Seymourpowell presents Orb Omni Robotic Boat as one of methods for future urban travel. It’s an autonomous boat concept that suggests possibility that we can travel around by crossing urban rivers, from Thames in London to East River in New York, up to canals of Amsterdam. Urban waterways have gone from essential travel to urban afterthoughts, unfortunately most are forgotten and untouched by those who live on their shores. This boat can be integrated into the way we live in and move about cities.
Orb comes as a pod-shaped watercraft that can accommodate up to six passengers, this autonomous water pod would fit into dense cities. It cuts through water on hydrofoils, allowing for easy maneuvering around typically larger vessels that we can find on many urban waterways.
Seymourpowell explains that Orb Omni Robotic Boat operates just like on-demand car service but this one is for the water. It makes water-based travel more accessible since it doesn’t need a large land-based infrastructure just like ferry or other bigger vessel. The idea for this concept came from looking at growing congestion in and around London, yet we can clearly see the are wide-open waters of the Thames River flowing through. Even though there are boats going up and down, unfortunately, they don’t drop you off at many places. Orb facilitates an autonomous boat which can be more flexible, more accessible, and more agile.
The exterior design of Orb focuses on passengers views of the city, hence, it utilizes curved glass and spherical shape. It provides a beautiful panoramic outlook on the city from the open space of urban river/lake.
Orb system is designed with a modular dock which can be easily placed on the water’s edge, or join additional docks just like Lego bricks. There’s a built-in charging infrastructure that refill boat’s batteries and on-board solar panels that allow for longer voyages. This system can operate as a small fleet or a massive network, this way passengers are offered with multiple list of stations instead of getting on a bus or a subway with a fixed route.
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