Friday, October 12, 2007

LA 2007 Preview: Honda 124, modular solar-hybrid commuter

Filed under: , , ,


Click to enlarge

This year's Los Angeles Auto Show includes the fourth annual Design Los Angeles conference for automotive designers. Part of the conference is the Design Challenge which this year tries to imagine transportation a half century from now. The entry from Honda designers Ben Davidson, Khrystyne Zurian, Shae Shatz envisions a robotic modular vehicle comprising four pods. When coupled together they can travel at higher speeds and use a car pool lane. Once they approach the destination they can separate into smaller single seater vehicles that are easily maneuverable. Power comes from a solar hybrid system and the name is One to the Power of Four.

[Editor's note: looks like a Jedi Starfighter to me. I want it]

[Source: LA Auto Show]

Honda - 14 - One to the Power of Four
The solar-hybrid powered Honda 14 is an energy efficient, fully robotic commuting solution. A suburban community re-population movement in the 2050's has increased consumer demand for a truly flexible commuter vehicle.

The solar-hybrid Honda 14 solves the carpooling dilemma because it allows carpoolers to take advantage of HOV lanes, share commuting costs and once near the passengers' final destinations, robotically transforms from one to four separate and unique modes of transportation.

Through a combination of gyros, artificial intelligence and molecular engineering, each individual vehicle instinctively reconfigures as a fully functional vehicle. When traveling as one, the division points are undetectable. The latest advancements in molecular engineering allow the body panels to divide and reshape to form each individual vehicle.

Honda Research & Development
Design Team: Ben Davidson

Khrystyne Zurian

Shae Shatz

 

Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments


BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.

No comments: