Flup is a mirage maker, creating illusions of an oasis in the desert for its defence. Its locomotion is solely based on leaping huge distances over dunes with the help of its rear hydraulic thruster. It sits on top of cacti and extracts water from them to replenish its tanks, which it supplies to travellers who have run out of water. The drawings on later screens show the Flup in operation; the interior of the vehicle; the kind of people who might use the Flup. It is fitted in the front with a blower to blow sand off trapped people. The rear actuator firmly grounds the vehicle while this massive blower is in operation. During extreme temperatures of heat and cold, the Flup plants its cockpit into the sand where the temperature is moderate.

The goal of this project was to design a new unique vehicle. It begins with abstract sculptures which are interesting from all angles. This is done so that preconceptions of what it should look like are minimised. This is followed by perspective sketches of the sculptures with a focus on innovative ways in which it will interact with humans. Color is applied to these sculptures to get new ideas. The design chosen for development is called the Flup. The Flup was selected as its three dimensional form, as well as its derived function were enigmatic and dynamic. It seemed to have a good potential for developing the design further.

I started with a paper based concept and progressed to a foam model in stages. As you will see in the screen showing the developmental stages later, each step of development leads to the design being more interesting and clear. A surface study was done and a wire model was also built in order to arouse more interest in the vehicle.

The project will culminate in an exterior and interior of a fundamentally and radically original vehicle which will transform the dry, unpleasant feeling of the desert into an experience of having a delicious dessert, showing us that projects like this do result in a truly new and unique vehicle.