Crown X.A.V.
Crown X.A.V.
Crown X.A.V.
Client
Coop Project
Year
2024
Crown
Company
Client
Co-op Project
Year
2024
Company
Crown Equipment
The Crown Experimental Autonomous Vehicle asks: how can history and design make Crown’s next generation of autonomous forklift technology impossible to ignore?
The Crown Experimental Autonomous Vehicle asks: how can history and design make Crown’s next generation of autonomous forklift technology impossible to ignore?
Historical Context
The material handling industry is undergoing a transformation. While at Crown, I saw how fully and partially autonomous fork trucks were already a reality, yet Crown’s Gena® technology had little presence beyond the industry itself. In searching for a novel way to market it, I turned to the history of Crown’s hometown, New Bremen, OH.
There I discovered an unexpected link: Crown’s early ties to motorsport at the New Bremen Motor Speedway, where its first ads appeared. This legacy of speed and innovation became the foundation for a design story that bridges Crown’s heritage with its autonomous future.
The material handling industry is undergoing a transformation. While at Crown, I saw how fully and partially autonomous fork trucks were already a reality, yet Crown’s Gena® technology had little presence beyond the industry itself. In searching for a novel way to market it, I turned to the history of Crown’s hometown, New Bremen, OH.
There I discovered an unexpected link: Crown’s early ties to motorsport at the New Bremen Motor Speedway, where its first ads appeared. This legacy of speed and innovation became the foundation for a design story that bridges Crown’s heritage with its autonomous future.
Concept Sketches
The ideation phase explored how Crown’s autonomous technology could be expressed through form, brand, and narrative. Drawing from Crown’s design language, I developed an aesthetic strategy built around recognizability, AI-driven innovation, and futuristic forms. Rapid sketching in 2D and 3D allowed me to test proportions, surface language, and vehicle architecture, refining concepts into bold directions that balance marketing impact with Crown’s identity.
The ideation phase explored how Crown’s autonomous technology could be expressed through form, brand, and narrative. Drawing from Crown’s design language, I developed an aesthetic strategy built around recognizability, AI-driven innovation, and futuristic forms. Rapid sketching in 2D and 3D allowed me to test proportions, surface language, and vehicle architecture, refining concepts into bold directions that balance marketing impact with Crown’s identity.
Surface Model
I learned how to surface model in Blender and applied it to create the project’s final CAD model. The process pushed me to refine complex forms, manage surface continuity, and balance proportion with aerodynamic intent. Beyond the exterior, I incorporated downloaded CAD componentry to design an AI “brain” that would act as the car’s autonomous driver. This step grounded the project in technical feasibility while reinforcing the narrative of advanced intelligence powering the vehicle.
I learned how to surface model in Blender and applied it to create the project’s final CAD model. The process pushed me to refine complex forms, manage surface continuity, and balance proportion with aerodynamic intent. Beyond the exterior, I incorporated downloaded CAD componentry to design an AI “brain” that would act as the car’s autonomous driver. This step grounded the project in technical feasibility while reinforcing the narrative of advanced intelligence powering the vehicle.
Final Renderings
