Elle’s Portfolio Site
Product Strategist and Immersive Experiencesacross Design, Technology, and Business
Elle’s Portfolio Site
Product Strategist and Immersive Experiencesacross Design, Technology, and Business
Adaptable Interior:
a self-driving car concept that transforms the vehicle cabin into a flexible living space for work, rest, social connection, dining, and storage.
Made by Elle Zhou, Ming Jing Yong, Anika Mantripragada, Dylan Reid, Osemdi Nwabuzor
Brief
Adaptable Interior for Self-Driving Cars is a speculative mobility concept that reimagines the car interior for a future where autonomous driving is fully adopted. Instead of designing the vehicle around a driver-facing cockpit, the project asks a new question: when people no longer need to drive, what will they actually do inside the car?
The concept transforms the car from a transportation machine into a flexible personal environment that can support working, sleeping, socializing, eating, and storage. Through adjustable seating, movable surfaces, surround display systems, and multiple interior configurations, the design explores how future vehicles could become adaptive rooms on wheels.
The concept transforms the car from a transportation machine into a flexible personal environment that can support working, sleeping, socializing, eating, and storage. Through adjustable seating, movable surfaces, surround display systems, and multiple interior configurations, the design explores how future vehicles could become adaptive rooms on wheels.
Research Insight
Working: 37%
People may use commute time for productivity, calls, writing, or remote work.
Sleeping: 32%
The car can become a rest pod, especially during long commutes or late-night travel.
Socializing: 14%
Passengers can face each other and use the cabin as a shared conversation space.
Eating: 5%
Interior surfaces can support casual dining, snacks, or meals in transit.
Storage:
The vehicle can also adapt to carrying luggage, groceries, packages, or personal items.
Design Opportunity
The project reimagines the car as an adaptable interior system rather than a fixed driving environment.
Since passengers may switch between different needs during a single ride, the cabin must support multiple modes instead of one default posture.
The opportunity is to create a vehicle interior that can shift between:
Since passengers may switch between different needs during a single ride, the cabin must support multiple modes instead of one default posture.
The opportunity is to create a vehicle interior that can shift between:
Seats and surfaces support laptop use, meetings, and focused work.
Rest mode
Seats recline or reconfigure into a sleeping position.
Social mode
Seats face inward to encourage conversation.
Dining mode
A table-like surface creates a shared eating setup.
Storage mode
The cabin opens space for bags, boxes, or larger objects.
Renders