The project collaborates with Ministry of Science and Technology of Taiwan, and the goal is to design a future electric vehicle. This is a 5-year project, our design builds on the vision of promoting three-wheeled vehicles, which was defined by a design researcher one year before us. The rationale for promoting three-wheeled is the structure provides greater safety compared to two-wheeled and easier parking compared to four-wheeled. However, due to the legal constraints in Taiwan, three-wheeled are not allowed to drive on the road yet, so we set our context in leisure farms, which is legal to drive any kind of vehicle. The problem space we define:
According to the data of the Taiwanese government, the main visitors of leisure farms are the age group 31 to 40 years old. Within this group, 78% of them are married couples with children. We thereby define our target group to be family
Parents - 31 to 40 years old
Children - Under 18 years old
Family-Based
The kids still live with their parents. They go everywhere together
Steady Income
Parents have steady jobs to provide for the kids
Frequent Weekend Trip
Parents often plant weekend trips to relax from work and enjoy quality time with children
Healthy
Everyone in the family is in good health
We then look into existing sightseeing vehicles in Taiwan. There are three types:
Rail
It is the most common type of sightseeing vehicle in Taiwan. It’s run by owners and left in a fixed schedule. The common gap between trains is 30 mins to 1 hour. Because it usually carries many people in one train, the comfort may be less satisfied
User Pain Points
Four-wheeled
It’s run by owners. It carries tourists to their desired places. However, due to the car size, the drivers have to stay out of the road. Therefore, they usually have to drive back to parking lots after the ride. Also, the form is usually bulky and less designed
User Pain Points
Two-wheeled
Tourists can rent bicycles to go anywhere they want, providing the best mobility and easiness of finding parking spots
User Pain Points
Powered by electricity to avoid using fuel vehicles and reducing air pollution
Make the form more streamlined, appealing and futuristic
Add a top to avoid potential changes of a plan due to weather conditions
Visitors have the choice to ride their own vehicles for better mobility. It could be a bicycle, three-wheeled or four-wheeled
Bicycle and three-wheeled are about the same size. They are easier to find parking compared to four-wheeled
Three-wheeled and four-wheeled have a larger storage room and provide better balance
We sketch based on the design guidelines and try a couple of different directions, including curvy, structural, conceptual, and rounded
We sketch based on the design guidelines and try a couple of different directions, including curvy, structural, conceptual, and rounded
We build both 3D model and physical model to validate the look and feel. The model is made with clay. It’s been a fun adventure since we have very little experience, and the equipment is very limited. We even have to create an oven and tools by ourselves. During the modeling, we explore many details and iterate CAD accordingly. The form is getting more and more specific in this iterative process
In the validation of the second form, we explore a different way of modeling. We first crave the shape out in PU and use it as a base to vacuum heated ABS onto it
We decide to go with form B and continue to refine the details
We decide to go with form B and continue to refine the details
Visitors can decide if they want to rent a Whale at the tourist center
The maximum capacity of each Whale is 2 adults. If visitors travel in a group, they can turn on Auto Following to follow the first vehicle
Whale provides auditory tour guides and shows only essential information through HUD, so tourists can focus on the view and not be distracted by interfaces
When arriving at a destination, visitors can park Whale alongside the road since the size of it is rather smaller and perfect for street parking
The battery is designed to last a day without charging, and Whale will start charging after visitors return it
I come across the smart cities concept at MIT media lab and realize Whale project might have the potential to be part of IoT network and become a solution in addressing traffic in a smart city. I thereby start small-scale design research to find out commuters’ pain points
3.2 million people are working in Taipei city, either residing in the city or commuting from other counties. They could take public transportation, vehicles, or bikes. Commuting by vehicles is the most common way in everyday commuting, taking up 45.3 percent. This is also where our opportunity lies.
Among those who commute by vehicle, 58.3 percents are scooter riders. I interview these two groups and synthesize the findings
Parking and Safety Concerns
Tricycle could be the solution to solve insufficient parking spaces in the city since it can fit in current scooter parking lots. On the other hand, by adding one more wheel to scooters, it increases stability
Weather Concerns
Riders are worried about the weather when riding scooters. They might get wet on rainy days and get sweating on hot days. Adding a canopy allows them to be free from the concerns
Traffic Congestion
By sending everyday information such as the departure time to the center, the city can suggest the best route to avoid massive traffic zones. Also, it could make self-driving vehicles possible, reducing not only traffic jams caused by human errors but also the energy spent on transportation
Air Pollution
An electric car can reduce air pollution on the road significantly for both car users and scooter riders. In addition, a smart city could help as mentioned above.
Smart City
As mobile networks are getting widespread, it connects every device in a city. In this case, it connects all vehicles and provides an overall solution. Humans can spend less time commuting and enjoy a less polluted environment