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Driftscape: Traveling Untethered

Imagine being able to take a vacation anywhere in the world, unconstrained by the limits of sea, air or land. You’d be able to visit unspoiled landscapes not yet touched by anyone else, either because it was unexplored or unreachable. That is the idea behind “Driftscape,” a concept designed by global design firm HOK as a mobile, self-sustaining hotel that uses drone technology to take travelers to remote locations around the world.

The concept, by HOK’s Toronto office, is two fold. The “Oasis” acts as the base of the hotel to provide amenities, service, and food & beverage. The “Driftcraft” is the modular, single volume guest room unit that is untethered so that the unit can venture out for 2-3 day excursions. The pod provides a 360-degree view to maximize sights to the uncharted territory and is designed to place minimal impact on the environment, so others after you can have the same authentic experience.

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Imagine being able to hover over the Grand Canyon, roam the plains of the Serengeti, or drift through the Pearl Waterfall in China. These experiences would be uniquely customizable depending on a traveler’s preferences and desires. While it is apparent that there would be some foreseen challenges, such as regulatory restrictions that govern land and air, HOK expects that this kind of modern travel technology would be available for commercial use in the next 5 years.

The only question is, where would you want to take this mobile floating pod?

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Driftscape is one of tow finalists for the Radical Innovation Award 2016 competition. A winner will be announced on October 5th. To learn more about the concept, visit hok.com.

As the Senior Contributing Editor, Vy Yang is obsessed with discovering ways to live well + with intention through design. She's probably sharing what she finds over on Instagram stories. You can also find her at vytranyang.com.