Designer : Janak Mistry

This proposal is focused around providing an alternative view of what the future of the Taxi might be. The vehicle is designed around the user and this is reflected in the safety of ingress/egress, the passenger/driver compartment split and features for ease of use by passengers. Features include, split for driver safety when used as night rider, GPS and mapping system for driver and passenger, passenger entertainment/info hub, Smart card system, disability access and focus on curb side access only. Technological features include the hydrogen fuel cell, battery generators, solar panel system and recharging hubs.

The overall aesthetic of the vehicle is influenced by the Australian environment; space, relaxed ambience, unique identity, comfort, security, and a ‘can do’ attitude. These unique characteristics immediately identify the vehicle as special purpose and also set it apart from other vehicles on the road. The curb-side DLO captures the essence of the Taxi in that it is inviting passengers inside for an experience.

The footprint is emphasized by the wheels being in the outermost corners of the vehicle which allows for greater volume and also a very level and balanced stance. The roof features an acrylic opening area to allow for a greater sense of space while also allowing a great vantage point for passengers. The solar panel is also cleverly housed on the roof to harness the most energy from beating Australian sun.

Curb side access only for passenger ingress / egress safety. All doors use a slider system for minimizing the overall footprint of the vehicle whilst it is in operation. Access for wheel-chair bound passengers is catered for by providing a platform that extends to the curbside to allow access. All rear compartment seats tuck away to open-up maximum floor room for wheelchair access. Rear trunk also operates on a slider system.

The rear compartment is split-up to allow for better communication for the rear occupants. Rear seats fold away to allow access and floor clearance for wheelchair access. Heads-up display on split window for accessing features such as map, places of interest, fares and also for advertising. Driver to passenger split is driven by – safety and privacy. The split ensures security of the drivers whilst also providing a more private booth-type environment for passengers. Doors split open at the centre to allow for maximum operating opening distance.

Polycarbonate is used throughout the vehicle due to its impact resistance, relative lightweight, optical qualities and high temp resistance. The chassis comprises of aluminum to minimize weight.

Curb-side access only for passenger safety, bright orange livery for visual impact, safety-cell for passengers and driver all contribute to overall safety. Optimized seating configuration allows greater interaction, comfort and ease of use – especially the fold away seats for wheelchair access.

Hydrogen fuel cell technology coupled with electric generators / batteries propel the vehicle. The solar panel is used to harness extra energy as well as the recharging hubs when the vehicle is used to pick up passengers.

Designer : Damian Lucaciu

Gabriel says :
The Renault Picnic seeks to augment rather than detract from the health of it’s surrounding environment. It is a Zero-emissions vehicle that provides a social function to the parked car within in the urban landscape. When parked, the Picnic transforms into urban furniture, becoming a social space for people to re-acquaint themselves with the surrounding environment. LED-impregnated, glass-coated polycarbonate windows project customized images when the vehicle is parked, transforming the vehicle into a form of public art.

Further considering the environment, the exterior panels are composed of hemp-based composites, and the vehicle is powered by Lithium Ion batteries and two rear-mounted in-wheel hub motors.

In order to reduce cost, complexity and weight, the simple interior is constructed of modular components, with four identical, soy-foam seats and an i-pod doc replacing most of the functions, including sound system and GPS on the dashboard.

Designer : Gabriel Wartofsky

Rotating arms have been used in order to keep the seats level for both vertical and horizontal drive. When the vehicle is in balcony mode, the seats are positioned on a rolling base which allows them to become lounge chair for lying down and relax. The exterior design of this car never seems like a car that is mounted vertically with a building but still it looks like a vehicle on the road. The wheels are hidden towards inside and doors are designed to rotate closely around the car, instead of the usual pulling out or sliding up doors, allowing the entrance to freely open in narrow area like a garage.

Designer : Roman Mistiuk

What Petr say about this Robotic Taxi :

Instruction to use robotaxi
- You call taxi by mobile phone
- Robotaxi operator will evaluate the closest taxi
- Robotaxi will arrive in very short time and open the door for you
- Put your baggage and go inside the taxi
- You need to set your destination (by your voice or by touch panel)
- While in the road, you can watch video on double-sided cabin window or surfing on internet
- Payment will be done automatically (by wireless reading from you credit card)

Designer : Petr Kubik

Designer : Liviu Tudoran

Flexible inner space
The seats are multifunctional; we can use them as a disabled seat area, as a bicycle area and also, during rush hour, we can pull them all back in order to use the inner space efficiently. The seats are made of a flexible material and they have a retractable mechanism that allows pulling them out and back in.

Public transportation should be an event
We have to forget that a public transportation vehicle is an object that transports us from point “A” to “B”. If we want it to compete with cars and put them away from big cities, it is necessary that public transportation become an event. The vehicle has to seduce people; it has to capture people’s attention. It has to be able to transmit emotions to its users. The tramway must project an image of itself and also from the city. It must become a symbol that projects the identity of the city and its inhabitants.

The Tramway is different from all other trains because it is a train that becomes part of the urban landscape; we will have to coexist with it every day. That’s why we have to care so much about the emotional and stylistic characteristics.

Designer : Rodolfo Ciudad Witzel

[Press Release]
Mercedes-Benz F-CELL Roadster – trainees build a car of the future

* Young people unite high tech and tradition

* Alternative drive systems as a training topic

In a hitherto unique project bridging various fields of profession, the trainees of Daimler AG at the Sindelfingen Mercedes-Benz plant have built a Roadster with fuel cell drive. For about a year, more than 150 trainees and dual education system students worked on the overall concept, development, assembly, and completion of the F-CELL Roadster. This project involved junior employees from the fields of automotive mechatronics, model-building, electronics, coating technology, manufacturing mechanics, product design, and interior appointments. The prime objective of the project was to integrate the topic of alternative drive systems into training with hands-on experience.

“This project impressively demonstrates that the topic of sustainable mobility has become an integral part of our vocational training,” said Human Resources Board member and Labor Relations Manager Günther Fleig. “I am delighted to see how much initiative and creativity the young people have put into this project.”

Tradition meets the future

The F-CELL Roadster uniquely combines state-of-the-art technologies with the history of vehicle construction. As an allusion to the Benz Patent Motor Car from 1886, the vehicle is fitted with large spoked wheels. Moreover, the F-CELL Roadster incorporates stylistic elements from diverse eras of automotive history, such as the carbon-fiber bucket seats with hand-stitched leather covers and the distinctively styled fiberglass front section, based on the component from the Formula One racing bolides.

The F-CELL Roadster is controlled with drive-by-wire technology, and a joystick takes the place of a conventional steering wheel. The vehicle is powered by the emission-free fuel cell system located at the rear. With a power rating of 1.2 kW the F-CELL Roadster reaches a top speed of 25 km/h and has an operating range of up to 350 km.

Designer : Mercedes Benz via [Jalopnik]

Designer : Kazim Doku

Anthony says:
Apple iMo is a city car, using advanced form-changing material, exploring the possibility of robotics to bring a new and simplified approach to personal mobility. The design ofiMo is based on the Apple philosophy which consists in applying a process of elimination to come up with simple and elegant solutions, by means of cutting edge technology. The result is a two-wheel robot designed to assist you throughout your daily life. There is no need to wonder where to park iMo, it takes you where you want and go to park by itself using specific parking systems called iPark. In fact, having no stationary vehicle in the streets to liberate ground space, is the main concept of iMo+iPark. To do so iMoparks against building walls, underground or even in the sky. Amongst other originalities, iMo features form-changing seats and wheels made of Nitinol and a holographic gesture-recognition driving system.