Proposal for the design of Personal Automotive Transportation (P.A.T)

Abstract

My direction of interest for my major project will be a form of transportation design. My idea is to create an alternative form of transport for the everyday commuter which will hopefully replace the need for the average car, primarily within the CBD. It can be seen as a solution to the growing traffic and pollution problem we face as a city today. It would be to look for more sustainable and environmentally friendly technologies when designing the perfect mode for travelers. Specifically I will be targeting commuters based in both suburbia and the city, whom may travel to and from the CBD for work, school or leisure.

Body

The inspiration for my idea relates back to my personal experience with traveling to and from university on a regular basis. The various problems we face today as commuters can be derived from the many problematic aspects of our current trends when it comes to transportation. In my own travels I have experienced first hand some of the frustrating elements when driving to and from the CBD. Traffic congestion on the road is one of the main issues that prevent efficient travel in a motor car. From observation, it is astounding how so many cars stuck in traffic have only one occupant inside, add to this the growing population and as a result we’re contributing to Australia’s already alarming pollution issue. The reality that people now are having to travel further and further to reach anywhere near or around the city adds to the frustration of city travel.

Many people opt not to travel by public transport for many reasons which include the lack of personal or private space due to over crowded trains, exposure to whether at train stations, an unreliable train system, and many are concerned for there own safety. Motorists are forced to endure the expensive running costs, rising petrol prices and cost of parking, if they wish to still use there motor car for everyday travel purposes.

There is no easy solution to all these problems, and there is no quick fix, though there must be an alternative form of transportation.

The idea: to design a single occupant transportation device. One which is capable of housing all the necessities that you would carry to work or school, as well as having all the comforts of the modern day motor car. Unlike public transport, the commuter has his own private space, and unlike a motor car the occupant is not traveling to and from the city in a large size, 5 seater family car (mostly used), dominating our roads. It will be a two-wheeled vehicle and will use similar balancing technology as that seen in the Segway. The personal automotive transportation will take up a quarter of the space of the average family car and thus taking up less space on our roads. I am also proposing a driverless system, where the transportation device cannot be driven or controlled by the occupant, rather electronically linked to a each other which then calculates a safe travel distance and speed in relation to one another, a kind of built in collision avoidance system. The P.A.T will then be linked via satellite to a main system which could keep track of traffic flow in an emergency situation. The transportation devices would only require a destination input from the passenger, much like a GPS unit.

The transportation is primarily aimed at the average male/female, white collar commuter between 24 to 50 years of age. Though not just exclusive for the working class, P.A.T could also appeal to University and possibly high school students. Unlike the privately owned motor car, the personal transportation could be owned by a government authority and an annual fee much like registration must be paid in order to use the pod. The hope is that overtime, the introduction of the new form of transportation will eliminate the need for private car ownership in the city of Melbourne.

Research has began on implementing environmentally friendly technology to power the pods, as well as the possibility of a “free energy” solution to generate drive to the wheels of the vehicle without the use of any fossils fuels. Still under development, the technology works on the use of a magnetic motor which is used to spin a shaft or axle connected to the wheels. If the motor is successful in working then it will never need re-fuelling and will be a far cheaper option to own and maintain then any modern day motor car. This will also mean that the pod will have major environmental benefit of being a zero emission energy source.

On a larger scale, infrastructure will need to be put into place for the pods to travel amongst today cars, trucks, buses, ect. It will involve providing a specialized area or lane for P.A.T only traffic, which in the initial stages will start off as single lane traffic. As time progresses so with the popularity of the vehicles and thus the number of lanes will then increase to 3 or 4 in both directions of travel. Once the pods make up the majority of vehicles on the road, the system can be fully functional and the CBD will be limited to P.A.T traffic only.

The P.A.T vehicles create the opportunity to change the way we think of transporting ourselves via vehicle. The system is best suited for suburbia to CBD travel and should reduce travel time by at least half. The pod is an affordable, efficient, and a smart way for commuters to travel.

Key words

Transportation design, personal transportation, zero emissions, P.A.T, vehicle, sustainability, changing infrastructure, Melbourne CBD, traffic congestion.