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  • We acquired this object.

2017

  • Work on this object began.

2018

2025

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The Shape Of Vehicles

This is a The Shape of Vehicles. It was produced by Artefact, Toyota Motor North America and Daimler AG. It is a part of the department.

Transformational technologies, including automation and electrification, are causing a reconsideration of the design of vehicles. Without a wheel or combustion engine, the vehicle may become a platform, with flexible modular spaces for work and leisure. Safer, slower speeds reduce the need for aerodynamic styling or bumpers. Enhanced vehicle-user communication will require a rethink of the interior and exterior layouts and interfaces. This video explores three concepts for how driverless technology might radically change the shape of future vehicles.

Video: Aim: A Vision for Healthcare in the Age of AI
2017
1:38 minutes
Produced by and courtesy of Artefact (Seattle, Washington, USA)

Video: Toyota e-Palette Concept: a Glimpse of Future Mobility
2018
2:50 minutes
Produced by and courtesy of Toyota Motor North America (Plano, Texas, USA)

Video: Mercedes-Benz Vision URBANETIC: Mobility for Urban Areas
2018
2:44 minutes
Produced by and courtesy of Daimler AG (Stuttgart, Germany)

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This object was previously on display as a part of the exhibition The Road Ahead: Reimagining Mobility.

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<ref name=CH>{{cite web |url=https://www-4.collection.cooperhewitt.org/objects/2318795918/ |title=The Shape Of Vehicles |author=Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum |accessdate=10 February 2025 |publisher=Smithsonian Institution}}</ref>