In the year 2046, environmental challenges and increasing world population will change individual transportation tremendously within expanding city structures. With residential areas compacting to accommodate more and more people, mass transport systems and individual mobility will need to be organized in a way that can easily be integrated into the urban planning structure without incurring massive infrastructure expenditure. The Shanghai Sphere 2046 is one such vehicle concept that addresses the challenges of this future scenario and presents a solution for person mobility in the form of a sphere. Designed by German industrial designer Oliver May, the vehicle is based on a geometric solid structure. The vehicle will guarantee a stable ride via an electricity-driven powertrain that is gyro-stabilized for optimal performance.
Shanghai Sphere 2046
To overcome the problems of instability caused by the act of balancing a sphere without wheels, the Shanghai Sphere 2046 uses a gyroscopic action provided by a spinning wheel. The unique corporate design of the city and the landmarks of Shanghai’s skyline provided the inspiration for the vehicle’s unique silhouette. The underside of the exterior hull bears the ball bearings and the room for necessary functional parts is provided by the lightweight carbon fiber and titan structure.
Handheld units that accept augmented guidance from passengers will be used in addition with GPS to steer the vehicle that has been built to function without a dashboard or a steering wheel. The fusion of hull and rim creates a transparent doubled shell for the Shanghai Sphere 2046. The outer frame of the vehicle is based on technology from Tesla and can be used to generate additional power. This would allow the vehicle to increase its range when running low on battery charge.
The biggest design advantage for the four-seater Shanghai Sphere 2046 is that while it is designed to make individual travel more comfortable, many such units can be combined to make a linked chain to create a public transport system. These connected spheres can be mounted onto prefabricated construction components with a low friction surface and create a new holistic transportation system. By linking multiple vehicles via couplings, people traveling to the same destination can be transported more economically and efficiently.
This would allow cities to free up more public space and make public traveling more efficient and less space consuming. Since these vehicles run on electricity, they can also help cities meet their environmental goals and reduce dependence on traditional fuels.
Similar Posts:
- Personal, Sensory-Based Lighting Experience: X&Y Light from Flynn Talbot [Video]
- Industrial Pandora Cabinets in Vivid Colours
- Timber Cabin to House Parking Ticket Machine by Jean-Luc Fugier
- Urbanized: Gary Hustwit Completes His Design Trilogy
- Maisongomme garden office made using discarded car tires
no comment untill now