TOMORROW’S TRIBES
Conceptual Designs
2023
Partners: Elijah Oliver (eolive12@vols.utk.edu)
Wesley Slagle (mtemme1@vols.utk.edu)
Software Used: Rhino 7, Adobe Creative Cloud, Blender, Unreal Engine 5, Midjournery Ai
This project explores the intersection of long-distance trucking culture, mental health, and speculative architecture, envisioning a future shaped by post-autonomous trucking systems. With 3.5 million semi-truck drivers in the U.S., their critical role in supply chains contrasts starkly with the mental health challenges they face due to extended hours and isolation. This research delves into the legends and psychological tolls associated with truckers, amplified during the pandemic, and reimagines their world through storytelling, kitbashing, and architectural intervention.
The concept introduces "Somnusia Valley," a fictional, mythic landscape where truckers navigate surreal terrains and encounter challenges akin to urban legends. Hybrid maps and deconstruction drawings visualize this terrain, emphasizing the psychological weight of trucking life. Towering, distorted mountains symbolize insurmountable obstacles, while the fog-laden Route 66 and the lone Quikstop truck stop become beacons of hope and despair.
Central to the project is the "Trucker 309" artifact, kitbashed to embody the trucking industry's past, present, and speculative future. Its Venetian masks, wooden wheels, and futuristic components narrate the folklore of truckers and the enduring myths of the road. This artifact and its associated legend evolve into an underground cityscape, where truckers operate virtual fleets via "Egghead" devices, blending automation with human resilience.
The cityscape comprises three realms: the Under, where truckers live and work; the Inner Zone, a perilous highway of legends; and the Upper Echelon, where materials sourced below sustain surface life. The design emphasizes the interplay between digital and physical realms, with truck vending machines and immersive Egghead devices symbolizing the convergence of automation and labor.
Scene stills and AI-generated visuals guide viewers through this speculative world. The animation storyboard captures the trucker's journey—from donning the Egghead device to navigating the mysterious valley and culminating in the reward for their efforts. The narrative blurs boundaries between reality and fiction, exploring themes of mental health, autonomy, and the human connection within automated systems.
This project invites reflection on the evolving dynamics of trucking culture, offering a satirical yet empathetic lens on the challenges and possibilities of this vital industry in a post-autonomous future.