MARIA NOH

SandSail is a competitive upper-body sports that combines the process of skilled-navigation of the vehicle across a wind-funnelled desert terrain.

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SandSail would be built for a vision in 2065. Cities that borderline the desert will expand further in, occupying more desert space due to desertification. Sand will be used as a building material for future architectural and infrastructure purposes. It has been tried and proven that sand could be solidified and used for such building purposes.

SandSail is a naturally powered mono-wheel vehicle that utilises the abundant wind power in the desert together with a driving mechanism of a sail that pushes it forward.

Inspired by the Tumbleweed across deserts, SandSail instinctively takes the shape of a ball. The ball like structure is efficient in traction across the desert as the wide contact area reduces sinkage into soft sand.

Through the engineering and design process, SandSail is designed on the idea of a low centre of gravity which ensures that with careful and skilled navigation you are able to return back to the original driving position. The rotating sail in the middle is controlled by the sportsmen as he navigates through the wind-funnel track course.

As SandSail is a naturally wind powered sport, a track or sporting arena is provided where wind is consistent throughout the sporting period. The sporting arena is built by sand structures and wind funnels to channel and create a constant wind circulation within the sporting area.