The Ultimate Explorer Vehicle: Test Driving Bran Ferren's KiraVan
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- čas přidán 5. 01. 2016
- The KiraVan is meant to be the ultimate exploration vehicle-a ’Swiss army knife on wheels.’ A pet project for designer Bran Ferren, who named the van after his daughter Kira, the KiraVan also acts as a test bed for travel tech and vehicle engineering.
In the latest episode of Voyager, made possible by KAYAK.co.uk, Motherboard visits Ferren in LA county to see his souped-up caravan, which comes complete with everything from cameras and thermal imagers to an accompanying motorbike hoisted on the back. Formerly president of R&D at Walt Disney Imagineering, Ferren’s certainly not short of ideas to add to his design.
After a tour, we take the KiraVan for a test drive.
Could this be our ride to far-flung destinations in the future?
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It kind of reminds me of asking a friend to go backpacking overnight and they show up with the biggest backpack they could find and stuffed it full of stuff they will not need on an overnight trip, then twisting their ankle in the first 500 meters of the trip.
💥🎤
It is an expedition-base vehicle.
Hopefully that little girl pulls her head out of her ass when shes older and realizes, its that thing or school. So she can build one thats worth a damn if thats what she wants
that statement shows why Bran Ferren is where he is and where you are where you are.
@@DrAlexanderHamilton I am happy being a minimalist, I like to travel light.
I don't think "The Ultimate Explorer Vehicle" accurately describes something limited to 5mph that pisses fuel on itself.
+Dr. Nefario to be fair it's only been in the making for five years and has barely been tested on the roads
if I was the original creator of this, that fuel leak would have given me a boner. I bet he keeps a tin funnel in the driver's side compartment to mask erections.
dappergen Wtf lol
I think that unimog and this model the maximog has had plenty of testing all the extra crap needs a shake down to see what will fail for sure.
1 of the qualities of an exploration vehicle should be ease of troubleshooting / repairing. They have made it so complex that they will need the whole team which built it to come along with all the required equipment to have a chance of troubleshooting it.
Ronak Dhakan the team will ride behind in an old Nissan patrol lol
@@PhilippeLarcher and the patrol will still be the only vehicle to see anything more than a gravel road...
Outdated before it hit the road. Would suck. Changed computers 8 times before it left the design floor. lol!
Really though . Very interesting the advancement in this.
Is that the old guy from jurassic park ?
+ramont booker Spared no expense
+ramont booker that's what I thought!!!!!!!!!!! we all know he was a bit of a dreamer....how well did that goin the movies.also this guy looked like a jewish versin of the grandpa in JPark
+Zak Eh lol jewish
He look the walking dead guy
DUDE i thought the same
As an engineer I just see 1001 things that could break down on this toy truck. This thing wont even survive a mile of harsh Dakar-like terrain.
It's over complex for an exploring vehicle. You need/want something you can fix anywhere in the world. Its the same reason world touring bikes aren't made of carbon fibre and are usual steel. Sure they might be heavier and weaker but pretty much anywhere in the world you can find someone who can weld steel.
I'm pretty sure it's the kind of mobile science station that's supposed to be in a motorcade and not on it's own. You'd need a support truck. Maybe a recon vehicle ahead to make sure there aren't any low bridges or trees in the way. Just a piece of the puzzle, an overly complicated piece of the puzzle but a piece a of the puzzle nonetheless...
Just go with the vehicle from Damnnation Alley. Been a while since I have seen the movie. But I think they could get the vehicle to do everything that it could in the movie.
As an offroader...you want the strongest, simplest design because breaking happens in the worst spots and fixing stuff is a nightmare in the middle of no where. I know people who run stick welders on their rigs
@@XrayTom067 that, and I reckon wherever he's going to take this thing, it'll be a chopper hop away full with mechanics and needed parts. Which he seems able to afford
It would have been embarrassing in a more public place?
...like the internet? Lol.
That was good. All the breakdown will do is motivate the brains behind vehicle.
And is this "telecommunications service or a medium" accessible to the public?
At any rate, I think that it's probably for the best that the "visionary" in charge has already made his peace with the possibility of a complete failure and a disaster. Just saying.
