Urban mobility goes hand in hand with long-term sustainability in all its aspects: social, economic and environmental. The subject of urban mobility has been a topical issue recently, which is evidenced by interesting projects such as the City Car developed at MIT and the P.U.M.A. project. However, these initiatives invariably resolve only partial issues. The design of the vehicle for individual urban mobility, which originated in one of the most productive design departments at BUT, resolves the issue in a comprehensive way. Let’s introduce it.
The main idea of the BUT design is variability. Flexibility runs through the whole concept from start to finish. “The submitted design resolves the issues of urban mobility at all levels (pedestrian zones, city centre, city periphery), each of which require different type of vehicle. The newly-designed vehicle is able, through various transformations, to comply with each of these levels. The individual levels are thus fluently interconnected, thereby fulfilling the concept of continuous mobility,” says the project author, Ing. David Škaroupka.
This is a completely new product which is now in the phase of finished drawings, a 3D virtual model and visualization. Thorough calculations give the design easy-to-manufacture aerodynamic lines which also respect the rules of ergonomics so as to ensure comfort for the driver. The supporting structure is made of steel frames connected through articulated joints. Segments of seat frames and screens protect the upper part of the driver’s body from the weather and are made of light composite materials. The vehicle drive is electrical. The character of movement and method of operation differs according to the way the vehicle is being used.
The vehicle is multifunctional and can be driven in several ways. In the city centre among pedestrians, use of the variant resembling the popular Segway is advisable. Another of the variants would replace the passenger car – in this version the vehicle can be connected to others, thus making a transport units that would function by towing one another. The vehicle can be collapsed rapidly and thus parking can be resolved on the spot.
The designer, Ing. David Škaroupka, works at the Institute of Machine and Industrial Design at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. The project to design an urban vehicle was supported by a grant from a specific research focused on supporting student science. BUT has had the vehicle design protected as an industrial design registered at the Industrial Property Office.
