Increasing traffic in cities has led to a market for personal commuters that are becoming more interesting with every new development. On the same lines, industrial design house OfMyImagination (OMI) has reimagined what a city commuter of the future will be like.
Meet Hop, a multi-person scooter platform designed to offer an alternative to urban transportation. A two-person scooter is the norm but a scooter that can haul four people at a time is rare. It’s unique since this autonomous concept vehicle proposes to transport up to four people easily in a footprint similar to a two-wheeler.
Designer: OfMyImagination
The idea is to use the space efficiently as commuters stand inside the open design of the scooter. This is similar to standing in buses and metro that are overcrowded. Given the small footprint of the OMI’s vehicle, it can easily navigate tight spaces, just like a normal scooter. The last-mile travel solution wants to take center stage connecting train stations and transport hubs for a smoother travel experience. This makes complete sense during peak hour traffic, where getting to the destinations in time is of utmost importance.
To make transportation within the city as streamlined as possible, OMI imagines the Hop scooter to be level 5 autonomy enabled. It will travel along pre-determined routes, just like bicycle lanes in a city for minimum congestion. As the namesake makes it clear, the compact vehicle will allow people to hop on and off easily. The ultimate target of this network would be to reduce the number of vehicles on the road, especially four-wheelers. Using the accompanying app users can book the ride and also check the routes their Hop will cover. There will be an option to book the ride in private or for a group.
To keep things cost-effective without compromising user safety, the tubular frame creates a robust structure for the vehicle. These tubular bars will double as a holding option for the users. The interiors are kept minimal featuring two baskets for keeping bags and a perch bench just in case someone needs to relax for a few minutes. Given the Hop will be completely driverless, there will be space for luggage as well. According to the budding design studio, Hop will be a complete user-focused vehicle tailored for intercity travel.
