webasto SE, emphasizes the significance of roof systems in motor vehicles. At the same time, Webasto offers the opportunity for personalization and exclusive design in a car. “We continue to see great market potential for our roofs. Megatrends such as autonomous driving further intensify this demand. When passengers don’t have to concern themselves much with actual driving, comfort in the interior begins to play a more important role,” says Engelmann.
Webasto roof systems define the interior space of the vehicle of the future
One highlight of the Webasto IAA show car is the world’s largest openable panorama roof to date. The three-piece panorama roof consists of three separate segments (including the rear window), and this is the first time it has ever been displayed at a trade fair. The show car is based on the design project of a student by the name of Johannes Schmidt. The roof system affords complete transparency, and thereby a clear, unobstructed view of the sky, which creates a unique sense of open space in the interior of the vehicle. The switchable glazing of the individual roof elements, which in a first, was developed jointly by Webasto in conjunction with LG Chem and Merck using the groundbreaking liquid crystal technology, allows for variable control of the translucence in the interior. This is the first time it is being presented in an automotive application and it brightens or darkens the interior at the touch of a button. A very special driving experience is created by the integrated ambient lighting. It bathes the interior space in four different shades of color, and particularly in the dark creates a pleasant atmosphere for drivers and their passengers.
The show car adventure
The show car uses innovative projection technology to treat visitors to the Webasto booth to an extraordinary experience: It visualizes how the Webasto products function, how they affect the driver and how they interact with one another. By means of 3D mapping, three-dimensional images of the products are projected onto the matte-white paint coat of the vehicle. The show car itself is located in a darkened room—which creates ideal conditions for depicting the projected images. When a visitor selects a product on the touchscreen, such as the three-piece panorama roof, it not only becomes apparent what is happening in the vehicle in terms of technology. The interactive exhibit brings the integrated features of the roof such as the switchable glazing and the ambient lighting to perceptible life.
A total of three video projectors project the Webasto technologies onto the body of the show car. A multi-layer Peppers Ghost projection allows for simultaneous projection in front of, above and behind the car. Thus, the products appear to be floating in space. The technology was developed in cooperation with madhat, an agency for digital design in space. “The Webasto show car is a magnificent example of how products and their impact can be brought to life,” is how Thomas Lutz, Managing Director of madhat articulates the exhibit.
The roof exhibited in the show car is topped off by diverse variations of panorama roofs at the Webasto booth.
