Tag Archives: Transport

This modular single-person car adapts to changing lifestyle, giving increased value to your vehicle

Posted on by

Over a lifetime our personality is molded depending on the lifestyle and the circumstances around us. But when we bring home a car, it stays virtually unchanged, barring some superficial modifications from the after-market accessories and tuning customizations. What if our four-wheeler could also have a dynamic persona that could morph in a jiffy depending on our needs? A vehicle that is ultra-modular at the core right at the time of purchase?

This is CMPN concept by Sungguk Park, who mustered up the compact single-person vehicle as a part of the BA Thesis project. For a debut project, the designer has done a phenomenal job of putting together a modular vehicle that’s compact, is ideal for solo city commuters and doesn’t stop you from exploring the outskirts for an adventure trip on the weekend. The electric car employs the modular structure on the exterior as well as interior to suit the user’s needs – much like your wardrobe where you have the option to go with the flow. The ability to replace and even recycle modules without much hassle is good for the longevity of use of the vehicle – thereby helping in staying abreast with the greater goal of a sustainable future.

According to Sungguk, mobility could be a companion in the process of change in a person’s life. Hence, CMPN is designed keeping in mind users’ changing tastes. Each module is made up of recyclable materials and is more than enough for single people to use every inch of the space efficiently. On the inside, there are no distinct lines between the cargo space and interior space which increases the flexibility of use. When needed the seat can be pushed back to make more space for extra luggage or daily objects. There are charging ports, a modular bookshelf, coffee holder and door pockets to keep all the essentials.

The EV can be controlled with mobile devices too and when in a parked position on the side of a beautiful beach, the steering wheel conceals in the dashboard which can then be used as a full-sized desk. Dashboard cabinets act as rails to install modules such as bookshelves or drawers. On the outside, the uniformity of design means more possibility of adding the desired modules to the front or back. For example, a skateboarder can configure the rear module to have MUV-like space for carrying skateboard, bags and other things. While a professional can have modules in place to make more use of the space on the interior while keeping the exterior minimal. Everything on the CMPN can be configured via the compatible app – something that the automotive future will cherish in a decade’s time!

Designer: Sungguk Park

 

 

The post This modular single-person car adapts to changing lifestyle, giving increased value to your vehicle first appeared on Yanko Design.

The Mini CarSharing concept shows how transportation must evolve along with ever-changing cities

Posted on by

The Mini Cooper is ostensibly a proud, Brit-made car designed for the cities… but as cities grow larger, and a growing population adds more pressure on resources, roads, and other infrastructure, transportation needs to evolve. Daniel Pokorný’s Mini City CarSharing concept shows how the tiny humble hatchback can evolve to become an icon of urban commuting.

The goal was to create a fully electric vehicle ideal for car-sharing fleets that could be easily cleaned after every use. The design integrates Mini’s values, combining a minimalist and practical interior with an exterior that highlights contemporary automotive design. Outwardly, it’s unmistakably a Mini. Aside from the fact that the Mini logo is emblazoned across the front, the car boasts of Mini-esque proportions, the signature round headlights, and a design that’s both comfortable yet compact.

The compact car sports large windows to make up for its small size, these quirky proportions lend to the car’s ‘cute’ demeanor, while also providing a nice view to the passengers on the inside. The CarSharing concept comes with an incredibly short bonnet, characterized further by a large air-intake beneath it. Daniel calls this a cognitive element that communicates the electrified nature of the car. With a minimal front overhang, the car’s front is finally made complete with two ring-shaped headlights divided by thin LED stripes, and the Mini logo.

The two-seater hatchback comes with ample boot space for luggage, making it perfect for long commutes or even journeys to and from the airport/station. The rear hatch opens up in two parts, quite like the Mini Rocketman Concept from a decade ago, giving you easy access to the back to add or remove heavy bags. The top even comes with a fin that reads ShareNow, making the car instantly identifiable from a distance… and the roof boasts a transparent design, supported by pillars that resemble the Union Jack, once again hinting at the car’s British origins.

The car’s dashboard is incredibly minimal, with a two-spoke steering wheel, a small digital instrument cluster, and a smartphone dock attached to it. The car immediately recognizes the user based on the smartphone, working almost like an authentication device that then allows the car to customize its settings according to your preferences. Additionally, since the vehicle’s more suited for constant use (given its ride-sharing nature), it features a removable/replaceable battery, so the car doesn’t need any off-time for charging.

Designer: Daniel Pokorný

This all-glass smart train is a futuristic marvel worth a whopping $350 Million!

