Futures Design
IXD 480
Design Tools used: Blender
In approaching this design challenge, I started to think about what the world will look like in 100 years from now.
The year is 2126.
And the world has become a hyper commoditized human experience. If you don't have IT, you ain't IT.
Status, money and power continue to shift among heads of state, legacy families and shady dealers.
But one thing remains. A need for speed.
For this exercise, I created a 2-axis matrix that explored what the world looks like if we keep going on the same track without much change or we devolve into something far more sinister.
I wanted to explore the quadrant where Individual Agency and Social Stratification meets. I feel like this has some traits of the current world we live in. Corporate greed and stardom reign supreme and the best way to pass the time is to bet on human lives and treat them as stock in exchange for an elevated status as a celebrity.
I wanted to explore the quadrant where Individual Agency and Social Stratification meets. I feel like this has some traits of the current world we live in. Corporate greed and stardom reign supreme and the best way to pass the time is to bet on human lives and treat them as stock in exchange for an elevated status as a celebrity.
So I looked at what this looks like now. Some of my favorite picks show us the awesome power of cars, drones, and, of course, glory.
World Building: 2126
Global corporations have absorbed national governments, shaping policy, infrastructure, and culture from behind the scenes. The public accepts this arrangement, as long as their needs are met and their entertainment remains as visceral as possible.
Among the most celebrated spectacles is the World Champion Racing Series, where twenty-four of the planet’s most elite pilots defy physics in ultra-fast, hyper-agile racing ships.
Sketches
Taking inspiration from traditional vehicles and looking at future racing venues, I created some sketches that explore what those vehicles might look like. I was looking at shapes, function and how a pilot might be positioned. I really like the shapes of jet airplanes, F1 and NASCAR vehicles. Then I also looked at some of the creative shapes of Hot Wheels and how cool they are. The engines allow the car to hover and maneuver along tough and tight terrains.
Blender models (draft)
Using the sketches and image references as a starting point, I started to explore the shape of the racing ship.
This model pays homage to the aerodynamic shape of Formula 1 cars, the powerful engines of Nascar vehicles, and the future of spaceships. The engines have a powerful electromagnetic engines that allow it to hover low to the ground and high enough to clear obstacles. The track now goes beyond the traditional path and goes through canyons, valleys and long stretches of land.
Here's a view of what that all-terrain, all-space vehicle might look like.
Here's a view of what that all-terrain, all-space vehicle might look like.
Side view
Rear view
Top view
Side angle
Bottom view
Bottom angle
Rear angle
The X1 Formula Series
The future of racing goes all-terrain. Hovering 10 feet above the ground, the next generation of vehicles deft the laws of gravity. Using magnetic levitation and anti-gravity tech, pack with powerful twin engines, these agile racing machines go fast and through anything.
The raceship uses hover tech that allows it to move from the traditional track to rough terrain and back. The top, bottom and sides feature the anti-grav and magnetic repulsion bumpers that assist drivers to make sharp turns, avoid close collisions, and cover more terrain for intense racing.
Unity interaction
The next step was to get my model working in an environment. Coming from a non-coding and no game dev experience, it has been a tough experience trying to get it right.
My first attempt was to make sure I can select my vehicle.
These are the settings that I created for interacting with the model.
This is the script code:
using UnityEngine;
public class RaceShipController : MonoBehaviour
{
[Header("Hover Heights")]
public float lowHoverHeight = 0.5f;
public float activeHoverHeight = 2.4f; // about 8 feet
[Header("Hover Motion")]
public float liftSpeed = 4f;
public float bobAmount = 0.08f;
public float bobSpeed = 2f;
[Header("Selection Visual")]
public Renderer shipRenderer;
public Color idleColor = Color.white;
public Color selectedColor = Color.yellow;
private Rigidbody rb;
private bool isSelected = false;
private float groundY;
private Material shipMaterial;
void Start()
{
rb = GetComponent<Rigidbody>();
if (rb == null)
{
Debug.LogError("RaceShipController requires a Rigidbody on the same GameObject.");
enabled = false;
return;
}
groundY = transform.position.y;
// If not assigned in Inspector, try to find one automatically.
if (shipRenderer == null)
{
shipRenderer = GetComponent<Renderer>();
if (shipRenderer == null)
{
shipRenderer = GetComponentInChildren<Renderer>();
}
}
if (shipRenderer != null)
{
shipMaterial = shipRenderer.material;
shipMaterial.color = idleColor;
}
else
{
Debug.LogWarning("No Renderer found for RaceShipController. Color change will not work.");
}
}
void OnMouseDown()
{
isSelected = !isSelected;
if (shipMaterial != null)
{
shipMaterial.color = isSelected ? selectedColor : idleColor;
}
Debug.Log(isSelected ? "Ship selected!" : "Ship deselected!");
}
void FixedUpdate()
{
float targetHoverHeight = isSelected ? activeHoverHeight : lowHoverHeight;
float bobOffset = Mathf.Sin(Time.time * bobSpeed) * bobAmount;
float targetY = groundY + targetHoverHeight + bobOffset;
Vector3 currentPosition = rb.position;
Vector3 targetPosition = new Vector3(currentPosition.x, targetY, currentPosition.z);
Vector3 newPosition = Vector3.Lerp(
currentPosition,
targetPosition,
Time.fixedDeltaTime * liftSpeed
);
rb.MovePosition(newPosition);
}
}
This code helped me create the hovering animation for my ship. But that's about all I could do. I attempted to create a box collider that can tell me when my ship is selected and change color to indicate its selection.
But no success. Will continue to try and get this ship moving around a track.
Diving deeper
The next part of this project focuses on a different aspect of future racing.
In this world that I envisioned this vehicle and the next evolution of racing, I don't think that it will be desolution and destruction. Instead, it will look a lot like today but with great technological advances. And with that comes the question about AI and it's role in our lives. For the purposes of this exercise, I will leave those open to interpretation for the reader.
In this world that I envisioned this vehicle and the next evolution of racing, I don't think that it will be desolution and destruction. Instead, it will look a lot like today but with great technological advances. And with that comes the question about AI and it's role in our lives. For the purposes of this exercise, I will leave those open to interpretation for the reader.
In my project, I think that AI will be banned on the track so drivers are evenly matched against one another. Instead, drivers will have the option to use Performance Enhancement Drugs to push the boundaries of human ability. Highly regulated and manipulated, this ability to access an adrenaline boost is limited to 60 seconds per race.
This boost is received by the driver through their helmet. Here's a closer look at that idea.
This boost is received by the driver through their helmet. Here's a closer look at that idea.
A direct shot to the back of the neck or head so that the effects are almost instantaneous. This device would be activated by engaging a button on the steering wheel or device and it would inject it into the body so it can have a quick boost to reaction times. In this extremely fast vehicle, timing is everything.