Designing the 7 Key Experiences for the Future of Autonomous Recreational Vehicles
At Konrad+King we are fascinated with designing the human experience of autonomous vehicles. We spent the last several months creating concepts that reimagine the recreation experience for a future where autonomous vehicles are pervasive. Our first autonomous vehicle concept focuses on the family experience and embraces technology to reinvent the family road trip. We call it TerraVenture.
As a kid, family road trips were a staple of my summer vacation that (along with my complete lack of skill) consistently denied me a spot playing on the little league all-star team. But these roadtrips created legendary memories. When we started brainstorming as a team we found that, whether we had been on one, dreamt of one, or watched Clark screw one up, the human experience of the family roadtrip is something we could all understand and empathize with so it became the backdrop for our project.
With some initial design workshops and quick guerrilla research from a local camping group, we began identifying key user needs and themes which led to the two design challenges we think could greatly enhance the road trip experience of the future.
Design Challenge: Make it Easier to Get Back to Nature
The dream of loading the family in the car or RV and getting back to nature is deeply embedded in our culture. Yet, in reality, this dream is getting harder to achieve. Our busy schedules rarely allow time to properly plan, driving long distances is rough on the whole family, and keeping the family interacting together is getting harder as we retreat into our devices. Can technology be used to alleviate these problems?
Design Challenge: Reconnect the Family
Technology is drawing us inward — into our homes, online spaces, and virtual environments — pulling us away from the natural world. It is also changing the way that we, as families communicate, replacing interpersonal experiences with less emotive on-screen interactions. Despite these factors the need for family bonding remains stronger and more necessary than ever. Can we embrace this trend in technology while still empowering and improving the family bond?
Here is what we came up with:
TerraVenture is a recreational service that provides your family with adventure cruises of most the scenic byways and destinations in North America. At the center of the service is your personal intelligent Cruise Director who coordinates a fleet of autonomous RVs, and an end-to-end logistics and supply chain. The TerraVenture service plans, supplies, and executes adventures that fit seamlessly into your family’s lives. Our range of trip packages and tiered fleet of autonomous RVs provide road trip vacations that fit any budget or lifestyle.
Here are the 7 Key Experiences of our TerraVenture Service:
1. TerraVenture is the safest, most stress-free way to travel.
Your Intelligent Cruise Director, Cierra, removes the hassle and time of trip planning by learning your schedule, preferences and lifestyle. The service offers pre-packaged vacations that meet your family’s needs and budget.
2. TerraVenture takes care of the itinerary.
Your Cruiser is equipped and pre-programmed to provide the best travel experience possible–from onboard activities to the best sites and attractions along the way. Enjoy as-is, or modify your trip on-the-fly.
3. TerraVenture is the best way to discover nature.
Your Intelligent Cruise Director, Cierra, ensures convenience and safety on the roadways so you can enjoy the scenery. The journey becomes part of the adventure with your personal tour guide. No driving, no navigating, no setup, no worries.
4. TerraVenture connects family in new ways.
Strengthen your family bond using onboard technologies like digital, geo-aware group gaming and augmented reality stargazing from the 360° SkyDeck.
5. TerraVenture helps create unique memories.
Live broadcast your adventure with friends, family, and social networks back home–using the onboard camera and audio system.
6. TerraVenture has something for everyone.
Your cruise has something to offer for the whole family. Enjoy the view with a captivating history tour & cocktail, explore the geography with a 3D map, or sit down to a nice lunch.
7. TerraVenture conquers the unexpected.
On-demand services help you outfit your family when conditions change. Ask your Cruise Director for supplies or equipment on-the-fly. TerraVenture and it’s partners will get them to you anywhere within hours.
The Autonomous Recreation Vehicle is still decades away, but we set about to create a vision for what could be so that technology focuses on the human experience. As designers, we are optimists who help to shape a future based on people rather than technology. We think that TerraVenture provides a future that reimagines the great American roadtrips of the past while strengthening the family bond and reconnecting us with nature. We’ll see you down the road.
Konrad+King is a design firm in San Diego, CA. We are obsessively intrigued by designing future product experiences, especially for autonomous vehicles. Let us know if you would like to collaborate.
