Friday, 14 September 2007 | Levent OZLER
Ho Young Kihl: Best Use of Technology
The Interior Motives award for Best Use of Technology has been won by Ho Young Kihl from Hongik University, South Korea. Kihl's IPSE VW Concept is a bold single seater city vehicle that has the ability to project virtual environments on the inside of its cabin, which responds to external changes. The electric car resembles a glass egg inside a sleek eco-friendly plastic body mould.
Kihl's imaginative vehicle is capable of projecting different driver environments inside the cabin. For example, in "underwater mode" all cars will appear to the driver as sea creatures such as sharks, while in "wildlife" mode vehicles appear as animals such as horses and goats. To enter the vehicle, the user places their feet on the front fender which results in the front canopy opening up to allow the driver inside.
Runner up was Dan Kafka, with his "Everlast 2057" multi-generation concept vehicle. The Everlast 2057 is a vehicle that can be used for a much longer lifetime than typical vehicles, with it's interior described as "a sensory experience". The interior contains projections of images of family and past journeys to appeal to sentimental values and thus increasing the personal value of the car as time passes by.
Second runner up was John McDougall from the College for Creative Studies, USA. McDougall's positive impact mobility vehicle is a simple two-part vehicle that uses solar paint, battery film and metal to form it's integrated chassis. The chassis is flexible allowing the car to fold, reducing the distance between the front and rear axles thus saving space. The style is rugged and functional and the materials used are natural fabrics and bio-composites.
The Interior Motives Design Awards are open to design students from around the world and are judged by senior industrial designers from the world's leading carmakers and suppliers.
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