Prototyping & Showcase
A CAR OF THE FUTURE, BUILT FOR KIDS
For smart’s 20th anniversary, IOX developed a kids’ car using the technology of the EQ fortwo.
Project / Client
For the 20th anniversary of the car brand smart, IOX developed a car of the future as a vehicle for children as part of the campaign “Big ideas start out small. smart fortomorrow”. The project covered design and innovation.
The Situation
Daimler is a global automotive company, and smart is one of its car brands. Together with the advertising agency BBDO, the brand commissioned IOX to produce a kids’ car. The car was meant to embody the vision of a fully electric vehicle of the future. The development requirements were diverse and roughly matched the tasks that cars of the future are expected to fulfil in Germany and worldwide.
The Key Question
How do you build a kids’ car whose design is reminiscent of a Bobby-Car – while technically matching a real vehicle of the future?
What We Built
IOX worked with design thinking and rapid prototyping.
PRODUCT: The design is based on the smart EQ fortwo. Initial drafts were aligned in close contact with the client. This resulted in the body and the chassis, followed by headlights and wheels. Finally, the car was painted.
SYSTEM: IOX developed an entertainment board, plus the motor control as well as battery and charging electronics. An integrated smart board computer implements several use cases. It enables face recognition and voice control, controls the electric drive and makes autonomous driving possible. An additional function prevents rear-end collisions.
The Result
The result is a kids’ car with new technology. It offers face recognition and voice control as well as an electric drive and autonomous driving.
The vehicle was tested by kindergarten children.
It made a video for the campaign “Big ideas start out small. smart fortomorrow” possible. The video can be watched on YouTube.