Urban mobility as we know it won’t be feasible or desirable in ten years’ time. As companies in the automotive industry are envisioning and designing fully autonomous and fully electric vehicles, urban mobility is in a state of transition towards a more sustainable and smarter future.
And seeing how the transport sector now accounts for over 20 percent of CO2 emissions worldwide and people spend more and more time in traffic jams, brands have already come up with solutions. Pix Moving is among the companies that believe driverless autonomous vehicles should be the next step in mobility.
As a solution, they present the Robobus prototype, a travel pod that not only provides a driverless transportation means but also envisions the smart mobility of tomorrow as a “diversified shared mobility experience” focused on the passenger. As such, it is designed to deliver additional functionalities to keep city dwellers entertained during their travel time and take the focus away from the actual commute.
Pix Robobus is a reconfigurable travel pod that can be whatever the passenger wants and needs. Inside the travel pod, anything is possible, as it can be your private lounge to relax after a day of work, your library or reading nook, a mobile cafe, or even your private gym.
“PIX Moving is providing city dwellers with diversified shared mobility experience, making Moving Space a new lifestyle,” the company explains. “With safety as the top priority, PIX Moving is committed to provide passengers with a comfortable and unique mobility experience.”
Photo: PIX Moving
Built on Pix’s proprietary flexible and scalable Ultra-skateboard chassis platform, the autonomous vehicle provides zen-like interiors and can move up to six passengers around at the same time.
The designers’ plan is to build an urban network of PIX Robobus pods to turn connected city commuting into reality. To that end, they imagine the four-wheeler as the perfect shared mobility solution, ideal for short-distance rides - 3-5 kilometers (a couple of miles) of travel.
This means the Robobus will best serve airports, industrial parks, university campuses, or even be used for sightseeing.
And there is more! The wheels are designed to move individually to allow the vehicle to squeeze through tight spaces while commuting and park in tight spots.
Additionally, the skateboard-like chassis it is built upon makes the wheelbase and wheeltrack reconfigurable, too. This means increased versatility for Robobus, which can be assembled with more platform space. This is for situations when it is used as a gaming space, a cafe, or a lounge area, for instance.
Photo: PIX Moving
Though it comes with such a small footprint, according to the company, the sky’s the proverbial limit with this travel pod. They mention other options, too, including karaoke bars, unattended vending services, or even a makeshift hotel.
As for the technical details, the vehicle measures 3.8 m in length and is 1.9 meters wide and 2.2 meters high. It is powered by a 21.5 kWh battery, and the designers claim it will have a range of up to 100 kilometers per charge (62 miles) and will be able to travel at speeds between 15 and 30 kph (9.2-18.6 mph). It will fast charge in just 1.5 hours and slow charge in 5 hours.
Pix Moving says its Robobus travel pod will hold up to six passengers, but the maximum payload is set at 510 kg (1,124 pounds), so if the passengers also carry luggage, fewer passengers will be able to share the ride.
Now, even if the designers say the Robobus is also meant to serve as a taxi, with that speed, it won’t be the ideal option if a passenger needs to get to their destination quickly. But I do see a future for this kind of autonomous vehicle in small towns, campuses, and the like.
After spending a few years as a copy editor, Ancuta decided to put down the eraser and pick up the writer's pencil. Her favorites subjects are unusual car designs, travel trailers and everything related to the great outdoors. Full profile
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