@@Bodhi594 "brains"
"So this is kitchen"
Nice to meet you kitchen
Embarrassing. It’s called a galley, like on a boat. Multi million dollar project, and he doesn’t even know basic terms, or how to put it into gear.
It’s an amazing piece of technology. My guess? He will never complete it. For him, it’s about the journey to perfection, not the road trip.
Also, that is not an expedition vehicle. Try a river crossing pulling that giant trailer (that has no drivetrain) and watch your Keiratrailer get stuck in the middle.
I don't care about how practical or how functional something like this actually is, I want one. So badass.
Unfortunately the KiraVan has fallen victim to the same fate as its creator's last project, the Jurassic Park.
when you have more money than you need, you come up with this
right
When you are a slacker and cant do.. you rag on people who CAN...
slacker, don't even know my life and what I do. All I am saying is this vehicle cannot go everywhere, it physically can't! Is it cool? Fuck ya it's cool, but is it practical for anything other than the vision of a very rich man? Not at all!
I get what you are saying, but I feel like this thing is more than a rich man's dream of wasting his money. He seems like he already knows what kind of vehicles you need to really get everywhere, in fact I'm willing to get he already has a few of them. But he also seems like the type of person that wants to push boundaries to change the norm, I mean just listening to that brief resume of his at the beginning, there's no way he could have made to the position that he is in now to be able to afford something like this by thinking practically.
I don't think this is about just going anywhere. It is a mobile platform of development with the premise of going anywhere. Everything they are working on here will probably be of great use in a partial or whole in many other industries and types of transport. Just my two cents.
@ Bran Ferren Most people are so envious! The world needs more visionaries like you! Greetings from Germany!
I admire the integration of various technologies into one vehicle. A great start.
This just seems like a rich guy and his toys surrounded by a bunch of yes men, it sounds like he's made money in the past but I don't see this being very profitable.
+Kalvin N Forget the profits this isnt for profits..... But IDK what its for road surveying? xD He mustve never left a paved road in his life. Maybe he could take this to the north pole and maybe into a non sandy desert. But bottom line is exploration should be on foot its personal. Not rampaging through everything with a chainsaw welding glorified camper van. I dont think he should regret building it, but If I were him I wouldve spent the almost 5 years of my life exploring the world not getting ready too.
+James Clark road surveying would never use this, trust me
***** maybe it can fly xD ^^ I was throwing something out there just googled road surveying you're right. Good thing the world can learn from this mistake. no offense intended. I'm very jealous i_i.
Work for a man and team with the resources for you to create whatever you wanted with ROI not ever considered a factor? Sign me up. Its not designed to be profitable, its a showcase of design and technology.
Anyone else get the feeling that the vehicles namesake, Kira, is just inconvenienced and annoyed by this project and doesn't give f**k about it?
Well, it is Techno-garbage...
The KiraVan is a great platform for R&D. Things will break, things will not work and that is the beauty of having a group of people creating and adapting technology and then integrating it into this test bed vehicle. They will fix it or make it better, they can't do anything else. I wish I was smart enough to toss my resume into the ring, but I would only be allowed to polish the lug nuts. Keep on doing what you're doing, that beast will be used by a multitude of disciplines. I can see several more being built and leased to various businesses or governments. They will not go unused.
Just couldnt win with that kid
No!
She's a spoiled, overprotected, little brat that will have a cocaine addiction by 16!
Kevin H lol yes winning comment
Poor human
Ikr
that moment when your multy million dollar go anywhere project FAILS on flat road going 30mph lulz
What a monstrosity.
People have driven the pan american highway in land rovers and jeeps and this guy builds this goliath that would sink into the earth under its own weight once it leaves the highway. The only thing missing is a mural of manifest destiny on the trailer and a browning M2 on the roof to keep those pesky locals away while you watch survivor on satellite tv.
+s0nnyburnett bahahaha... well said sir. i was thinking the same, that pigs gotta weigh 12 tons! an M2 would fit nicely in his daughters machinegun tent on top.
+John Smith agreed. thats like trying to drive a tractor trailer off road
+s0nnyburnett insane
+s0nnyburnett Yeah exactly as soon as you reach some mud or sand it will sink, its too tall it might fall over and it so big it could never go through a narrow track or anything haha
they've driven it in Volkswagen polos.
