The EDAG CityBot ecosystem covers a holistic concept for the mobility of tomorrow and the day after tomorrow. It opens up a new interpretation of inner-city mobility and quality of life.

First presented as a concept idea at the IAA in 2019, the realised EDAG CityBot AI prototype, ready to drive and work, is now taking the stage. Catch a glimpse behind the scenes with us. We will show you the way Feynsinn made a significant contribution to bringing the autonomous transport and work vehicle for the Smart City to life.

Let’s be honest: Usually the people tend not to step out of their comfort zone. We rely on what we already know. But what happened to our pioneering spirit? Where is the curiosity to get involved in something new, to even deal with it in the first place?

At Feynsinn, we are fascinated by the EDAG CityBot mobility concept. To provide you with a well-founded insight into the drivable and workable EDAG CityBot AI prototype, both my colleagues and I have made every effort to create an informative and at the same time entertaining animated film.

Watch the premiere of the EDAG CityBot here: EDAG CityBot – Tech Summit 2020

Unreal engine brings EDAG CityBot to life

We took – at first sight – an unusual decision, since we picked the real-time software „Unreal“ from Epic Games to produce of the animated movie. Usually this is not the first choice for such productions. We preferred Unreal due to the possibility of generating different media (films, images, interactive applications) from one data model with the real-time software and thus skilfully use synergy effects. Extremely short render times and real-time based reviews have further confirmed our choice.

You may ask yourself, which synergy effects? – With this project we aimed for a “one platform” philosophy to create one Unreal scene and use the output to feature different media channels.

We also created an interactive virtual showroom, a futuristic building that shows all EDAG showcars in a realistic 3D environment to give the EDAG Citybot a proper “home”.

For the data preparation of the EDAG CityBot, we first used our specially developed data pipeline to convert all the CAD data, and preparing it later for import into Unreal. Step by step, the EDAG CityBot was completed and staged in Unreal engine.

In the end, we present the EDAG Citybot in our virtual showroom at the same time as the movie production with greenscreen clips. Further media-channels as a 3D-web based online configurator are potentials for even more synergy effects.

With this, the starting point for the film animation was set:

We were able to generate the first photorealistic 3D renderings of the autonomous work and transport Vehicle.

In order to illustrate the integrated high-grade technologies along with their functionalities in an appealing and comprehensible way, we have photo-realistically visualised the technical finesse of the EDAG CityBot AI prototype down to the last detail. The interior and the actuators, which enable autonomous driving and operating, were elegantly arranged and their technical processes presented in a vivid way.

We have further edited the vehicle data from the CAD system so that the 3D models appear more real and certain perspectives can be displayed precisely by „zooming in“. Material properties such as textures and colours were assigned to display the EDAG CityBot as realistically as possible. Individual illustrations were given more expression by defining certain movements, for instance when the EDAG CityBot moves its head or interacts with our CEO Cosimo de Carlo with a wink.

Taking advantage of green screen technology, our partner agency filmed our CEO Cosimo de Carlo, Johannes Barckmann (EDAG CityBot concept and product owner) and Michael Jahn (EDAG CityBot project manager) as they performed previously defined actions. They explain the concept and describe in detail the technologies and functions applied in the EDAG CityBot.

To achieve a harmonic performance in the animated film it was necessary to shoot all interview partners perspectively. We captured all data, such as the distance of the person to the object, the lateral, frontal, averted, bent or upright position of the speakers, and then prepared the joint presentation of the EDAG CityBot with the interview partner.

In the final compositing, all individual elements, such as the rendered images from Unreal and the greenscreening recordings of the interviews, were brought together by our partner agency.

Interacting with the EDAG CityBot in the virtual showroom

As mentioned at the beginning, the advantage of Unreal is the possibility to use the in the game engine prepared EDAG CityBot for several different media. These include VR or AR applications.

You can visit the virtual showroom with VR glasses or by using your internet browser. You can take a look at the EDAG CityBot and all the other EDAG showcars from a wide variety of perspectives, obtain further information and assess functionalities and features that can’t be shown with a real vehicle. Complex technologies and functions are explained in a comprehensible way. You can move around the room with an avatar and you can even communicate with other people in the showroom. The interaction intensifies the experience even more.