‘Self-healing’ car takes top spot at Vehicle Design Awards

The RCA’s vehicle design students were tasked with creating innovative and practical ideas which could provide insight into the future of automotive design.

Nominated students showcased their work in competition for two awards, Best Use of Glazing which was won by Tianqin Bao, and Best Design Interpretation, won by Sepehr Amirseyedi.

Such was the standard of this year’s work, Seunghwan Jung’s entry was also awarded a commendation.

The event presents an unrivalled opportunity for students to display their designs to industry leading car manufacturers, many of whom send scouts on the lookout for new talent.

Tainquin’s winning design, named ‘scar’ aimed to redefine the emotional relationship between humans and their vehicles. His concept was a vehicle with an in-built digital healing process, whereby any damage to the car is digitally mapped and new parts to repair it created via 3D printing.

These repairs, or scars, would become design features of the vehicle, nurturing a long-lasting bond between man and car.

The students presented their designs to an expert judging panel which included Professor Gordon Wagener – VP of design, Daimler AG; David Wilkie – design director, CNH Industrial; Shirley Sergeant – global portfolio manager, NSG Group; Andy Richards – European business planning manager, NSG Group, and Earl Beckles of Jaguar Land Rover Design.

Mike Greenall, competition judge and director of automotive R&D programmes at NSG Group, commented: “It’s been a great year for the automotive industry and with such talented individuals making their way up the ranks, things look bright for the future.

“Many students devised novel glazing and design solutions which utilise new technology to promote sustainability, two huge issues currently at the forefront of automotive innovation.”

Professor Dale Harrow at the Royal College of Art, said: “The work we’ve seen from our students today shows a huge amount of potential. Previous award winners have gone on to achieve great things and I am confident that this year’s graduates will also go on to make their mark in the world of automotive design.”