FREDERIK
DESCHUYTTER
WORK
ABOUT
METHOD
MATERIAL
DESIGN
THE PERSONAL DRIVER
It won’t be long before cars become self-driving, transforming the way we commute while forging new relationships between driver and vehicle. While this disruptive technology will revolutionize both vehicles and the automotive industry, the first (semi) self-driving cars still adhere to the design principles of their combustion-powered predecessors. The Personal Driver questions how we might design cars if they no longer have to look like cars any more, and how this transition will forge new interactions between humans and vehicles.
As car ownership becomes obsolete - with shared vehicles available on demand - the car's role as a status symbol also fades, and vehicles could adopt a neutral, rectangular design constructed from mirroring materials, reflecting their surroundings rather than attracting attention. As the need for a human driver disappears, interiors could become dynamic, chameleon-like spaces evolving to suit activities such as sleeping, working, or relaxing.
As driverless technology dismantles the car as we know it, The Personal Driver offers a visual perspective on a question the industry can no longer avoid: what does a vehicle look like once it no longer needs a driver?
graduation ● Design Academy Eindhoven