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

I would suggest www.nasa.gov might make a good start if you want to look at futuristic technologies.

You might start by comparing the cars of 1926 with the latest models sold today, it is the same time-span. Type of fuel and safety standards should be addressed, as well as use. How far will you travel before public transport, such as commercial airplanes, become a viable option?

Good luck

F S

You could go to the Green party website. greens.org I think. They'll surely have a lot to say about sustainability. And since their ideas aren't likely to be listened to, there's a fair chances that their dire predictions will come to pass .

To predict trends, you might look around at social issues that now exist. These are some questions you may want to think about:

The first one is, how many humans will there be in 2082? And will they all live on-planet?

If so, I think that a vehicle made for personal ownership will be rarer (far more expensive and out of reach for an Average Joe) than they are today, due to the sheer need for transporting people over the same amount of planet we need to deal with now. More people = less places to build new roads.

Will we have a socialogical climate that will allow individuals to drive (control) their own cars?

In the US, there are already a number of companies working on concept cars which would be controlled by a transportation computer, on the freeways, to control speed and maximize space between vehicles.

Will there be a climate which will not allow masses of people to travel at will?

Maybe you would want to look into the bus of the future??



SC

And definitely, definitely look into non-fossil fuel sources of powering the things.

If people will be able to move en masse and much more quickly, I wonder what border patrolling will look like.