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Your next (bus) ride?

August 29, 2006 | Comments: (0)

Your next (bus) ride?

Could this be your next (bus) ride? The folks at MIT new research lab think so. The new MIT Design Laboratory is focused on bringing emerging technology to urban planning, and combines existing MIT research groups like PlaceLab and SENSEable Cities, as well as others. The new lab will work on "problems of social, economic and cultural importance," according to a press release from the university.

The idea is to create a comprehensive design approach to buildings and urban areas, not just focus on using technology in the context of individual projects. Among the projects the new lab is working on:

The City Car. This one has been around for a while. A "stackable car for two passengers," City Car can be deposited at stacks, which are located at convergence points like bus and subway lines. Kind of Zip Car meets Duplo."Each stack receives incoming vehicles and electrically charges them. Users simply remove a fully charged vehicle from the front of the stack just as they would pick up a luggage cart at the airport."

The Digital Mile. A mile-long, programmable wall of water in Zaragoza, Spain,that replaces a set of train tracks that was removed from the city center. "Sensors respond when someone approaches, causing the water to rise or fall or propagate waves." OK. Now that's cool, even if the name does make it sound like Chris Anderson's next book.

The Electronic Lens. (Flash preso) A system of talking landmarks in Barcelona, Spain (what is it with Spain and futuristic architecture?) that provides pedestrians with on-the-spot information about the city's resources.