Mar
MIT solves parking problems with folding car
MIT’s Media Lab and Smart Cities Group believes it has come up with a possible solution to the growing problem of finding a parking space in busy urban environments. The solution involves a new concept car that can fold up to just half its size when parked.
The car is being called the “City Car” and can hold two passengers while running on a rechargeable battery. The innovative bit is the way it can be stored when not in use. Unlike standard cars, which require their own parking space, the City Car can fold and stack with other City Cars, like shopping carts stack today. By doing this, they take up much less space (about one-eighth the space) while still being able to recharge ready for their next use.
The researchers aren’t seeing the car as a replacement for our daily vehicles, but more as a solution to transport in built-up areas like city centers. Rather than having your own City Car, they also expect them to be multi-use, with individuals just taking one from the available pile when they need to.
Read more at ITWire.com.
Matthew’s Opinion
It’s interesting that in the U.K. we seem to have loads of money pumped into our public transport systems, yet for the most part they never seem to get any better. People also don’t really enjoy using public transportation that much and prefer their own private space. That’s from my experience anyway.
The idea of having public transportation solutions that allow this private space is an interesting one. If the City Cars were as easy to use as swiping your credit card, unfolding the vehicle, and getting in, then it could take off. I see all sorts of problems with vandalism, however; and what happens in an accident? You wouldn’t have insurance to help pay the repair costs.
It will certainly be a few years before anything like the City Car appears on the streets. Even then, it would be a huge investment for any city to undertake.
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