Signals & Stats : Daily Signals

Show on the road

By Alex Jordan 26 : 04 : 2016 Honda : Map : The Great Journey

UK – Honda has collaborated with Map on a vision that examines how autonomous vehicles might shape the future travel experience.

The team designed seven vehicles, one for each leg of a journey across the globe
‘Once we started looking at the different terrain, we thought that it was going to be quite an interesting vehicle’ – Jon Marshall, design director at Map

Honda. Great Journey by Map, Mori inc and Morihiro Harano, UK

A future in which our vehicles are able to drive autonomously is fast approaching. Cars designed by electric car company Tesla can change lanes by themselves, while self-parking and crash-avoidance features are increasingly common in modern vehicles.

But while the focus has been on efficiency and safety, Honda is examining how autonomous vehicles will enable the driver to experience and appreciate the wonders of the world around them.

Honda. Great Journey depicts a series of prototype autonomous vehicles as they retrace mankind’s migration from Africa, from the grassy trails of the Savannah to the smooth roads of the US West Coast.

The Desert Train comprises several elements that are powered by Honda’s fuel cell technology, which produces water that is filtered and stored for later use, while the Road Tripper, which is inspired by glass-roofed trains, gives passengers a panoramic view of their surroundings and uses Honda’s gyro technology to gently tilt around corners.

The Big Picture

Visions of future vehicles often present a sleek, utilitarian aesthetic, but our Awakening Tech macrotrend examines how consumers and designers are embracing technology while retaining a sense of humanity.