Design Concept of the Day: P.A.T. Vehicle
July 11, 2012 § Leave a Comment
The shape of cars to come? In 2040, vehicles will be both shared and autonomously-guided, as well as being sustainably-fuelled, says Lloyd Alter at Treehugger. P.A.T. (People And Things) is a system of compact, lightweight transport modules which can be connected end-to-end in a train or side-by-side, with LCD screens for movie-watching (no ads, please) and configurable ‘smart’ seats which can adapt to take on board the mobility-impaired, or simply to allow occupants to relax. It’s on display at the MOVE Transportation Expo in Toronto.
Is this really the future? Well, part of it, I think, but such concepts are by no means the only way we’ll be getting around in 2040. Systems such as P.A.T and other ‘road train’ proposals could play a particular role on defined city commuting routes or inter-city link-ups, for example, however.