That "Titanic" line was a pretty accurate analogy.
KISS the basic design rule that this guy has never heard off.
💯 this thing is so complex it breaks super easily, as shown.. i've installed a few of the OTS systems in the video that cost 10-15k USD apiece, i'm gonna guess this machine cost $2m
needs it's own submarine. then the league of extraordinary gentlemen can use it
"high quality components" motorcycle won't start, truck won't shift into first, diesel leaking everywhere.
Tyler Williams the irony haha.
Plus the suspention on the trailer has a problem so you can't do more than 5 miles and hour
It's a prototype.... anyone who has ever built anything themselves recognizes the validity and importance of these mistakes.
Like showy bells and whistles to feed the ego. I kept thinking that's all nice and everything but I wouldn't want to live inside. There are so many inexpensive Van conversions that are more livable.
The very definition of over engineering
You don't need 99% of this Junk..... "Go bush" dude.
My thought too. A over engineered piece of junk. Dump the trailer and rely on the Mog.
Agreed, i took off my awning because it was too much extra crap i don't need weighing down my operation.
The adventure vehicle was actually shown at 2:51. It's kinda weird, they spent a lot of time on the tow vehicle which isn't that important...
For a ’Swiss army knife on wheels’, It doesn't look very practical.
+Renderc4t It`s funny really. The real Swiss ARMY knife has one blade and 3 other functions, is green and is manufactured in Germany....
+andi sixtimesseven reallest comment here my friend, the purpose of a swiss army knife simplifies to what you really need.
Like that jumbo Swiss Army knife they made with a fucking spork in it.
"...Let's make sensible decisions about using high quality products with a high degree of craftsmanship."
How much does it all cost?
"I don't know..."
Did I take this out of context? Seems like this monstrosity is very limited and beaten by a strong back and a good pair of boots. At least they taught their daughter to say "No" and "Don't". That's going to come in handy.
+Zooni2 How can he accomplish that with a top speed of oh, 10 mph? And with a leaking fuel tank. LOL.
+largol33t1 every new proto type vehicle has problems.
+Matt Marzula
"How much does it all cost?"
All those LED strip/spot lights would cost around $10,000. SO if this guy spent that much just on spot lights then this thing is most likely very expensive.
I'm pretty sure the speed issue and the fuel leak aren't permanent features.
It's gotta be in the 10 mil range
Way the go... 5 yrs of making, the bike doesn't start, the truck doesn't engage in 1st gear and major diesel leak.
And the guy doesn't know how much money he spent on making it. What els? 😂😂😂
building things takes time, 5yrs is not that long considering how much shit there is on this vehicle. Most normal cars take 3-5 yrs to develop, let alone for a small company.
engage
Gaetan Giroux And you don't know how to spell? What's your point?
Mr.Anonymous I would never NEVER spend that much money for a 5 yrs projet like this. 1- To the first ideal yrs ago from today, the technology is out dated. 2- Never give a project like this one, only to one group of people. Motorbike deal with peple who knows about it. Same thing for the truck, trailer & all the complex technology. That wayyou don't waste you money & time on guys who have a speciality one one aspect, but don't know much about other things. The owner haven't said the price tag of that unit, but I feel that he might spent well over 10 millions over these amazing ideal, but very defying things that absulutly shouldn't happened.
Cheers
So what exactly was that original comment? It has no substance, all you said basically was "lol it's got problems".
How insightful, and the hundred likes, wow.
Inspiring, keep pushing, see how far you can go and from the edge you can look back and make informed decisions.
Fantastically intriguing I do love the marriage of art and engineering!
first five minuets on the road and it gets pulled over for not having a light bar covers lmao xD!
Love the harley sound affects added in when he rides the bike, classic.
"Consensus is poisonous to design" I really like those words... Seeing how so many things are wrong in our world and how so little people seem think for themselves.
