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Through the partnership, nine groups of three students studying at the prestigious London-based arts college, which is the largest of its kind in the UK, have been tasked with determining how autonomous driving and the result of less driver interaction could impact on a vehicle’s interior environment.
The groups’ design concepts will be assessed by an expert judging panel that includes Anthony Lo, Renault, Vice-President, Exterior Design; leading media design figures and course representatives from Central Saint Martins. As part of Renault’s headline sponsorship of Clerkenwell Design Week 2016 (held 24-26th May), the winning group will be unveiled by Anthony Lo at the ‘Conversations with Clerkenwell’ design discussion that takes place on the evening of Wednesday 25th May.
Autonomous driving is of major importance to Renault, the brand being committed to introducing autonomous driving vehicles by 2020, with the ambition to become the first to offer ‘eyes-off/hands-off’ technology on mainstream vehicles at an affordable price. In April, Renault participated in a unique opportunity to showcase emerging autonomous drive technologies to a select group of European policy makers. The European Union’s 28 Transport Ministers gathered in Amsterdam to sign the Amsterdam Declaration in favour of autonomous vehicles, Renault using the occasion to reveal three ‘Renault Espace Autonomous Drive demonstrators’ which have already been trialed for several hundred hours in ordinary traffic across Europe.
The team of three winning students will be rewarded with an exceptionally rare opportunity to experience a behind-the-scenes placement at Groupe Renault’s Global Design Studios, at the Renault Technocentre R&D facility, near Paris, Here they will be introduced to Renault Design by Anthony Lo, view the advanced future design workshop, meet the studio’s designers and gain hands-on experience with sketching, clay modelling and state-of-the art digital design tools.
James Boyer, Marketing Director, Groupe Renault UK & Ireland, said: “We are delighted to work with Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London on this exciting competition, which provides some of the world’s most promising design talent with the rare chance to contribute to the future of autonomous vehicle design and, uniquely, experience a behind-the-scenes insight of how Renault turns a concept into reality.
“Renault has a fantastic synergy with Central Saint Martins, the brand having also been established for well over 100 years and during this time demonstrating an unwavering commitment to innovative, ground-breaking design; producing vehicles that have shaped the whole automotive industry.”
Nicholas Rhodes, Programme Director, Product Ceramic & Industrial Design, Central Saint Martins, UAL said: "The design of an autonomous vehicle is a major challenge that invites many questions and identifies many problems beyond the purely pragmatic and the infrastructural. The interior design of any such vehicle requires complete rethinking and reframing which brings massive opportunities for new forms of interaction and time use in transit. To be working on such a project with Renault – a truly design-driven company – has been a great opportunity, and a wonderful experience for all of us."
The ‘Conversations with Clerkenwell’ Q&A discussion on the 25th May will be followed by a chance to meet Anthony and the Central Saint Martins’ students during a drinks reception. For more details and to apply to attend this event please visit: www.clerkenwelldesignweek.com/conversations-at-clerkenwell
