SuperCommuter Transportation System

Votes: 10
Views: 1763

How frustrating was your commute this week? If your city had the SuperCommuter system, you could have . . .
-Enjoyed the ride in your personal vehicle.
-Experienced door-to-door service on your own schedule.
-Spent $0 on fuel, creating zero greenhouse emissions.
-Snoozed on the way in a clean, safe, peaceful environment.
-Safely arrived despite rush-hour accidents.

The SuperCommuter is a creative combination of currently-available technologies resulting in a personal, safe, environmentally-friendly transportation system. Each two-seat electric Vehicle is personally-owned (target price <$5k). Commuters leave from home, drive to the Monorail, connect, ride to the city in peace and privacy, disconnect, and drive to and park at work - all on their own schedule.

Benefits-
-Personal Safety - commuters are not "driving" when on the Monorail. Vehicle is controlled by the Monorail system.
-Efficiency - traffic flow is managed to minimize commute time and optimize routes (intelligent bi-directional management for rush hour traffic optimization based on commute direction).
-Public Safety - no stop lights, safety barriers, traffic enforcement, crosswalks, intersections, etc. In the congested city, surface traffic and pollution is reduced.
-Environmentally Friendly - Vehicles are small, lightweight, zero-emission, and charge while on the rail so most commuters would never have to plug their Vehicles in.

The Vehicle’s battery has a maximum range of 5-8 miles and a maximum road speed of 35 mph, keeping the vehicle affordable. No advanced battery technology is required. The low speed minimizes highway crashworthiness requirements. The Vehicle’s intelligent digital interface manages battery power and vehicle health, coordinates with Carriage calls, and communicates while on the rail. The Vehicle is both safe for “traditional” on-road usage and optimized for efficiency and comfort on the overhead Monorail.

The Vehicle is mated to a Carriage at Terminals strategically located throughout the network of Monorails. Once on the Monorail, the Vehicle can travel up to 70 mph, with the speed and route of the Carriage controlled by the System. Commuters do not control the Vehicle while on the Monorails; they can sleep, study, read, work, etc. The Carriage is electrically driven using linear electromotive propulsion and free-rolling, high-efficiency rollers.

The Monorail consists of two diamond-shaped hollow tubes connected by a shear web. The upper tube interfaces with the support columns while the lower tube is the rail that the Carriages roll on. The web is the stator plane for the linear propulsion. Rail cost-per-mile would be significantly less than surface roads including maintenance.

The Monorail, computerized control System, and Carriages are owned and managed by the company. Terminals are more densely located in the city, but are spaced out on feeder lines so that no vehicle travels more than a few miles to access the rail network. Popular destinations, like shopping malls, might have their own dedicated access Terminals. In large cities with tall office buildings, the light weight of the vehicles could allow for floors to be dedicated as parking garages with automated parking, where the vehicle never leaves the rail system.

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  • ABOUT THE ENTRANT

  • Name:
    Brandon Stille
  • Type of entry:
    individual
  • Profession:
    Engineer/Designer
  • Brandon is inspired by:
    An open design space, questioning assumptions, and breaking the rules of what's "normal."
  • Patent status:
    none