Nov. 2024. Blues Vol 40 No. 11

were challenged to look

were challenged to look into the future to envision and create the trends and tools that haven't been imagined with the added complexity of a vehicle fit for law enforcement. Laurenz Schaffer, President of DesignworksUSA comments the solution delivered by the design team: “DesignworksUSA`s role as a think tank is to challenge the status quo of existing product solutions”, he says. “We wanted to present a visionary impulse to the theme of highway patrol. Hence our contribution to the L.A. Design Challenge is a vision concept with no links to BMW´s future design strategy. We took the liberty to think out of the box. To emphasize the conceptual approach our design is independent from BMW design elements and known visual cues but looks at new product typologies and fresh ideas on shapes”, Schaffer continues. EPATROL, A DREAM PROJECT FOR DESIGNERS The BMW Group DesignworksUSA team began the challenge by selecting Los Angeles as the region to create a 2025 scenario. Being aware that there will be more traffic, faster vehicles, and vehicles with alternative drive trains the design team explored how a patrol team functioned today and, in the future, and determined that teamwork and accessibility were the two key elements to a successful patrol effort. For teamwork, the design team was inspired by the partnership between a patrol officer and their canine. The clogged highways today and in the future inspired the design team to focus on a solution to increase accessibility. DESIGN SOLUTION The design of the ePatrol Vision centers on a modular structure and drone technology that enhanced both teamwork and accessibility. The main structure can deploy three drones. The top drone sits above the main structure and is a flying drone, while the other two are one-wheel vehicles attached to the rear. In the case of a pursuit during heavy traffic areas, the patrol officer sitting in the two-passenger main structure can deploy either the flying drone or one of the single wheel drones to chase the suspect and report back data to the main structure. When all drones are deployed, the main structure can continue to 76 The Blues - November ‘24

The Blues - November ‘24 77