h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I am a 21 year old MA Automotive Design student who is just starting his final project. I am wanting to design a vehicle for the future, a ball park year of around 2082. Unlike star-wars, or other sci-fi programs and films, I have to come up with first hand research, that will justify every part of my final design. In order to do this, i basically need to predict the future. Quite a challenge i think you'll agree for a 21 year old design student. I have trawled the internet trying to find out future scenario techniques, and methods for forcast predicting, but everything i find is to do with business forcasting, and predicting things like economic spacial tax growth. This information, although intresting, is not really the information on future environmental changes, or future sciences that could have massive impact on the Automotive industry. So as you can probably see, predicting the next 80 years in no more than a 5000 dissertation is going to be the challenge of my life. If anyone has an interest on this subject, and would be willing to help me by letting me know of any specialised web-sites, or books that may be of benifit, or any views or opinions of what you believe the future holds. Whether it be what you think we'll be driving/flying or sailing, environmental change,or simply whether you think i've bitten off more than i can chew.I would be extremely appreciative of any information you could give me, and please, be as creative and as colouful as you like.
P.S if anyone would require any help or information on Design issues, whether it be cars graphic, or product, please dont hesitate to ask.
Thankyou Shakey

Eighty years ahead is a long way away.

I'm not aware of any env scenario planning that goes that far. You will have to make some assumptions and justify them. Even most governments don't try to do long term planning beyond 25 years ahead...

For example, one thing that could be possible in the future is that safety becomes very important, and that your computer basically ends up driving your car for you. You may or may not have a choice in the matter. The important thing is not so much the assumptions you make on what will happen, more that you can justify them and your design holds together.

On the env front, one option could be to take the current changes and push them to extremes - so alternative fuels, recyclability all taken as far as they would go.

sprout

Well I can help on the environmental change part anyway, I'm half way through an environmental science degree.

Any particular continent?

Might I suggest that you post this to <./>AskH2G2</.>
with a tantalizing subject line ... maybe "Guessing The Future" or somesuch - you are much more likely to get a wider response.

And an alternative to plastic - with no oil, there wont be much in the way of plastic...ok, some of it is recyclable but a lot of that will be tied up in stuff people want to keep by then.

Self autonomous thingies on rails, is one idea I've heard floating about, initial experiments underway. Congestion growing at todays rates would mean by then we'd all be on two wheels or we wouldn't actually be able to move anywhere.

Human power, perhaps?