Product & Vehicle Design | Frederik Vanden Borre

LOOP, AN ENDLESSLY CIRCULATING AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE SERVICE THAT CAN RESHAPE THE CITY CENTRE.

Personal cars are statically parked for 96% of the time.

With growing megacities rising around the world, we evermore need to reflect on how we live in these large areas. Personal cars are statically parked for 96% of the time. An endlessly circulating autonomous vehicle such as LOOP can reshape the city centre, as they don't take up valuable public parking space.

We can rearrange the roads and enhance biking conditions, as this is a good means of transportation. LOOP’s target users are therefore people who don’t use the bike: the elderly, disabled people or people who don’t exactly know where they’re going.

Explainer video LOOP- Seoul Design Week 2016

LOOP went through all the various stages of the design process. The start came forth through personal experience of living in the mega city London. I'm from Belgium which roughly counts 11 million people and London around 9 million. My regular cycling track from home to the college isn't always the most pleasant: exhaust pipe fumes, lack of space on the road, sudden doors opening whiles driving,... just a few of many frustrations and dangerous obstacles all cyclist go through whiles cycling through this city. With the emerging technology of self-driving vehicle I saw the opportunity to improve the transportation system which is the bloodstream of the city.

One of the benefits of cycling is that you're flexible in where you need to go and you discover this magnificent city more each time you go through but I realise through my grand parents that not all people are capable of cycling through the city. Looking at public transportation I saw the last mile problem being a major issue. People still need to walk the last mile when they get of the bus. Experimenting with different arrangements of the vehicles package I came across new layouts as the choice of entering and exiting through the back.

London Now

Future Utopia

- Personal car takes public space

- No personal bike lanes

"Cars are parked 96% of the time."

CITY NOW

- A city with "No personal car" zones

- Change in road arrangement

- Promote bikes and walking

- Public transport co-exists: bus, tram, metro and LOOP.

Driverless cars do not need to park, they stay in circulation.

FUTURE CITY SCENARIO

LIDAR technology

With the emerging technology of self-driving vehicle I saw the opportunity to improve the transportation system which is the bloodstream of the city. One of the benefits of cycling is that you're flexible in where you need to go and you discover this magnificent city more each time you go through but I realise through my grandparents that not all people are capable of cycling through the city.

Looking at public transportation I saw the last mile problem being a major issue. People still need to walk the last mile when they get of the bus. Experimenting with different arrangements of the vehicles package I came across new layouts as the choice of entering and exiting through the back.

ENTER THROUGH THE BACK

To prevent accidents, passengers would enter and exit through the back of the vehicle. This way you see the traffic coming towards you.

This insight comes from observations of people who get hit by cyclists or pedestrians while exiting buses.

DESIGN FOR ALL

Designing for a large variety of users is essential when you're designing for a shared public city vehicle. Walking in the vehicle in an upright position is beneficial.

PLEASE MIND THE GAP

Enter through the back, see the traffic coming.

LOOP is a new way of public transportation. Loop makes it possible to share a ride rather than investing in an expensive vehicle that is not used for the majority of the time and obstructs the traffic circulating within the city.

A large variety of people can make use of the vehicle as there’s an upright entering of the vehicle, with the possibility of wheelchair access. People can stand or lean for a short ride or sit down within the personalized interior with interactive augmented reality.

A flexible interior with foldable seats can be used to store larger objects if required. With the big central glasshouse, passengers can enjoy the ride while looking outside and upwards at the impressive architecture that is part of the city.

PUBLIC

PERSONAL

Public becomes personal Space

With future technologies to our disposal, the interior of a Public Service Vehicle could become personal. The interior could adjust to the needs of the specific user. Depending on his or her interest the graphite display could show information about: shopping, architecture, historic facts, events… whilst travelling through the city. When you enter LOOP, your personal preferences will be uploaded from the cloud. The data cloud carries our personal preference to use in this public shared space. The space within the vehicle becomes neutral after the occupier leaves. The area becomes personal again when another user takes their place.

Frederik Vanden Borre and LOOP at the Royal College of Art Graduation Show 2016

Meeting Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh