College Exhibition: Munich University of Applied Sciences 'Intelligent Emotion' project

Students at the Munich University of Applied Sciences have developed concepts in a project with Audi Design. The eleven studies to the brief of 'Intelligent Emotion', are imaginative proposals for transportation in the future, and range from a lightweight interior layout to a hybrid supercar.

"The results are impressive", says Wolfgang Egger, head of Audi Group Design. "The students have addressed the subject of mobility in the future with very well-conceived and lucidly-presented approaches. Each concept, each model, contains at least one idea or feature that we could certainly conceive of as being included in a future production vehicle."

Audi asked the students to present the brand as a sporty, premium-class manufacturer, as well as an innovator in technology and design - yet bear in mind real-life constraints. "Emotion as a driving force must go hand in hand with responsibility as regulator", explains Egger. "The students' assignment was to develop aesthetic approaches that reflect the new ecological, technical and social issues while also portraying Audi as an attractive, sporty automobile."

Five of the project are outlined below:

Interior concept
Maximilian Kandler
Kandler has explored the role of intelligent driver assistance and communications systems which could allow the driver to relax at times, and enable configuration of the cabin in 'active' and 'passive' modes, including a 'lounge' zone. The laser-sintered cabin promises a new degree of ergonomic customisation, and its lightweight features would aid a vehicle's fuel economy. The seats themselves reflect spinal structures and the very human body that they are to support.

Aerodynamic Coupe concept
Niels Steinhoff
Steinhoff's aerodynamic coupe looks relatively conventional from the front end, and realistically close to a production entity - but from the rear, it is considerably more radical, with its extended glazed roof panels and high, pointed tail. It's intended to be spacious, environmentally-sustainable and timeless in its appeal.

Audi concept study
Maximilian Mandl
It may be slow, but it can still look and feel dynamic: Mandl's compact, purposeful proposal pre-empts an age of strict speed limits. Even if the actual speed is not high, the driving experience is intensified by the use of large transparent panels in the floor, the extended windscreen and large side windows, enhancing the connection with the road and the outside world. It's confidence-boosting yet retains a "human" touch, explains Mandl, who has been inspired by both modern architecture and natural forms.

Cab-forward concept
Sylvain Wehnert
Wehnert has focused on the 'cab-forward' design he sees as typical of Audi, and the relationship of the underfloor to the car's upper body. His glass-roofed coupe has been styled to glide, with high ground clearance and the floor angled upwards like a greyhound‘s midriff.

Audi Sport Quattro concept
Fabian Weinert
Homage to the legendary Audi Sport quattro, Weinert's angular and aggressively sharp-edged sports car is also sturdy and safe-looking. It's a reinterpretation of the rally legend with modern concerns in mind, designed to accommodate a full hybrid system, but suitably accessorized with large wheels and appropriately retro paint finishes.  

The project was led by Dr. Othmar Wickenheiser, Professor of Transportation Design at the university, and mentored by Head of Audi Design Stefan Sielaff. "What sets a good designer apart is the very special ability of conceptualizing the future and visualizing it in images", says Sielaff. "Current developments such as alternative engine concepts or increased efficiency of our vehicles also call for answers from the designers. We find it fascinating how students approach such challenges - above and beyond the technical and regulatory requirements that the design of production cars has to meet". 

Audi designers have commented on the concepts in a book, Audi Design Projekt, published by Heel Verlag and available at €29.90.

Related Articles:
Interview: Wolfgang Egger, Audi Group Head of Design
Who's Where: Wolfgang Egger to head Audi Group Design 

By Farah Alkhalisi