With the advent of autonomous vehicles approaching, we have to ask ourselves an important question: "Why do we need autonomy and what can it offer us to truly enhance our lives once we have it?"
Rivian Adventure World explores the gamification of driving. It imagines real-life adventures digitally enhanced through traditional video game mechanics. The following panels detail one family's Adventure World roadtrip in the context of their own pioneering adventure.
With the vehicle serving as the game's fast-travel component, players embark on unique adventures, explore new locations, complete quests, and interact with businesses and real people to earn points and advance in the game. Thus motivating them to replace screen-based experiences with real-life ones.
Visiting sites on the map and fulfilling quests along the way will earn the player points and in-game currency, which eventually convert into real-life rewards and actual currency to spend at in-network establishments. This system presents a competitive element to the player, leading them to seek out more and richer experiences as they will advance their status in the game.
The network of partnerships between Rivian and purpose curated businesses such as stores, restaurants, hotels, adventure activities, and State/National Parks, manifests itself as locations on the map. Much like you would expect from a video game, only in the real world. Paired with quest- and storylines, this creates a rich, adventure filled, and life-enhancing experience which is deeply tied to the Rivian brand and vehicle line-up.
On-board camera technology, a tracking drone, and AI video processing, allow every player to record their journey into a playable experience outside of the vehicle, while also extending the game, its locations, and activities. This creates beautiful multi-camera memories players can revisit, and secondary gaming experiences for anyone who doesn’t own a vehicle but still wants to experience Rivian Adventure World.
A small hydro-electric turbine, which can be floated in a river, produces battery charge over time and is even effective in still water as it can also convert wave energy. Full size appliances and a 1.5 + 1.5 seat booth create a kitchen ready for gourmet meals. The transforming exterior side-attachment contains an inbuilt BBQ which crowns the cooking experience with a one-of-a kind touch as you gather around the large outdoor table. The sleeping area opens up at the headboard end of the bed, to lead to the rear deck of the vehicle. Connected to the bedroom is an en suite bathroom, with walk-through shower. This shower has electrochromic glass for privacy on one side, since the bathroom is also accesible from the main cabin.
The outdoor table doubles as a workbench when preparing equipment such as EMBs for the day's adventure. In the evening, a secondary sleeping area rises from under the main-cabin floor. Send the kids to bed and enjoy a glass of wine while taking in stunning vistas, thanks to the kitchen-side hatch. Once extended, the rear deck reaveals a 2-person mini hot-tub, which is then filled from the 300L water tank.
This project was inspired by desire to restore the emotional bond to our vehicles in an autonomous future, the works of Albert Bierstadt and Eadweard Muybridge, and countless roadtrips through the painteresque landscapes of California and Nevada. The RT4 RV and Rivian Adventure World create a synergy between fantasy and reality and together build a truly unique and special overlanding adventure experience.