City to city transport usually goes something like car or cab to train to shuttle to the terminal where you catch a plane, only to reverse the process at the other end, often with a little running somewhere along the line for good measure. Airbus and Italdesign came up with a crazy idea to change all of that with Pop.Up, a conceptual two-passenger pod.
The Pop.Up consists of three modules: A carbon-fibre capsule that would carry passengers or goods, a battery vehicle running on the ground and an aerial module electrically propelled by eight rotors. It essentially looks like a futuristic electric vehicle on the ground and like a drone-car in the air.
The Pop.Up concept works like this:
– You choose your destination and book a ride using an app.
– Based on your preferences, the system gives you the best mode of transport.
– The passenger capsule becomes an electric car and picks you up.
– In case of congestion, the capsule disconnects from the car and is lifted by the aerial module, becoming a “self-piloted urban-air vehicle” that delivers you to your destination.
– As the ride is completed, all components return autonomously to their nearest charging points (like a bus terminal) and await their next ride.
While the concept may sound fancy, the practicality of such an operation remains to be seen.
