A running theme with many of the science and tech articles I gathered for this newspaper was how technology is either enhancing or replacing experiences of every day life. Because of this duality, I opted to create two side-by-side concepts that explore these different routes we can take with technology. With the rise of Waymo’s self-driving cars, there are a plethora of possibilities for the future of automotive design once this technology is perfected.
The first option on the left side of the image is inspired by in-flight movies on planes. Each chair has its own screen, so people can individually watch whatever they want to watch. Because drivers won’t have to drive in self-driving cars, even passengers in the driver’s seat get to enjoy a movie for the duration of the journey. The right side of the image shows another option: a conversation-pit-inspired car interior where seats can be swiveled to face each other and passengers can more easily interact. There’s also a table in the center of the car, where passengers can play a game or enjoy a meal together. One option encourages individuals to replace the car ride experience with the experience of watching a film, which in turn discourages human interaction in the car. The other option pushes technology to the back of the passengers’ minds and brings conversation to the forefront, enhancing the car ride experience.
Both of these designs have their problems, like if the driver needs to take control over the car (say, if the car gets stuck or malfunctions) quickly, they would need to collapse their screen or swivel around to take the wheel. Of course, these scenarios assume that the self-driving technology is perfected. The table would likely have to be collapsible, as it takes up a lot of space in the car. You’d also have to do rigorous safety testing to see if it would be okay to have passengers seated in chairs that can face each other.
