Michelin Throws Down City Transportation Gauntlet for 2010 Challenge Design

Introduced in 2002 to give designers around the world an opportunity to promote their work, the Michelin Challenge Design programme is now in its tenth year. During this time the number of designs submitted has increased some 700 per cent and designers from 98 countries have taken part. Pre-registration for the 2012 Michelin Challenge Design has commenced, and the tyre maker says initial feedback indicates a record year awaits.

The theme for 2012 was announced at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit and is “City 2046:  Art, Life and Ingenuity.” The year 2046 was chosen to acknowledge the 100th anniversary of Michelin’s first radial tyre. Participants in the 2012 Michelin Challenge Design are asked to present their vision of city transportation for Paris, Shanghai, Mumbai, Rio or Los Angeles for the year 2046.  Each of these cities has a specific set of challenges, and ‘disruptive innovation’ may be what each needs to get transportation from the formula in use today to that of 2046. Specifically, participants must design a personal, ground-based vehicle capable of transporting between two and ten people.  In selecting a city, the vehicle proposal must provide a solution to the transportation issues unique to that city. Pre-registration and entry submission information is available at www.michelinchallengedesign.com.