HfG students design the autonomous tram of the Thales and Albtal-Verkehrs-Gesellschaft
The AVG have launched a design competition for their joint vehicle project. The students of Karlsruhe University of Arts and Design are called upon to create innovative proposals for the shell of the autonomous AVG light rail system, which should be fully automated by the end of the year on the company premises in the Rhine harbor of Karlsruhe.
A lot of creative freedom: Yves Sterbak, Amine Arezki, and Kai Taylor from Thales Germany as well as Jürgen Holl for the Albtal-Verkehrs-Gesellschaft (from left) explain to the HfG students which outer surfaces of the Stadtbahn can be designed., Photo: ARTIS-Uli Deck
Lots of creative freedom: Jürgen Holl for the Albtal-Verkehrs-Gesellschaft and Amine Arezki, Kai Taylor and Yves Sterbak from Thales Germany (from left) explain to students of the HfG which exterior surfaces of the Stadtbahn can be designed., Photo: ARTIS-Uli Deck
The students of communication design and product design have already looked at the selected AVG vehicle in which the new technology is to be incorporated. The project managers had information about the project. The entire light rail with a length of around 37 meters is to receive a new cover with the help of adhesive film. "We are looking for a track that will visually be adapted to our ambitious project goal," says Yves Sterbak, project manager at Thales Germany. "I'm curious to see how the dominant themes of driver cockpit digitization, secure localization and intelligent obstacle detection are incorporated into the design of the students."
"With the Karlsruhe University of Arts and Design we have found a great partner who is anchored in Karlsruhe like the AVG. The designers of tomorrow are shaping the future of tomorrow - that fits in wonderfully, "says AVG CEO Ascan Egerer about the cooperation. It is a great opportunity for the students to gain initial experience with the industry in a real task. "We are extremely pleased that students of product and communication design have been commissioned to design a mobility vision," emphasizes Katharina Wahl, artistic assistant at the HfG. From today, the contestants will have around two weeks to prepare their proposals. A ten-member jury - composed of experts from Thales, AVG and the HfG - then decides which design fits best with the track. The winner will receive a prize money of 1500 euros. The second-placed design is worth 500 euros. The selected design will then be applied to the web with the aid of foil adhesive tape, and in this new dress, the highly automated light rail will play the main role in a product video at the end of the year. The design of the students will be on display worldwide.
