ASSISTED MOBILITY VEHICLE

 During my time studying abroad in Florence, Italy, I created a concept for an autonomous mobility vehicle to transport people around congested European cities such as Florence. I noticed that the taxis in the city center took up lots of space, and it was difficult to get across the city by car. Another student was disabled, and could not walk across the city with us on school trips, art history classes, and site visits to San Miniato al Monte basilica. My professor was also pregnant at the time, and could not always go on long walks in the hot summer for class.

In Florence, I created a 3D model of the vehicles in Rhino, created layouts and drawings describing the vehicle, and created renderings of the vehicles on site and around the city. When I returned to St. Louis, Missouri, I enrolled in a photography class that focused on lighting and location. I created a small model of the second iteration of the vehicle, and repurposed an architecture model as a base for the vehicle. I photographed the model and base in Forest Park, re-envisioning the prototype as an assisted mobility vehicle not just for cities, but for public spaces like parks as well.

The vehicle would be autonomous, electric, and modular to accommodate equipment like wheelchairs; the seats can be removed or rotated to accommodate a variety of individuals and their needs. The wheels would be a ball design, allowing movement in all directions to navigate tight spaces. The wheels would be attached to magnetorheological, adjustable suspension elements, allowing it to climb stairs or rough terrain without discomfort for riders; it can remain completely level while climbing. Dimensionally it would be about the size of a golf cart.