Capsules of the future with zero emissions

At the Geneva International Motor Show, Italdesign and Airbus unveiled the PopUp concept, the first modular, emission-free, all-electric transportation system designed to reduce traffic congestion in congested metropolitan areas. Pop.Up is a vision of multimodal transport that makes full use of both land and airspace.

As we read in the press release, the Pop.Up system consists of three "layers". The first is an artificial intelligence platform that manages journeys based on user knowledge, suggesting alternative use cases and ensuring a seamless journey to your destination. The second is a pod-shaped passenger vehicle that can connect to two different and independent electrically powered modules (ground and aerial) - the Pop.Up pod can also be integrated with other forms of public transport. The third "level" is an interface module that maintains a dialogue with users in a virtual environment.

The key element of the design is the already mentioned passenger capsule. This self-supporting carbon fiber cocoon is 2,6m long, 1,4m high and 1,5m wide. It transforms into a city car by connecting to a ground module that has a carbon chassis and is powered by a battery. When moving through a densely populated city, it is detached from the ground module and carried by a 5 x 4,4 m air module driven by eight counter-rotating rotors. When passengers reach their destination, the air and ground modules, together with the capsule, autonomously return to special charging stations, where they are waiting for the next customers.