Studio Casti may have just designed a racing simulator that you won’t be embarrassed to have sitting in your house.
The Italian design studio has just unveiled the DrivePod, a surprisingly chic video game setup that can turn your living room or den into a race track. The striking rig may not be the most high-tech racing rig we’ve seen, but it is, without a doubt, the best looking.
With the simulator, Studio Casti has been able to combine its two areas of expertise—furniture and product design—into one attractive package. There are some exceptions, of course, but most racing simulators, no matter how technically impressive, are eyesores. That’s something that can’t be said about Studio Casti’s system, though.
The DrivePod system consists of two major components—a square frame with a rounded edge and a platform. The champagne-colored frame houses a widescreen HD display and a Formula 1-style steering wheel with integrated RPM and gear-indicator displays, according to HiConsumption. The royal blue platform, meanwhile, is home to a set of pedals and a color-matching seat. Neither feels like a toy, either. The pedals are pressure sensitive and the racing-style seat has a six-point harness. Sure, you’ll still be inside your home when you sit in the studio’s rig, but you’ll also feel like you’re in a competition-grade race car too.
The simulator’s design doesn’t just look good; it’s also functional. The position and angle of the system’s steering wheel, seat and pedals can all be adjusted. That means that any driver, regardless of height, should be able to find a fit that feels right.
Studio Casti
It’s hard not to be impressed with DrivePod. Unfortunately, it currently only exists as a set of design renderings. There currently appears to be no plans to put it into production. Still, if there’s enough interest, maybe Studio Casti’s thinking will change or a more seasoned simulator manufacturer will look to the firm for design help. One can only hope.
