Project Arrow: TERRA

An electric micro-mobility mining vehicle designed to safely transport miners and tools through the final stretch of their journey.

OVERVIEW

Role

Scope

Toolkit

Team

As one of four Product Designers on this project, I distilled the project statement through research, conducted interviews and online surveys, and tested ergonomics and usability to understand user needs. I also designed and modeled the mechanical arms on the vehicle.

January 2022 - July 2023

Alias, Blender, Gravity Sketch, Shapr3D, VRed

Steven Chiang, Mathieu Lajeunesse, Rafael Piccoli, Nathan Tsung

PROBLEM STATEMENT

Based on the exploration and user research, alongside the challenges and opportunities Identified from the personas, journey maps, and further discussions, we came up with a critical design focus:

How can we enable miners to safely, efficiently, and sustainably transport themselves and their equipment through the last mile of underground operations, without adding physical strain or disrupting existing workflows?

SOLUTION

This project was part of an automotive design competition hosted by APMA, Pininfarina, and Autodesk. Our team was challenged to design a sustainable micro-mobility solution for Northern Canada’s mining boom, using innovative transport and manufacturing technologies.

INTRODUCTION

THE STAKEHOLDERS

  • The Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association (APMA) is Canada’s national association representing OEM producers of parts, equipment, and advanced technologies for the global automotive industry. With a focus on innovation and sustainability, APMA champions Canadian capabilities and supports the advancement of future mobility solutions. As part of their commitment to showcasing homegrown talent, APMA launched Project Arrow, Canada’s first zero-emission concept vehicle, bringing together designers, engineers, and manufacturers to reimagine the future of transportation through a fully Canadian-built EV.

  • Pininfarina is an iconic Italian design house renowned for its timeless automotive design, blending artistry with engineering excellence. Founded in 1930, the company has shaped the visual identity of some of the world’s most legendary vehicles, including collaborations with Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, and Maserati. Beyond automotive, Pininfarina applies its distinctive design philosophy across transportation, industrial design, architecture, and experience innovation. With a legacy rooted in elegance, performance, and innovation, Pininfarina continues to push boundaries in shaping the future of mobility and human-centered design.

  • Autodesk is a global leader in design and make technology, empowering innovators to shape the world around us. Founded in 1982, Autodesk has transformed how industries design, engineer, and build from pioneering 3D design software to advancing the future of digital fabrication. Trusted across architecture, engineering, construction, manufacturing, media, and entertainment, Autodesk tools have fueled everything from skyscrapers and sustainable cities to groundbreaking films and next-generation products. With a legacy of innovation and accessibility, Autodesk continues to redefine what’s possible, bridging imagination with creation to design a better future.

MY ROLE

I was responsible for UX Research and Design within the Vehicle Interior:

  • I defined the problem statements and opportunity areas for in-vehicle experience

  • I conducted user research on EV adoption and driver/passenger needs

  • I designed and modeled the vehicle suspension systems

  • I led VR testing workshops to explore interaction and material concepts

EXPLORATORY RESERACH

Understanding the harsh conditions of harvesting rare earth minerals

Canada has nearly 200 mines extracting 60 minerals. To understand frontline needs, we interviewed 6 stakeholders  from site managers to miners  and studied global transport solutions to see how others approach these demanding environments.
Here’s what we found:

  • Miners often walk long distances through uneven, hazardous terrain due to the lack of small, nimble vehicles that can navigate narrow underground pathways. This leads to lost time, increased fatigue, and higher safety risks.

  • Existing transportation options in mines are typically large, fuel-powered, and not optimized for short-distance, on-demand movement. They often struggle with tight turns and low-clearance tunnels, creating logistical bottlenecks underground.

  • Miners emphasized the importance of safety in unpredictable environments. The idea of an autonomous or semi-autonomous system was especially appealing, reducing human error, limiting exposure to risk, and allowing for more focused, efficient operations.

Design Refletion

Talking to miners revealed a culture of trust, routine, and grit, where safety comes first. Many relied on subtle environmental cues  shifts in air or ground  that only years underground could teach. It showed me how critical lived experience is, and why truly listening had to guide our design.

Focusing on underground miners and surface-level supervisors

From our research, two key personas emerged: the underground miner, facing daily physical strain, and the surface supervisor, focused on coordination and safety. These roles guided every stage of the design, grounding our solution in real workflows.

RSEARCH INSIGHTS

The underground miner group ended up showing a few critical challenges, that shaped our overall design direction.

  • Miners like Jake reported that the final leg of the journey, typically a 10–20 minute walk or a car ride from an immensely dated pickup truck from the tram stop to the drill site, was the most exhausting and time-consuming part of their shift. This walk often involves carrying 30–40 lbs of gear through narrow, uneven, and poorly lit tunnels.

  • Existing vehicles underground are either too large to navigate tight tunnels or too limited in function (e.g., fixed-route trams). Miners frequently have to rely on walking or makeshift solutions like tool sleds and manual carts.

  • Fatigue, especially at the beginning and end of shifts, was a major concern for both miners and supervisors. Tired workers are more prone to injury, and long, exhausting walks directly impact productivity and alertness on-site.

Building on existing concepts

We began by analyzing existing mining vehicles; their limits in tight tunnels, tool transport, navigation, and safety. Research into tunnel layouts, clearances, and surfaces informed the vehicle’s scale, form, and wheel & suspension design.
Early sketches explored compact formats  ride-on, follow-behind, and hybrid systems  to reduce fatigue and improve efficiency in daily use.

DESIGN AND EXPLORATION

VALIDATION AND REFINEMENT

Hosted a virtual testing session with Industry experts using a VR environment to test ergonomics and usability, and refine the concept.

With limited time and budget, we replaced a full-scale prototype with VR testing to simulate TERRA’s size and usability. This let us evaluate ergonomics, storage access, and maneuverability directly in a mining context.

We tested with 3–4 participants, including miners and industry experts, focusing on:
        - Ergonomic Fit – Entering, sitting, and operating while in full PPE

        - Spatial Viability – Navigating tight tunnels, turns, and slopes

        - Ease of Use – Intuitive controls and cargo access, even mid-shift

Feedback led to refinements in vehicle dimensions, handle placements, and navigation, confirming TERRA could integrate seamlessly into real mining workflows without adding strain.

Our Limited, but critical findings that ended up evolving the design.

  • Participants noted that even in a virtual simulation, low visibility created hesitation during turns and obstacle avoidance. Proper lighting placement, both for the path ahead and the surrounding environment, was highlighted as essential for safe and confident operation underground.

  • Miners emphasized the importance of being able to enter and exit the vehicle smoothly, especially in emergencies or when wearing full PPE. Early VR iterations revealed that tight cockpit spaces or unclear handholds caused hesitation, prompting design adjustments to the shell and handles.

  • Users wanted to be able to access tools or gear quickly, without dismounting or fully stopping the vehicle. This led to a rethinking of the storage design, ensuring it could be opened from a seated position, even while wearing gloves or handling gear.

We designed a unique approach allowing miners to work more safely, comfortably, and efficiently in their incredibly harsh conditions. We designed the entire exterior, interior, drivetrain, and suspension systems, ultimately placing us 2nd overall in the design competition of over 20 other design teams.

This project gave us the chance to tackle an unusual design space and push creativity with cutting-edge concepts for 2030. Prototyping was a challenge due to cost and scale, but VR testing allowed us to validate ergonomics and usability effectively. Looking ahead, I’d like to expand the work into UI and control system design, bridging further into automotive HMI.

CONCLUSION

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