This article was taken from the May 2015 issue of WIRED magazine. Be the first to read WIRED's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online.
This semi-autonomous, folding electric vehicle is the EO Smart Connecting Car 2. Built at the DFKI Robotics Innovation Centerin Bremen, the two-passenger EO has a top speed of 65kph and can turn on the spot, park itself and connect with others in convoy to save energy over longer distances.
A ten-person team of engineers built most parts themselves, developing the car over three years. "We basically built everything from scratch," says Timo Birnschein, 31, the computer scientist leading EO’s development.
The key to the car’s agility is its wheels, which are individually powered by separate motors. It has no axles or drivetrain, meaning the wheels can turn in different directions, drive sideways and rotate on a fixed point. Front and rear cameras and a 360° LiDAR sensor on the roof also help the car locate itself precisely. "We scan the whole environment in 3D ten times a second," says Birnschein.
The EO’s modular design enables the driver to attach extra passenger or storage units, with separate motors controlled centrally -- so it can drive as one, rather than as if pulling a trailer. Multiple cars can also physically dock to each other, to form a linked convoy.
It’s currently being tested in a joint project between the cities of Bremen and Dalian, China, with the aim to use the road-train concept for car-sharing in congested cities. "It’s really a car of the future," says Birnschein.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
