The Geneva Auto Show is underway, and GG Bailey has an interesting connection to the international event in Geneva. 

Of the many cars and concepts on display, one generating a lot of buzz is the Rinspeed Budii, an autonomously driving electric vehicle built on the BMW i3. The beautiful concept features specially designed all-weather floor mats created by Racemark International, the parent company of GG Bailey.

The car mats are made from the same materials as the door and dash panels  to incorporate better styling trends and ensure high durability and stain resistance. There is also a prototype of the mats that includes a heater to warm the car and the occupants' feet during the winter. 

You can see more photos and video of the car here. 

Racemark International has always been on the forefront of car mat development and was the first company to create a carpet car mat, as well as a European velour carpet for car mats. GGBailey.com uses the same materials for our carpet car mats. You can visit our Design Your Car Mats™ page to choose from thousands of design combinations to create your own one-of-a-kind personalized car mat, or you can pick one of 10 luxury patterns from our Car Couture™ line.

Rinspeed, like most of the major automakers, sees self-driving cars as the ideal solution for eliminating road accidents, but rather than permanently removing control of a car Rinspeed prefers to let the owner takeover whenever they like. The steering wheel in the Budii features a robotic arm that enables either the driver or front passenger to steer. And if nobody feels like steering, the steering wheel is simply parked in the center position.

The Budii incorporates a periscopic camera and laser scanner to map the terrain and the road ahead from above, and a drive-by-wire steering system that allows the steering wheel on an articulated column to be passed between driver and passenger or tucked out of the way to let the electronics take over.

Inside, Budii features a new operating and display system with a host of innovative entertainment, safety and service functions, and is based on the next-generation scalable platform from Harman. 

A telescoping laser scanner from Hamburg-based Ibeo Automotive Systems on the roof called “TrackView” can be raised by 70 centimeters and delivers a precise 3D perspective by means of sensor fusion.  In concert with a high-resolution camera from Kappa optronics it maps the terrain. As a result, the ride height and suspension of the vehicle are adjusted accordingly.

“Autonomous driving undoubtedly offers the opportunity to drastically diminish some of the drawbacks of private transport; for example, the number of traffic accidents could drop worldwide,” Rinspeed founder Frank Rinderknecht said in a statement. “The transition from traditional to autonomous driving will take place in stages; consequently, man and machine will still have a few years left to get used to this new form of mobility and the different interplay between people and technology it will entail, time they both will need.”

But that’s not all. The Budii has one final trick up its sleeve. It has a companion watch from Carl F. Bucherer that will never run out of power. A camera in the interior can recognize when the power reserve displayed on the watch face is about to be depleted and can instruct the steering wheel’s robotic arm to wind up the movement.

The Geneva International Auto Show continues through March 15. As with other auto shows -- such as the Detroit Auto Show and the Chicago Auto Show -- we will write about our favorite vehicles from the event when it comes to an end.