"And that kids is how you ruin a Unimog"
This reminds me of The Lost World: Jurassic Park
yes!!!!! exactly what is needed! kinda surprising, given that the whole purpose of the project is to basically create something the most expensive it can be, that the military is not already funding/taking over this whole project. It has everything you couldn't possibly need, and so much more. Seems like it's right up their alley!
an off-road vehicle I've never seen dirty with mud or dust ... you have to put it in a museum
"Consensus thinking is poison to design" EXACTLY.. thank you!
Giant white elephant. So many things to go totally wrong. You're better off with a Toyota truck and a tent ... or maybe a mule and a poncho.
what a great little film this was. An interesting story well told. The core of a great documentary. Here we see a man with perhaps more money than sense. however he has built the technologists dream camper van. I'd love to spend a few days in it traveling through some part of the US.
A cool concept and test bed for new ideas. I hope he is successful in finding new applications for this technology.
Wow, a lot of negative comments. I think this is cool, it's neat that there's some team somewhere that's pouring blood sweat and tears into this super-ultra-mega van that honest-to-goodness looks like it could drive on the moon. Speaking of which, I wonder what their plans are for making it air-tight and insulated (If it can "go anywhere")
Something tells me Kira's mom is about 25.
Matt Fanning I’m just some random guy going through the comments three years later I thought your comment was very funny
Saw this in person at SEMA, it's based on a Mercedes-Benz Unimog U500. Just like a yacht, it has a crew to operate it. Impressive to see the backstory.
that kayak ad was seamlessly placed
"Can you describe this van to me?"
"No"
*buuurn*
All you need to explore the world is a backpack with little things inside.
an absolutely amazing vehicle great video
Amazing! All the best
Ridiculous! 90% at least of all that junk you would never use. I've travelled probably 100k and more accross Africa on some of the worst roads to be found, in Landrovers, range rovers, Pajero, MAN 4X4 trucks, motorcycles and never ever used all that gimmick junk on this vehicle. A Michelin map, GPS, a few changes reinforcement, shocks, gearing, tyres, deep water breathers etc and I reached my destinations without any major issues. KISS. Keep It Simple Stupid!
A Suzuki Samurai with a winch could do the same stuff as this thing
its not really about that. sure you CAN do all that without this. he said the point of it in the video
You forgot the AxleTech IFS/IRS axles.
I get what you are saying, but I feel like this thing is more than a
rich man's dream of wasting his money. He seems like he already knows
what kind of vehicles you need to really get everywhere, in fact I'm
willing to get he already has a few of them. But he also seems like the
type of person that wants to push boundaries to change the norm, I mean
just listening to that brief resume of his at the beginning, there's no
way he could have made to the position that he is in now to be able to
afford something like this by thinking practically.
please stop being such an elitist. the world will be a much more pleasant place without snobs like you.
A lot of the stuff on the vehicle is awesome. It's be amazingly fun to play around with for sure, but it'd be a nightmare trying to travel the world with. If you watch or read stuff from people who have actually traveled across Africa etc. they will recommend hiding things like satellite phones, taking off tall antennas etc. before crossing borders because they worry border guards and might make people think you're a spy or something. Now try taking this vehicle through those borders. Even Canada might think you're a spy with that kind of setup. lol There's just no way anyone will believe it's just a family camper and go "Oh, that makes sense.." :D
This is awesome!!
I like the old fella, we need more like him.
That daughter sounds like a spoiled little girl
She has a vehicle developed for millions of $$$ named after her & probably gets everything she wants. I would say spoiled is an understatement.
And she deserves it, it’s his daughter.
She wasn't going easy on him
Cool truck but in reality a completely useless turd
ikr, it probably takes him half a day to get that thing ready to travel
Russ Hendrix made in America, nothing works
Way way to much technology. It's a mall crawler. Yes all the bells and whistles are neat on paper but get that thing off road in the shit which this guy is never going to go to in the first place at least without a huge support crew. And it will go down faster then a fat kid on a see saw.
Very beauty, for going all round in the world!!
Cute kid! This vehicle is pretty amazing. Would be fun to explore the world in that.
Very cool and expensive but 100% unpractical and useless. No more all terrain than an RV.
This should be in the next Jurassic Park, it fits the bill for such a thing.
So it's been 4 years since this video was published, is there any updates on the places this vehicle has traversed?
where is it today? is it finish and where can we see all the spec on it, and se it out in the rough nature
Need to get this on Jay Leno's Garage
That guy has to much money.. and not enough sense.
