TOYOTA DRIVELAND
Overview: The good folks at Toyota reached out to the Saatchi & Saatchi LA 3D team with an exciting last-minute project opportunity. They wanted to create an interactive auto show experience where users could interact with and become acquainted with a virtual Toyota Prius. With the Los Angeles Auto Show fast approaching, we had five short weeks to go from ideation to delivery.
Approach: We figured that a simple video game would be a great vessel for delivering a short, curated, and captivating experience for players and spectators alike. Early on, we partnered with Microsoft, who supplied us with Kinect for Windows; a motion tracking camera system. Through research and testing, we arrived at a gesture-based peripheral-free control scheme simple enough for novice users yet familiar to our more tech-forward participants.
Ingredients: Expensive electronics and computing equipment, a custom-built kiosk, and actual blood, actual sweat, but no (actual) tears!
Driveland is an interactive game in which your body is the controller.
Users interact with game elements by performing simple gestures. These motions are recognized by the Microsoft Kinect.
I created this video to show a typical user progressing through the game from start to finish.
Users can take a virtual test drive on a variety of different racetracks.
A sketch I created to pitch the idea to Toyota.
An animated concept GIF wireframe of the game's whimsical 360° turntable stage.
I modeled the Toyota Prius featured in the game. Above is the high polygon wireframe.
A photo of the Toyota Driveland exhibit at the Los Angeles Auto Show minutes before opening. The calm before the storm.
A custom kiosk houses the experience while trained staff help facilitate.
Our booth was one of few interactive attractions to have a constistent line of auto show attendees.
Toyota Driveland has toured the major North American auto show circuit;
Detroit (NAIAS), New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago.
The exhibit drew interest from children and adults alike. The project was very well received!
After playing, users enter their information at the iPad station for a free digital postcard!
A wild redbot has appeared!
To celebrate a successful launch, I made a 3D print of my favorite avatar. Now he's a nifty desk souvenir.