Technology in cars is usually helpful but could it also be cute? MINI‘s answer to that question is Spike, an animated dog that doubles as a virtual in-car personal assistant. The mascot will premiere on the touchscreen of the MINI Concept Aceman in Shanghai, before finding its way into the brand’s next-generation models.
Oliver Heilmer, Head of MINI Design described Spike as “a characterful companion for the user experience”. In simpler terms, this is the new MINI Intelligent Personal Assistant, guiding the driver and passengers through all of the infotainment’s features with the help of voice recognition. By using an animated dog instead of a simple voice – as BMW does with its own version of the same technology – MINI hopes to “invigorate” the emotional connection between people and its cars.
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Spike will live in the circular OLED touchscreen of the MINI Concept Aceman, but can also take a walk through the rest of the dashboard when he needs a stretch. This will likely not be possible in the production models, although the screen is expected to be carried over in all of them.
If the name of the “four-legged friend” sounds familiar it is because it has been used since MINI’s relaunch back in 2001, before finding its way into the digital world this year. The little dog is inspired by the English Bulldog which is known for its “compact and powerful stature, British heritage, and likable nature”, making it the “perfect animal equivalent of the MINI”.
The dog-equipped MINI Concept Aceman will make its first appearance at the Auto Shanghai in China, between April 18 and 27, together with an art toy (large-format sculpture) of Spike. The company will show more of the personal assistant’s functions and gimmicks through the course of 2023. The first production model to benefit from this tech will probably be the new Countryman later this year, followed by the next-gen Cooper in 2024 and the Aceman in 2025.
