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The Future Is Weird, According to the Winners of 2016 Michelin Challenge Design

Over 15 years, Michelin Challenge Design has received a total of 8,268 entries from 121 countries. Of those, the 2016 edition accounts for 807 entries coming from 68 countries.
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Photo: Michelin
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We'd say that shows the Michelin Challenge Design is a popular contest and that also makes it quite relevant. How else would we get the chance to see what people from all over the world think about his year's theme: "Mobility for all - Designing for the Next Frontier"?

In the end, 14 of those 800-plus entries were shortlisted, and three of them were awarded with first, second and third place.

The theme proved generous enough as the varied solutions proposed by the entrants can very well prove. However, all three winning vehicles chosen by the jury have some sort of agricultural connection, so they may be trying to tell us something.

Third place was taken by a team from South Korea which submitted the idea of a bamboo raft with four propellers activated by hand that also filters water as it goes. Second place went to the "Arriero" design, a small four-wheeled multi-purpose off-road vehicle for the remote villages in Colombia.

Finally, a large team from India received first place for their so-called "Google Community Vehicle". This is intended to act as a support vehicle for the Indian farmers, replacing the need of a conventional tractor. It is very versatile and can use all the equipment needed for working the field. It can also act as a transporter thanks to a flatbed area in the back. Off-season, the same area is turned into a people carrier (comfort may be lacking, but, hey, we're on a farm, nobody will complain), allowing the farmer to earn extra cash. The "Google Community Vehicle" comes with detachable headlights that can be used to light up the village streets at night, while the engine can act as a power generator.

Well, they've thought of everything, haven't they?

One designer from each of the three winning teams will be invited to attend the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) as guests of Michelin.

"The jury was highly impressed by the ingenious, often simplistic and creative mobility solutions that were submitted for this year's Michelin Challenge Design competition," said Stewart Reed, Michelin Challenge Design jury chairman and chair of the Transportation Design Department, Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, Calif. "Designing mobility for all is such an important topic in the automotive industry. Receiving entries from nearly 70 countries reinforces the importance and global nature of Michelin Challenge Design."


2015 Michelin Challenge Design Jury:

Stewart Reed; Chair, Transportation Design Department, Art Center College of Design, Consultant and Jury Chairman, Michelin Challenge Design
Nick Malachowski, Design Manager, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles
Dave Marek, Acura Global Creative Director, Honda R&D Americas, Inc.
Rich Plavetich, General Manager, Design Business, Nissan Design America
Frank Saucedo, Director, General Motors Advanced Design Studio
Thomas Sycha, Design Manager, BMW Group Design, Europe
Freeman Thomas, Director, Strategic Design, Ford Motor Company
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About the author: Vlad Mitrache
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"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie)
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