Volkswagen And Academy Of Art Design Students Imagine The Cars Of Our Future

Volkswagen USA has unveiled the results of a collaboration with 30 students at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco to imagine what the future of mobility will look like.

Together, they worked to imagine different solutions to the future on the road inspired by the American landscape. They created four concepts and a website to showcase the overarching goals of the project.

“We’re fortunate to be able to work with Academy of Art University and their talented students from all over the world,” said Alexander Ksoll, senior staff designer at Volkswagen Group of America. “Mobility is multifaceted and requires a more dimensional approach to its design. This project gave us exciting perspectives and showed outstanding achievements in a fully virtual classroom setting.”

To solve the problem of business travel, the team came up with the “Orbis,” an autonomous vehicle designed to allow working, collaboration, and a light power nap in order to eliminate “post-arrival fatigue.” With seats that can lay flat or fold up to a desk and form workspaces for two, the Orbis is the perfect vehicle for “business travelers looking to achieve a holistic work-life balance.”

The “Outreach,” meanwhile, blurs the lines between a home and a vehicle for those who want adventure. A vehicle that can effectively dock into a house, or attach itself to a boat, it’s a pod that sits on top of a chassis and can be changed depending on your needs.

The “Urban Cowboy” is designed to be more companion than vehicle. Thanks to features like “Scout,” which helps you find and plan activities, it’s designed for sustainable long-distance travel.

Finally, the X Hub reimagines travel for a family. With entertainment for parents and a dedicated kids zone, all members of a family can enjoy their commute. The students also envisioned X Hub stopover locations called Excursion Centers with spas, food, movies, and more.

“This was a tremendous opportunity for our students to learn from – and alongside – industry experts at Volkswagen Group of America who are paving the way for technology and mobility,” said Antonio Borja, director, School of Industrial Design. “Electrification and autonomous vehicles are without a doubt the future and will only continue to grow, which created a perfect use case for us to come together and create an integrated vision.”

You can find out more about each concept at the VW Journey website. One student from each project was chosen by VW to receive part of a scholarship fund donated by the company.