Photo: Ford
Urban mobility is changing, and it will continue to do so as our cities are growing more crowded and congested. So why not think outside of the box for once when it comes to moving around in these urban areas?
Ford is doing just that, with help from design students Corentin Janel and Guillame Innocenti, and a little thing (literally) called TOD. TOD stands for “talk or drive” and it’s a park bench that can stand in one place and act as street furniture, or can be ridden away, out on the city streets. It’s like having your cake and eating it, the best of two worlds.
TOD just won the Ford Fund Smart Mobility Challenge, which means that Janel and Innocenti have also won £12,500 (€14,600) to bring it to life with a prototype. Ford explains that it was picked because it offers a sustainable mobility solution that benefits the community.
TOD is, as noted above, a bench you can sit on or ride on. It has two modes, static and mobile: in the former, it can seat up to three people and can be upgraded according to needs. Ford mentions adding corners or leg extensions, chairs or even a table. Depending on its location and the community it serves, TOD could be anything said community needs.
In mobile mode, TOD could carry two passengers and some luggage in a hatch in the middle. Stretching bands on the back and the sides would make it ideal for hauling larger items. Moreover, TOD could be paired with a dedicated app, which would allow users to book rides online and then use a code to unlock it.
As a sitting scooter (electric, more likely, since we’re talking about sustainable means of transport), TOD would only go as fast as 20 kph (12.5 mph), which isn’t incredibly fast. Then again, you’d be riding a park bench. You probably wouldn’t want to go faster either way.
“We wanted to create a community service that adapts to the urban life of its users,” winning designers Janel and Innocenti say in a statement. They’re now itching to build the prototype to see what further challenges the project brings up.
TOD just won the Ford Fund Smart Mobility Challenge, which means that Janel and Innocenti have also won £12,500 (€14,600) to bring it to life with a prototype. Ford explains that it was picked because it offers a sustainable mobility solution that benefits the community.
TOD is, as noted above, a bench you can sit on or ride on. It has two modes, static and mobile: in the former, it can seat up to three people and can be upgraded according to needs. Ford mentions adding corners or leg extensions, chairs or even a table. Depending on its location and the community it serves, TOD could be anything said community needs.
In mobile mode, TOD could carry two passengers and some luggage in a hatch in the middle. Stretching bands on the back and the sides would make it ideal for hauling larger items. Moreover, TOD could be paired with a dedicated app, which would allow users to book rides online and then use a code to unlock it.
As a sitting scooter (electric, more likely, since we’re talking about sustainable means of transport), TOD would only go as fast as 20 kph (12.5 mph), which isn’t incredibly fast. Then again, you’d be riding a park bench. You probably wouldn’t want to go faster either way.
“We wanted to create a community service that adapts to the urban life of its users,” winning designers Janel and Innocenti say in a statement. They’re now itching to build the prototype to see what further challenges the project brings up.
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