Next Up – The Next Autonomous or Driverless Transport Pods

What you are about to see is a fully functional design. More than this, it is already here. Revealed to the public in Dubai, the Next autonomous pods are looking to restructure logistics, public transport, and even the way we do business.

I’m so excited about this, I don’t even know where to begin. OK, so maybe it doesn't have the most visually pleasing or futuristic design, aside from a slight lean to this cubic structure. It’s basically a box with seats on wheels.

So the plan is this: the Next pod has the capability to take care of logistics and intercity travel. And it does all of this without a driver, well, not a physical one anyway. It’s all in thanks to the use of navigational software and safety features running on full blast.

This entire system works like this: you get up in the morning, do your morning routine, pick up your phone, select a destination, and wait for the pod to come pick you up. You lock your door and head to the pod. At the rear you see two doors and a QR code.

With your phone in hand you scan the code and the doors open. Inside there are already two people, but you don’t worry about your personal safety. These folks are on the grid, just like yourself. You take a seat and the pod is off.

Full electric propulsion leaves no trace of your travels.

As you’re riding along, another comes into view and you start getting the feeling that maybe you’re getting too close and you’re going to crash. Don’t fear the change, it’s part of the mechanism. Pretty soon a small jolt unites the two pods and the doors open. In the front pod is a gentleman sitting behind a bar. “Good day ladies and gentlemen. How may I be of service to you?” Do you guys understand what’s happening? Yes sir, you can have your coffee from the lead pod. All this is done without ever stopping. All on the go.

Everyone, now with a coffee in hand, you take your seat and the doors close. The front pod breaks off and you continue your journey.

One of the benefits of this tech is that if one pod or another is headed to a specific destination that is of your interest, you will receive an alert on your device as to which pod will be required for you to reach your destination. And when the time comes the doors close and the pod breaks off from the group. This takes the dead time out of sitting in bus stations waiting on interconnecting routes.

Another beautiful thing they do is the transfer of battery charge to vehicles with a lower charge, or simply sends all power to the front pod and pulls the rest along until separation is needed.

The Next is also able to maneuver in place. Like doing a perfect donut. All thanks to the wheel system. It can lateral park itself into any space big enough for it.

Another plan is to use this vehicle in the transportation of goods. Something like that drone plan that Amazon had, but much more feasible. Imagine a fleet of these things rolling round stopping, moving, loading and unloading goods at your door, and the next one picking you up to take you to work.