Motoring
Self-driving taxi for wheelchair users wins design award
Travelling for persons who use wheelchairs can be challenging under the best of circumstances.
Calum Gambrill, a product and industrial design student of the Ravensbourne University, has developed a self-driving taxi service which has won him the Ford Design Award in the UK.
“Embark” is envisioned as an accessible and inclusive taxi service, utilising a dedicated app and a fleet of electric self-driving vehicles. The user hails the vehicle with the app, then enters via a side door ramp. The onboard Wi-Fi enables passengers to access the internet and listen to music during the journey. The vehicle would also be connected with other autonomous vehicles to calculate the most efficient routes and find available parking. Payment would be per kilometre or through a monthly subscription service.”
Source: QuickPic