Posted on by

For the past year, we’ve been dreaming of traveling. And I’m not talking about just some hotel in a coastal party town or even a quiet cabin in the woods. I’m talking Around the World in 80 Days type traveling. But maybe not so fast, we have been holed up for a year. Redefining what it means to travel by rails, a designer, known for his superyachts built for the likes of Steve Jobs and his close relationship with upscale fashion houses like Louis Vuitton, Thierry Gaugain conceptualized a smart train for the future luxury traveler called G Train.

A total of fourteen cars will comprise G Train, housing the owner’s large suite in the front most cars, followed by 18 guest rooms, cars for the gym and spa, a dining car, and finally recreation spaces for the train’s guests to enjoy everything from live concert events to small art exhibitions. Following his time spent designing superyachts for those who can write the checks for them, Gaugain turned to his childhood fascination with trains to produce a sort of passion project eligible for production, once more for the lucky owner who can afford it. Tapping into a form of luxury traveling that does more than simply cart passengers from point A to their destination, Gaugain conceived the G Train to look and feel like a luxe experience straight out of the future.

Gaugain envisions luxury through the changing of light, so the train’s entire exterior and interior glass facades feature changing light shows throughout the day to enhance guests’ travel experiences. Poured over in an all-glass exterior, the G Train’s shiny finish morphs from jet-black to transparent and then to a shimmering golden hue with the changing of the sky. The smart glass not only transforms the G Train’s exterior but projects seven varied interior sights as well. When traveling during cold, winter blizzards, the G Train’s interior glass walls morph into summer meadows filled with bright sunlight and fluttering butterflies. Alternatively, cozy winter forest scenes can cool down those languorous summer travel days. Noting this transformative perk, Gaugain says, “The train is essentially a stage that the owner can configure in many ways.”

Designer: Thierry GAUGAIN

Alike and dissimilar to the experience of traveling on a luxury yacht, the G Train measures a lengthy 1,300 feet and boasts a quality experience over a speedy trip.

Aware of the way trains are used by the general public, Gaugain merges a fast track with a luxe experience, citing,
“We tend to think about rail transportation only in terms of speed, moving lots of people from point A to point B in record time, but this 14-car train would belong to a single owner. It’s an alternative, very leisurely way to see the world, beyond the yacht and jet.”

This modular electric platform can pull any vehicle attached to it… like a futuristic horse

Posted on by

Building on perhaps one of the oldest modes of transportation, the U-Shift from DLR is an electric skateboard of sorts that plugs into a variety of modules, becoming a part of them… like a horse attaching itself to a chariot. Equipped with a powerful electric drivetrain capable of great torque, the U-Shift can pull modules with humans or cargo, allowing it to serve multiple functions in one format.

While some laud it as the future of logistics (and it certainly might be), it has roots embedded in history dating millennia ago! Just the way a single horse could pull a cart, a chariot, or a caravan with humans + cargo, the U-Shift has the ability to pull anything it’s attached to. Designed to suit modern conditions (because we don’t really use horses anymore), the U-Shift is capable of traveling larger distances non-stop, and silently. The first DLR U-Shift prototype was presented at the Interim Conference of the Strategic Dialogue for the Automotive Sector at Baden-Württemberg, Stuttgart last week. “We want to make tomorrow’s mobility more sustainable, effective, and convenient,” said Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut, Baden-Württemberg Minister for Economic Affairs. “Entirely new products and business models can emerge from futuristic innovations such as the U-Shift vehicle concept.”

Currently, the U-Shift prototype is controlled remotely, but future iterations of the electric driveboard are likely to be fully autonomous. For now, DLR has demoed the U-Shift along with a standard cargo-capsule, capable of carrying 4 Euro-sized pallets of freight eight barred rolling cabinets, and a mini-bus passenger capsule, with enough space for comfortably seating 7 people.

Designer: DLR (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft und Raumfahrt)

VanMoof’s S3 e-bike is better, cheaper, and just as stylish

Posted on by
VanMoof is like the Allbirds of e-bikes. The upstart has struck a chord with technology-loving people who care deeply about design and sustainable living. That niche, though, is only so large. To grow even further, the company has to move a little mo...

Gocycle’s GXi is a folding e-bike with few equals

Posted on by
Gocycle doesn't have the history to match cycling giants like Trek, Raleigh and Bianchi. In the folding e-bike space, however, it's one of the oldest contenders. Karbon Kinetics, the company behind the brand, was founded in 2002 and launched its firs...