Not a typical concept car
Johannes Barckmann claims that his most recent innovation is not a typical concept car. Barckmann, who has served as the Global Design Manager of the EDAG Group for five years, prefers to think of the CityBot as part of a complete mobility ecosystem: “The EDAG CityBots”, Barckmann recently told car manufacturers, “are a fleet of fully networked autonomous robot vehicles that can drive you to work, trim hedges in the park and pick up trash in the street.” If this sounds like science fiction, it is just one example of how EDAG works in partnership with car makers to shape the future of mobility. And never has the challenge been more urgent: gridlocked roads, air pollution and traffic noise are in danger of making our cities unliveable.
Our cities deserve better
We are social animals, and the popularity of city living reflects our basic human need to co-exist. Living and working in close proximity to others sparks creativity, drives innovation and makes us more efficient. City life has been an engine of human progress for thousands of years, and by 2050, two-thirds of the world’s population will live in cities. With long-term thinking, sound planning and clever management, cities will continue to thrive. But today, as urban populations soar, transport systems are stretched to breaking point, and dirty air and traffic congestion seriously threaten our health and wellbeing. The problem is so acute that the World Bank has included the development of low-emission transport and urban infrastructure in its Millennium Development Goals.
It would be easy to blame cars. But EDAG thinks differently. For over 50 years, its innovations have helped car makers adapt to meet their customers’ evolving needs, and today is no different. The rise of smart cities may solve the problems of urban living, but they present automotive manufacturers with a particularly complex challenge.
Smart cities and the future of mobility
You don’t just live in a smart city; it lives with you. Smart cities have their own heartbeat. They are a complete ecosystem with fully integrated, self-regulating services. Authorities can make data-driven decisions based on information gathered by sensors that monitor the movement of people, transport, utilities, waste and water. The lives of residents are dramatically improved by harnessing the power of technology to automate and optimise the use of resources. Imagine a city that detects water leaks in real time, cleans its own streets and sorts its own waste. Or a city without traffic lights, pollution and honking car horns. Perhaps for these reasons, above all others, the success of smart cities depends on the future of mobility.
The rise of the EDAG CityBot
Johannes Barckmann has many ambitions for the EDAG CityBot, although perhaps none more critical than to cut traffic on our roads: “When the CityBots are fully networked and optimised to reduce the number of road journeys, we should see up to an 80% reduction in city-centre traffic volumes”. EDAG can achieve this by using an automated booking system that anticipates passenger demand according to an individual’s past habits and behaviour. Instead of a rush-hour surge and congestion, traffic in smart cities will flow steadily throughout the day, with on-demand travel available through an app for less predictable one-off journeys.
Although the end of gridlock might grab the headlines, the EDAG CityBot has the potential to make a much broader contribution to the smart city vision. Because CityBots are modular, they can be easily adapted for different uses in various urban settings. EDAG recently captured the imagination of delegates at this year’s Greentech Festival by demonstrating its capability to clean and maintain parks and roads. Take litter picking as one example: using thousands of images and cutting-edge recognition software, EDAG has taught the CityBot to recognise litter that should be picked up and disposed of. When large amounts of rubbish are collected, waste can then be automatically sorted to improve recycling. When artificial intelligence is combined with highly manoeuvrable robot technology and the ability to operate 24/7, it is easier to see how the smart city vision becomes a reality.
The EDAG CityBot in action
It doesn’t stop there: using different modules, the CityBot can sweep our streets, prune our trees and deliver packages to homes and businesses. And in time, EDAG expects its revolutionary technology to prove useful in industrial and commercial settings. Airports are especially promising because the repetitive and predictable logistics of baggage handling and passenger transportation are well suited to automation and centralised control.
How long must we wait before we witness EDAG CityBots in action? Thanks to the German government, we don’t have to wait. The Campus FreeCity research project, funded by the German Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport, showcases smart city technology at Deutsche Bank Park in Frankfurt am Main. The project is described as a “living lab” and includes a full demonstration of the EDAG CityBot ecosystem. And two real-world trials in Spain are in the pipeline: by 2030, EDAG hopes to have Citybots in Barcelona and Zaragoza.
For Johannes Barckmann, watching his technology at work in the real world is the real prize: “EDAG’s overall mission is to support the global automotive industry with its sustainability goals. The EDAG CityBot is our contribution to the smart city vision, where mobility makes cities better by working in harmony with the natural rhythms of its residents.”