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Raphael Thys
The automaker has claimed that the in-house developed FelGAN artificial intelligence technology is a mash-up of the German word for "rim" (Felge) and "GAN," which stands for Generative Adversarial Networks. This AI program is claimed to have two different algorithms that compete with each other in the training stage. Both these algorithms are claimed to have been designed to learn from their mistakes and improve continuously. The automaker claims that one of the algorithms will design the wheels so deceptively realistic that human eyes cannot or can only barely distinguish them from real photos.
The AI is claimed to work as a spontaneous idea hub for Audi's wheel rim design team. It will also allow them to exchange new versions and variations as well. The AI-driven tool is claimed to allow the wheel rim designers easily experiment with the shapes, colours, surface structure and various other parameters in real-time. However, Audi has also said that the new wheel rim design process is not completely reliant on the ideas generated by AI technology. The automaker's designers can also feed the technology with their own designs and photographs, adding them to the virtual experimental platform.
After testing and evaluating the design, the final step will be turning the virtual designs into something realistic and production-worthy by making a wheel prototype. The prototype could be either in plastic or aluminium and built using a high-tech milling machine, claimed Audi.