People living in megacities constantly face traffic jams, making it hard to travel quickly and efficiently in cars. On the other hand, motorcycles are able to navigate through heavy urban traffic, but do not provide the comfort and safety of covered cars. Researchers from TUM CREATE have integrated the safety and convenience of a car with the efficiency of a motorcycle in a prototype of the VOI multipurpose scooter.
VOI is an electric-powered, two-wheeled scooter with a front passenger cabin. It allows people to navigate heavy urban traffic with the efficiency of a motorcycle, while providing shelter from rain, dust and road debris. The enclosed passage cabin also offers stiffness and rigidity to improve the driver’s safety during accidents.
This video showcases the interchangeable front pod.
A unique feature of VOI is its interchangeable front pod that makes it multipurpose. The single passenger cabin can be swapped for other options such as a mobile kitchen, ice-cream chiller, mobile street store, or a basic cargo pod. VOI also addresses the first mile-last mile problem and complements existing public transport systems by offering commuters intermediate transportation. As VOI is powered entirely by batteries, it is also environmentally-friendly and produces zero emissions.
The VOI multipurpose scooter was exhibited at the 3rd Taiwan International Electric Vehicle Show in April 2013, and won the Young Innovator Category at the Land Transport Excellence Award in April 2014.
The VOI multipurpose scooter is developed by researchers from TUM CREATE, a collaboration between Nanyang Technology University and Technical University of Munich. This research is funded by NRF under the Campus for Research Excellence and Technology Enterprise (CREATE) Programme.
