LA Auto show announces, nine concepts were submitted by world-renowned auto design studios.

Mazda Design Americas, USA – The Los Angeles Auto Show (LA Auto Show^®) announced today that nine concepts were submitted by world-renowned auto design studios for this year's Design Challenge, themed "Biomimicry & Mobility 2025 – Nature's Answer to Human Challenges." Each competitor's mobility solution or system has been designed with nature's inspiration while increasing function and addressing a variety of transportation topics, such as congestion, pollution, safety and sustainability. With biological knowledge doubling every five years, the 10^th Design Challenge pushes automotive designers to explore new instruments and knowledge like never before. In addition to the nine competing studios, three additional studios are joining this year's Design Gallery to showcase their team's capabilities making for a total of 12 auto design studios from around the world participating in the Show. Studios participating in the Design Challenge represent the brands Mazda, BMW, Changfeng, JAC Motors, Qoros, SAIC Motor, Subaru and Toyota. Their entries for this year's Design Challenge propose mobility solutions inspired by natural creatures, structures and occurrences. From self-sustaining silk worms to long-forgotten waterways, the entries are sure to spark intense competition and careful deliberation at the LA Auto Show's 2013 Design Challenge. The three additional studios showcased in the Gallery include Hyundai Design and Research Center, Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design Center California and Nissan Design America. In reaction to the impending demise of the 2025 driver, Mazda has designed "AUTO ADAPT." Studying the biological phenomenon of adaptation and specifically how insects have adapted, Mazda has created a vehicle that has the ability to adapt from being fully autonomous to a manual machine. These vehicles are geared directly to those true drivers out there that long for the excitement found with driving an automobile; the excitement expected to be completely eliminated from the autonomous cars of 2025. Entries will be judged on various factors including creative adaptation of nature's laws (plants & animals); application of human intelligence to Biomimicry in unique ways to improve the efficiency of future vehicles; comfort, convenience, aesthetics of the vehicle; sustainability of the building, servicing, operation, and life cycle; and the personality of the vehicle in relationship to the brand. [caption id="attachment_2421" align="alignright" width="300"] Tom Matano[/caption] Entries will be judged by Tom Matano, Executive Director, School of Industrial Design at San Francisco's Academy of Art University; Stewart Reed, Chair of Transportation Design at Pasadena's Art Center College of Design; John Manoogian, Adjunct Professor Auto Design Studio at the College for Creative Studies. This esteemed panel of judges will be joined by guest judge, Dr. Gabriel A. Miller, who currently serves as the Director of Research & Development at the Centre for Bioinspiration at San Diego Zoo Global, where he devotes his work to the implementation of nature's design and engineering solutions to advance humanity, wildlife, and habitats. All entries will be presented and a winner will be selected during the Design Los Angeles Open House and Challenge Presentations on Thursday, Nov. 21, from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. The final competition concepts will be prominently displayed at the LA Auto Show in the newly created Design Gallery that makes design an integral part of the LA Auto Show. The brand new Design Gallery showcases the talent and imagination of key global auto studios throughout Press Days (Nov. 19, 20 and 21, 2013), as well as through the run of the public show (Nov. 22-Dec. 1, 2013). The LA Auto Show Design Challenge is sponsored by Faurecia, the world's sixth-largest automotive supplier specializing in automotive seating, emissions control technologies, interior systems and auto exteriors. Other sponsors that make Design LA possible include Lacks Enterprises, Inc., Eastman, Dassault Systèmes, Autodesk, Bose and BBC.com, alongside the 2013 Design Challenge media partner, Car Design News. The Design Challenge is organized by the LA Auto Show and the Design Los Angeles chairs, Joan Gregor and Chuck Pelly of The Design Academy. Media registration for LA Auto Show and Connected Car Expo Press Days can be accessed here. General registration for CCE is also open at this time. For more information, please visit www.laautoshow.com and www.connectedcarexpo.com.  

About the Los Angeles Auto Show and Connected Car Expo Founded in 1907, the Los Angeles Auto Show is the first major North American auto show of the season each year. Press Days for the 2013 LA Auto Show® will be held on Nov. 20 and 21. The show will be open to the public Nov. 22 – Dec. 1. The Connected Car Expo (CCE) will be the first expo to unite automotive and technology professionals in an effort to increase development and foster relationship-building in the connected car industry, providing attendees with access to the key players and top media constructing the future of the connected car. CCE will debut on Nov. 19, and continue in conjunction with the 2013 LA Auto Show Press Days. The LA Auto Show is endorsed by the Greater L.A. New Car Dealer Association and is operated by ANSA Productions. To receive the latest show news and information, follow LA Auto Show on Twitter at Mazda's entry is sure to turn heads, especially when you consider how strange Google self driving car looks. Mazda has been know for it's intuitive, simple and sleek designs. I can't wait to see what they have come up with.

Google's Self-driving attempt

The Google driverless car is a project by Google that involves developing technology for autonomous cars. The software powering Google's cars is called Google Chauffeur. Lettering on the side of each car identifies it as a "self-driving car." The project is currently being led by Google engineer Sebastian Thrun, director of the Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratory and co-inventor of Google Street View. Thrun's team at Stanford created the robotic vehicle Stanley which won the 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge and its US$2 million prize from the United States Department of Defense.The team developing the system consisted of 15 engineers working for Google, including Chris Urmson, Mike Montemerlo, and Anthony Levandowski who had worked on the DARPA Grand and Urban Challenges.

Compiled By: Josh Martin
Sources: PRNewswire
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