IKEA's innovation lab unveils self-driving car concepts

SPACE10, IKEA’s future living lab, has designed seven autonomous vehicles that serve as an alternative to the industry’s ‘sleek, sterile, chrome painted machines’. conceived as a visual exploration of how self-driving cars can help us lead more fulfilling everyday lives, the project illustrates how autonomous vehicles can support the activities we spend the majority of our time on — while transporting us to our destination.

‘shop on wheels’ will come to people wherever they are

with that in mind, SPACE10, in collaboration with visual trend lab f°am studio, has proposed seven concepts: office, offering flexible workspace; café, providing coffee on the go; healthcare, administering mobile treatment; farm, delivering fresh produce; play, described as an ‘AR joyride’; hotel, conceived as an urban sleepover; and shop, a pop-up retail outlet. SPACE10 has also developed an app, which allows people to ‘order’ the cars from their iPhones and experience them in augmented reality. the project is part of a larger study of the topic, with a report on autonomous vehicles released simultaneously.

the design allows consumers to try, buy, and explore on their own terms

‘spaces on wheels is playful research for us, so besides a report, we wanted to bring our visions to life to engage more people in the potentials,’ explains kaave pour, co-founder and managing director of SPACE10. ‘when spaces are able to move themselves, then they would no longer just be means of transportation, but could be tailored to the very activities we spend most time on – while moving you from A to B. this could profoundly change the lives of the many people for the better and that is also why we find it so interesting.’

‘cafe on wheels’ is a mobile space which enables people to catch up with a friend over a coffee

‘google ‘car of the future’ and you’ll get a slew of images straight out of science fiction: sleek, sterile, chrome painted machines,’ says bas van de poel, creative strategist at SPACE10. ‘we propose an alternative to this, because we believe that those who imagine the future often end up shaping it. this is our contribution to the conversation around the future of urban mobility. autonomous vehicles shouldn’t, however, be seen as the silver bullet, far from, as we generally need cities that prioritise pedestrians, bikes and public transportation much higher.’

the scheme caters to those who are on the move

‘for us it was important to think holistically and globally about the concept of future mobility,’ adds henrik mauler, founder, f°am studio. ‘to think what kind of potential we see for change for our cities, what kind of feeling of urbanity we want to see and what impact this will have on how we shape our society. we therefore designed vehicles that feel approachable, human-centered and welcoming.’

‘farm on wheels’ is capable of bringing local produce to city centers

‘IKEA is a curious company and we need to constantly explore new opportunities,’ says göran nilsson, concept innovation manager, inter IKEA systems. ‘we don’t have ambitions of manufacturing cars, but in a future where people no longer have to worry about driving, vehicle interiors can expand to a point where we no longer are designing cars, but rather small spaces. then it’s suddenly an area where we have a lot of experience, but also an area where we would like to engage for new insights.’

the concept enables local farmers to expand their businesses

‘healthcare on wheels’ allows medical professionals to visit people in need, rather than the other way around

the project could help communities without transport

‘hotel on wheels’ is an electric vehicle powered by clean energy

the design contains all the perks of a traditional hotel room

‘office on wheels’ helps people reclaim the lost time spent traveling to work

staff could have an early meeting with colleagues on the way to work

‘play on wheels’ features augmented reality windows

the windows enable people to try a new game in AR as they travel

an app allows people to ‘order’ the cars from their phones and experience them in augmented reality

project info:

name: spaces on wheels
authors: SPACE10, in collaboration with f°am studio and norgram
vehicle design by: SPACE10 & f°am studio
app design: norgram
app development: shape