ATNMBL Concept by Mike and Maaike

Before rushing into any misconceptions, understand that this is just a design study. Though unbelievably awkward and disturbing at first, the modern concept wants to be seen and must be seen from a whole new perspective than the conventional one.

First, it is a vehicle concept that focuses on interior comfort, as opposed to the high-speed machine concepts of our times. The ATNMBL is a self-driving electric car “for the year 2040 that represents the end of driving and an alternative approach to car design”, as its creators regard it. Its name is short for Autonomobile, a word that derives from the concept of Autonomy.

The ATNMBL was designed with emphasis on interior space and accommodations while adopting ideas from areas like architecture, domestic interior spaces and high-tech trends. With the concept having no steering wheel, brake pedal or driver's seat, the ATNMBL is set in motion through GPS, Lidar, radar and accelerometers technologies.

The electric powertrain functions with 4 in-wheel electric motors and receives supplemental power from the roof's solar panels. “The vehicle's mechanical components are densely packed and simplified, providing dramatically more interior space in a vehicle that is shorter than most cars on the road today”, said the creators on their website.

“Resisting the typical car sketching formula (draw two large wheels and something cool in between), we felt a new approach to car design was needed. By taking photos of existing cars and manipulating them, we created objects that are not driver-oriented but passenger-oriented”.

And that is what the car focuses on, its passengers and their needs. In a society where time is of the essence, the designers wanted the ATNMBL to provide a excellent place for people to be in. The traits they centered on regard working comfort, road sighting, conversations and entertainment. The large floor-to-ceiling windows are electronically tinted and the ATNMBL provides wrap-around seating for 7.

The ATNMBL features large flat displays that provide various trip information, maps and other forms of entertainment. The ATNMBL is designed to support passenger inputs through voice recognition system and touch screen or remote control.

Mike and Maaike is an industrial design studio that takes an experimental approach to design, creating progressive solutions for high and low tech products, furniture, wearables, environments, and vehicles. Maaike Evers is Dutch; Mike Simonian, Californian. The studio is based in San Francisco. Clients include: Google, Steelcase, Belkin, Xbox and Council.

You can find out more on their website www.mikeandmaaike.com