Citroën took all eyes a few months ago with its peculiar autonomous driving vehicle, baptized as ‘Skate’, which is a construction that is based on a platform, but of which it has views to be itself a vehicle as such. Far removed from any other invention of the brand, it is a solution for urban micro-electromobility, and one that may receive great attention for the future.
A modular urban transport solution
The future has reached our days. We see it in a multitude of circumstances and situations of our day to day, from which at each moment we advance through technological solutions that make our daily tasks easier. In what has to do with mobility, this is already seen with the electric car, which is considered the best solution to replace conventional gasoline cars.
A sector that is taking important steps forward in all its facets, equipment and electrified systems. And there, Citroën has done it, too, with a micro electromobility solution that has little or nothing to do with what we can find on the streets. We talk about citroen skate.
The same was done in order to develop a system of transportation of people and goods 100% autonomous for the environment of large cities. The idea is to use an autonomous electrical platform on which different types of modules created specifically for this can be attached and thus offer all kinds of mobility services focused on modular urban transport.
Has a level 5 autonomous capability
And it is that, as was the case with the AMI, the electric car without a license with 70 kilometers of autonomy, what it is doing to follow the French brand is not only producing vehicles, but also mobility services. This is what happens with this Skate which, as such, is a electric and autonomous platform.
The idea that is reflected with it is based on a revolutionary ‘open source’ model that, according to the firm, could improve the flow of traffic by 35%. It is a platform with level 5 autonomous driving capacity, so does not require a driver inside and you can do without the usual driving elements, such as the steering wheel and pedals.
In this way it can move around urban areas without human intervention, and also allows them to work continuously except for recharging times, which is also done automatically in dedicated centers. This project seeks to provide oxygen for the heavy traffic of the big cities.
Its chassis, the most peculiar
The key to the Citroën Skate project lies directly in the provision of a flexible structure. As such, the chassis is the key to the movement, while a set of platforms would be available to be used as needed. For its part, and taken into account, is that the design of the platform will depend on the weight that it will finally carry on it, as well as the possible irregularities that may be found while rolling in a city at a maximum speed of 25 km/h.
As you can see in the video below, the creators themselves say that the concept is practically like those old computer mice that had a ball to slide. This happens with spherical wheels so personal of this Citroën Skate, with tires designed by Goodyear. Inside is where the electric motor that drives them is located, as well as the steering system, which allows them to rotate 360 degrees, which provides great maneuverability to the vehicle.
What utilities can we have with it? As well; This can be loaded with capsules (pods) that can be from different companies and types of service that collaborate with Citroën. With the box on top of the platform, which can be a sofa type service with wheels or for the parcel cargoamong other examples.