Elcano Project

Self-driving or autonomous vehicles are right around the corner. We need this technology to provide transportation for the mobility-impaired such as people who are too young or too old, or people without a vehicle. We can create a system to ensure the automated delivery of goods.We can make transportation safer, and more efficient through improved urban design and while cutting pollution to zero. The ramifications of autonomy go far beyond an improved car. Applying current technology to urban mobility can improve safety, convenience, and energy efficiency. Here is a vision of what is possible:
If traffic accidents become rare, lightweight robot vehicles can freely mix with heavier vehicles. The autonomous vehicles weighing less than the riders can achieve 1000 MPG equivalent and be powered by renewable energy. When most urban trips are made in self-driving taxis, the distinction between public and private transportation becomes blurred. With autonomy, vehicles can become modular, changing size for the baggage and passengers carried. (“Energy and Autonomous Urban Land Vehicles” - IEEE Technology and Society Magazine by T.