Bike sharing is a great idea, and an Australian design student hopes to improve upon it with a network of communal electric scooters that allow people to zip around town without breaking a sweat.
The Link Scooter System updates the bike sharing model and designer Anton Grimes thinks it's just the thing for the Sydney 2030 plan to bring sustainable living to the Australian city.
"With increasing demand on an already over-stretched transport infrastructure, it makes sense to shift the way that we move by taking up less space per individual while in transit," Grimes wrote in his description of the project he's submitted for an Australian Design Award. "The energy required to move the individual is also greatly reduced by reducing the size and weight of the vehicle."
Proposals for modular personal transportation tend to be pretty wild - the shape-shifting Scarab and even more outlandish TriTrack monorail come to mind. But Grimes' idea has serious potential because it's relatively simple.
The scooters are made of aluminum and plastic for durability and look a lot like the Razor scooters that were so popular a few years ago. They draw power from recharge stations affixed to light posts -- brilliant, because light posts already draw power from the city's grid. Riders select a scooter and ride to their destination, where they hook it up to another hub to recharge.
Based upon Grimes' submission, it sounds like signing up for the scooter sharing program would be a lot like joining ZipCar. "While the concept of a transport hire system is not new, the scale and vehicle type make this project unique and appropriate for smaller distance travel in built-up and denser environments," Grimes writes in his submission.
A computer interface in each charging station would offer instructions for using the scooter, and signing up for the program would get you a free bike helmet so you protect your noggin and comply with any local laws. Grimes doesn't say how he'd prevent theft, but if bike sharing programs can figure it out, how tough could it be?
Images: Anton Grimes.