There are quite a few people like that. Meanwhile 1000's of real geniuses are broke & can't get funding for their projects.
+Highway Phantom Amen brother, amen!!
+Highway Phantom AMEN!! THANK YOU!!! I CLAP TO YOU SIR YOUR ARE SO DAM RIGHT!
I know you don't have appreciation for going towards limits of arts and science , so please don't comment
Out of the billions of people in the world, id imagine there might be much more that 1000s that fit that description. I agree with you.
Bran is awesome on many levels as we have seen and heard. Every man should have pet projects especially when they are inspired by children.
"Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away." Antoine de Saint-Exupery
He could get a LOT more capability with a surplus T-72 tank ;)
she will be one spoiled kid...
She already _is._
MyMMC Its not her fault. Blame the dad.
Will be? Please explain
Incredibly impressive vehicles!
Awesome build, unlimited budget :)
Too much crap on it. Looks like a bunch of engineers dropped some acid, ate a bunch of peyote and then barfed up an RV toy catalog. The basic design looks really cool.
actually crackup
This whole project/company is comprised of a culture/mentality that can only exist within a very esoteric infrastructure. Their entire thinking is so fragile "in Nature" because it is so far from the reliability and durability "of Nature". This luxurious "Think Tank" mentality is nothing more than a first world cocoon of the likes of Silicon Valley; a World within a World where only one is real and sustainable. Even the child lacks a true social intelligence. Bran Ferren uses technology as a means to tip-toe through life in hopes of making it "safely to death" This video is rather sad as it further depicts the insidious nature of furthering the delusion that "designing humanity" around technology is a good idea. The mind is a wonderful servant but a horrible master, indeed.
Money is the cheap lubricant that has slid material into a dumpster.
I am not a fan of the patent system, as rewards should flow from the realization of material products rather the stockading of ideas (as adjudicated by clerks, lawyers, and courts).
I wonder if the thing could cross "The Grapevine". Looks under-powered.
Max speed 80 mph. You are not going to be breaking any land speed records with it. And if you are only looking at the materialistic aspects of it. Then you should probably stick with the (Name your vehicle here) and ignore this particular one, because about 90% of the instrumentation on it will have little or no meaning to the more domestic camper. While I agree it is an expensive toy, this is one that I would very much like to have. As a matter of fact I would take the kiravan over the most expensive RV on the market. If you are expecting luxury you will find It provides very little in the way of amenities but it more than makes up for in the sciences. Why would I want with something like this? Simple, you can't help but learn about the world around you when you have something like this to take out into the wilderness. On the other hand if you don't care about what is residing on the other side of the RV walls then this probably isn't really the vehicle for you. RV in this case means (Research Vehicle) It doesn't belong in a KOA camp ground or in some National Forest camp sight. This is for going out and exploring and learning and having the instruments to study and understand the world around you.
All while having your clients pay for it through their overhead charges...
"Consensus thinking is poison to design. All you do is drive towards mediocrity. If you simply take everybody's input, average it out, it's not 'great' at anything.... The world does not need stuff that is 'kind of' okay." - Such a wonderful visionary statement - and so very true. Thank you for letting us get a glimpse of someone willing to take a risk.
Looks like a great platform to explore the world
This has to be one of the dumbest things I've seen Motherboard cover.
+akeating89 When intelligent people are canned like SPAM some goofy shit can result. I'll wager he should have had more input from Kira and it would have been much more realistic.
+Knolltop Farms Hahahahahaha.
"Kira do you like this new thing?"
"No."
"Kira what do you think of this?"
"No."
"Kira I'm driving this thing into the woods, are you in or out?"
"Out."
LOL! :D "Kira...Thug Life!"
*****
He he, I wonder how that could have happened? Poor thing probably has to play with all the goofy engineers and techs since she's not allowed to have any friends by her control freak Dad...agree?
+HeyYouSteve Yet.... Have they done an article on "Solar Roadways?"
14:02 "Take the chance of a complete failure and a disaster" ... yup.
A true exploration vehicle. This is what you want in your standard exploration space ship. Think star citizen ships like Freelancer DUR, Constellation Aquila, etc.
