Mercedes-Benz Unveils Scale-Covered Concept Car Inspired By Avatar Movie

Mercedes-Benz has revealed its take on the vehicle as a “living creature” with the Vision AVTR concept, which takes design cues from the sci-fi fantasy film Avatar. Dubbed the Vision AVTR, the design takes its name not only from the Avatar film it was inspired by, but also stands for “Advanced Vehicle Transformation”.

h/t: dezeen

The AVTR, however, boasts a design inspired by the world of Pandora – the fictional universe where director James Cameron’s Avatar film is set – and its blue humanoid creatures, in a bid to demonstrate a new way that people, machines and nature can interact.

A total of 33 “bionic flaps” are embedded into the back of the vehicle to emulate the scales of reptiles. These scales can communicate information to the driver and to the car’s surrounding environment via subtle “flowing” gestures.

The Vision AVTR interiors are also made from sustainable materials such as vegan leather seats, with a floor made of rattan.

A multifunctional control element running through the centre of the car’s interior acts in place of a conventional steering wheel, and allows the car and driver to connect via biometric readings.

The vehicle is able to recognise the passenger’s heartbeat and breathing after placing their hand on the control unit. If the passenger lifts their hand, a menu selection is projected onto their palm, which they can use to select different driving functions.