We now have an agreement with several university students to particpate in the Envisionride program. This month it is the University of Gävle Sweden that in collaboration with the City of Gävle work on the “Näringen” area. We are also expecting the University if Lisbon to do a study under Dr. Manuel Domingos.
Also the dates has been set. It will be April 14/16. We start with a reception on Friday the 14th and get going on Saturday and Sunday with meetings, workshops and demonstrations. WELCOME!
Photo: D.R
The car is a fantastic product. It takes us from where we are to where we want to go. At any time we want, with whomever we want. Unfortunately, it is also extremely heavy on earth resources. A circular economy is based on a lifecycle of resources that can be reused as much as possible with as little energy and resources as possible. The problem with the car is that even if we recycle it to the max, it still takes a lot of energy and resources to produce it – and it sits still for well over 90% of its lifetime, even if we share a few between us. The car can certainly be recyclable but is never sustainable to recycle something that should not have been produced in the beginning. However, since we do not have many alternatives, we must find ways to new ideas and innovation in mobility. Then we can have a choice to share a product that is used every day, year-round and of course produced with circular economy in mind.
After the Podcar City conference in Atlanta December 2021, the AACIDs organization is moving forward to continue the possible implementation of a large autonomous Automated Transit Network (ATN) at the world’s busiest airport. The planning is impressive in both scale and technology, guided by cutting-edge solutions and a strong vision to improve the quality of life and mobility in and around the airport. Read more about AACID’s work: AACIDs Innovative transit technology.
PRT – Personal Rapid Transit – is one of the most interesting solutions for future mass mobility. The concept has been around for some time, and not until recently has it gotten more traction through substantially more investment. Have a look at this overview “PRT – allowing cities to move and breath” from Peter Muller, President of the Advanced Transit Association, the same organization that is also a sponsor of the 2023 What if? Conference in Lisbon.
Image from Wikipedia – the Morgantown system has been in use for over 40 years and recently upgraded.
A lot of studies are available on how many cars might be offset with a bus. More research is needed to find out what impact a large, automated, grade-separated network of shared smaller vehicles would have. An interesting TED Talk from Canada addresses the behavior change possible by using public shared transit early on with children.
Want to find out how a new transportation system could make an even bigger change? Take a challenge at envisionRide!
Imagine standing close to a building that you know is virtual and still being able to almost touch it. With high-quality, 3D renderings and lifelike simulation models utilizing sound, light, and movements, we help stimulate your senses and make your projects come alive. We call his 4D technology. It’s a high-tech visualization tool that gives you a unique edge in understanding and communicating your development ideas to all stakeholders. Cities and urban areas around the world are implementing this technology to plan their future life – both regarding the urban landscape and mobility.
The 4D digital twin technology is a basic part of the envisionRide program, and all teams have this tool available for their work. See an example of 4D technology made by 4Dialog with support from Matthew Lesh, an expert in new mobility solutions. The video features the American Planning Association meeting in 2019 where iCristal wanted to show their electric shuttle solution at a digital twin of the APA conference in New Orleans.
All over the world, the exploitation of natural and human resources is increasing – for a product that almost never gets used. Why? Because electric or not, our cars spend most of their lives parked. That envokes questions wether the resources required to produce a car that is only used 5% of the time can be justified? If we can find a better way to mobility and use much less materials, then the answer is no. To truly create a sustainable transportation system, we must factor in the impacts of using more and more natural resources and minerals for electric cars that will, for the most time, never be used.
For further reading, see:
The criminal exploitation of children in the name of “green cars”
If you have not yet acknowledged what the situation is right now, have a look at the latest IPCC report and what consequences we are facing. Electric cars, by themselves, are NOT a solution. There is no such thing as a “green” car so long as it sits doing nothing for almost all the time. An essential read for all participants of envisionRide is the IPCC climate report.