Project Heliotrope : Exploring the Future of Vehicle Ownership

Abstract: In year 2030 approximately six out of every ten people will live on the urban area. This movement is especially strong in Asias mega cities like for example Tokyo, Delhi, Mumbai and Shanghai. Accelerating globalization is driving us towards the situation where each little peace of transportation must be optimized to gain space, time and efficiency to reduce the greenhouse effect. Personal transportation is a sector which will inexorably face major changes. It might not be as acceptable as it is nowadays. It is simple. Cars are unefficient the way they appear at the moment. To be able to accept them as a part of the future traffic, they need to be designed differently. Future personal transportation must be able to multitasking outside of traffic. It is important that the usage ratio would be improved considerably compared to the current one. When autonomous driving technology enter the market, a big step towards expanding the scope of the vehicles will be taken. It is still consequential to undestand that improving efficiency will not only require Cutting-Edge technology. With re-designed constructions and the creation of new ideas and preferences, one can also go far. While the vehicles are being redesigned, it is also necessary to renew the way people perceive it. If users adopt a new kind of vehicle ideology, it will lead to a positive development curve. The used design process was rather traditional. The research phase was started in January being followed by an ideation phase. After ideation the project moved in to the refinement phase and ultimately to the execution of the design in form of 3D-model and at the end physical model. Measurements and proportions were tested in Virtual Reality and in 2D 1:1 scale so that the correct size of the scale was secured since the project incorporates a space intended for living and longer stays. The Final Result is a new type of vehicle construction that appears in two main piece. It is designed to be more efficient and to serve the user in another dimension as well. Project Heliotrope combines future transportation with temporary living by transforming the vehicle's cabin into a part of your housing while tarveling. The secondary function will in fact become firstrate importance in the optimal situation, when traveling time will be shorter in relation to living time. This is the way that future transportation should be seen and designed. Driving becomes the seconday function. The Lexus Heliotrope styling is audacious and different. It does not obey the proportions or main lines of existing sedans. One of the main goals of the design has been to show the vehicle's duality, which is an important part of the concept. The architecture coprises two side-forming panels, the interposed capsule forming the vehicle cab. The design respects Lexus's traditional front graphics giving it the familiar softness from the past, instead of current murderous sharpness. The center of the visual balance is closer to the rear axle that is well known Lexus trademark. The top view introduces a beautifully flowing design that also shows the typical organic nature of the brand. A long, streamlined body can be seen as a very long lasting design.