EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Roborace’s autonomous race car will bring some much needed emotion to the field of artificial intelligence (AI), the company’s chief design officer (CDO) claimed.

Daniel Simon (pictured) told Mobile World Live the Robocar – unveiled during the recent Mobile World Congress – was designed to look “amazing” and dramatic to help “bring the fans on board” and stir up public excitement about the possibilities of AI and self-driving vehicles.

The executive admitted to a degree of scepticism when first asked to design Robocar, and said he relied on his heritage as a creator of vehicles for Hollywood films including Tron Legacy when penning the vehicle.

“I thought it needs to have a character, it needs to look like animalistic, and it needs to look like it knows what it’s doing,” he said.

Despite putting looks above engineering, Simon said Roborace produced a car which features a very low lift over drag ratio, meaning it generates a lot of downforce while minimising drag. “As you’ve seen, the car is very clean and conventionally race cars are very cluttered.”

The cars will compete during rounds of the Formula E racing series throughout 2017.

Simon said Robocar racing could generate excitement among today’s children, while also paving the way for a future of self-driving vehicles. “I personally can’t wait for self-driving cars. I want to enjoy and chill and be driven around.”

Click here to view the full interview.