Introducing the Robo Taxi Concept
Filed Under: green automotive technology on June 11, 2009
Obviously, the idea of automated personal transport is not new and neither is the idea of taking transport that goes from relatively fixed locations to other fixed locations (say airports to hotels or hotels to sightseeing spots). This concept is similar to those, but Robo Taxi ads a twist: it’s electric and it’s a taxi rather than rail or something on a fixed track.
The Robo Taxi idea is from a designer named Kubik Petr and is meant for large metro cities. It uses electric motors to move itself, can carry two passengers (and some luggage) and is sized to be as compact as possible, while still comfortable.
It opens like an amusement park ride and has four wheels under that two-wheeled-appearing carriage. Riders simply climb aboard and use the touch-screen interface to tell the taxi where to go. Sort of like your in-car GPS, I’d guess.
The concept is meant to operate for about 20 hours and drive at city speeds.
Apart from the very obvious road blocks to this concept becoming reality (like how it’s supposed to navigate traffic on its own), it’s a pretty cool idea. Thousands of cabbies would be out of work, of course, and would have to learn English and to drive like normal people, but small price to pay for something as cool as “Robo Taxi.”
If it starts squeaking like Wall-E or says “I’d buy that for a dollar!” then I’d get nervous…
