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The future of urban public transit: solar-powered private pods

By | April 7, 2010, 9:04 AM PDT

What will the future of urban public transit look like?

According to designer Dave Owsen, it’s solar-powered and highly personal.

Modeled after the cells of plants, Owsen’s transit concept is comprised of private pods designed to accommodate two adults and two children (or a load of cargo).

Using a touchscreen interface, users are able to designate a route. The pods travel to major points within a city using a dual-monorail system.

Owsen describes the system:

Public transportation will feature diverse options depending on the needs of people and businesses. This design replaces bus systems with a more efficient and private “Cells” that also provide incentive for small business shipping and service industry distribution.

I’m not sure how well a system like this could work in a city as dense with sun-blocking skyscrapers as, say, New York, but it’s an interesting rethink of how to move people in a more efficient fashion.

[via GreenMuze]

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Andrew Nusca

About Andrew Nusca

Andrew Nusca is editor of SmartPlanet.

Andrew Nusca

Andrew Nusca

Editor

Andrew Nusca is editor of SmartPlanet and an associate editor for ZDNet. Previously, he worked at Money, Men's Vogue and Popular Mechanics magazines. He holds degrees from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and New York University. He based in New York but resides in Philadelphia.

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Andrew Nusca

Andrew Nusca
Andrew Nusca does not hold any investments in the companies he covers.
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