Good job, at least they are trying. Like the steering wheel idea.
the more complicated it is and the more parts that are in it, the more likely something will break. i think it's a cool idea but misdirected and totally unusable for the intent and purpose it was designed for.
she was so cocky
Matt Taylor she's 6, youra big man aren't ya?
that thing is cool as heck
Saw this in Wired a while ago. Really cool.
i prefer my old Toyota pickup, a chainsaw and a cooler.
This would be the ultimate travel vehicle, for a lot of professionals. Reading the comments, some people think it's useless as a weekend holiday vehicle, and they are probably right, but there are applications that this thing is designed to dominate, and I think it would. Just one example would be to travel to remote locations for scientific research. I have been to a lot of places for work that I would have loved to have one of these.
The sheer weight of the vehicle would make it useless in most types of off- road terrain. Forget about sand or mud. Or even a steep hill. Maybe the next design will have tracks.
Woah I'm going to Art Center soon! Spring of 2018 here I come!
That owner is a genius not only on his invention but at his sense over all
seems overly complicated. I get that he's throwing as much tech into this. but sometimes keeping it simple is beneficial, especially in a vehicle like this. making repairs while days away from civilization would be a major pain. that said. I quite like it
Could this be our ride to far-flung destinations in the future?
+Motherboard no
+moniker127 I've seen more capable Baja surf rigs, for 1/100th the money. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure it has some great features that were left out specifically, but to tag a go anywhere in Baja to surf some of the best waves on the West Coast as mundane mediocrity is far from genuine, and even though I don't lend much weight to jinxing yourself with speeches on how great your ideas are, it was ironic to have called in the camera crews and then running into a host of problems.
Please make sure it's got fire suppression before you run it with your little girl onboard ;)
+Motherboard Too much, too much, ambition caused them to forget practicality; this thing is a tech nightmare and the one thing that shouldn't have problems initially, the motor, shat right out of the gate
yeah hope fully it can solve global warming or somethings
+Dain Comella You are right, i would rather chose factory land rover or Jeep Wrangler instead of that :D
The vehicle looks amazing, it has accessories we have not even think of, but for the average citizen trying to experience the van-life it is kind of unreachable. Do not get me wrong it is insanely good, dammnnn but to sophisticated for most of us. thanks
i love it when engineers get creative and have the budget to make whatever shit they want
i see many things that will break
Guy watched WAY too much Tim "the tool man" Taylor.
Badass!!!! Too much technology for me, but I would have all the lights and the long distance camera set up. Is the truck itself a Unimog?
I grrew up in an automobile, turck, farm tractor repair shop that my Grandfather started in1918 in his parents barn, and is now being run by my son, and two sons-in-law. We have built so many different vehicles that I couldn't begin to describe half of them in just a few sentences. But, my point is, I also couldn't begin to list the problems we've had here and there, that seemed like complete failures but were, in fact, learning experiences. The break down and fuel leak of this vehicle could be attributed to a few very uncomplicated and easy fixes. But, they come with the territory.
i had tro laught at the motorcycle... acting as a raft when stuck somewhere... yeah not with those tires.
MyMMC whot? Why not?
@@keiahnigbruder1453 Those were road tyres on the bike not off road tyres so the bike would be as stuck as the truck.
His daughter isn't allowed to have sleepovers? WTF
Not leading a sheltered life at all are they.
Let your kids be kids!
I wasn't allowed to have sleepovers when I was younger, I fucking hated it and I vowed to never constrict my kids like that. But now that I'm older I completely understand why some parents won't allow it. You never really know who people are behind closed doors.
surely if they're the same gender and age it's okay. I mean there's more risk if they're older than 6 or however hold that girl was. at 12 people understand more about themselves. but what do I know, eh?
He most likely doesn't let her have sleep overs in the vehicle cause its still being worked on right now
Freaking ridiculous, narcisist dad
Incredible!...
Beautiful.
not 300,000 but 300mil
That's not his granddaughter ?
We should learn to see and appreciate the potential in an idea or a person rather than the immediate flaws or difficulty at the beginning...it seems like an awesome rig...Keep evolving
Wow. Best Engineering. I like it