Maglev technology would allow the vehicle to float, and a magnetic belt would connect them together.
Renault and Central Saint Martins, a London art college, teamed up to create a competition where MA Industrial Design students could imagine the future car. Yuchen Cai, 23, submitted the winning entry, the Float. She imagined a maglev-technology levitating sphere that could be connected to other vehicles to increase its size. She was awarded a two-week stay at Renault’s Paris design studio to refine her idea. Float is named after its Maglev technology that allows it to move around without making contact with the road. A pod can hold two people. However, multiple units can be connected together by a magnetic belt. An app on a smartphone would allow someone to hail an autonomous transporter. Simple controls inside would enable navigation and communication with others in the pod.
The exterior is transparent so that privacy-seeking occupants can adjust the transparency. An easy way to enter and exit the body is through a sliding door. Two other finalists were also part of Renault’s contest. Stephanie Chang Liu designed Flo (above), a concept vehicle that could serve three purposes. It can be used for freight transport, personal mobility or as a shared mode of transportation, such as an autonomous taxi. Tuna Yenici’s Vue (above), places a sphere onto a chassis. She draws inspiration from the bond between pet owners and people. Although the vehicle might be sad to drop off its owner at work, it would greet them warmly when they picked him or her up at night. Renault challenged MA Industrial Design students at Central Saint Martins to design the vehicle cabin of the future last year (gallery below). Oura was the winner. It was a suit that simulates the feeling of floating in a car.