What if traffic flowed through our streets as smoothly and efficiently as blood flows through our veins? Transportation geek Wanis Kabbaj thinks we can find inspiration in the genius of our biology to design the transit systems of the future. In this forward-thinking talk, preview exciting concepts like modular, detachable buses, flying taxis and networks of suspended magnetic pods that could help make the dream of a dynamic, driverless world into a reality.
Cool, some of these solutions are necessary for sure.. and interesting/ intriguing like monorails... HOWEVER.. people also need to take into account automated cars and a perfect symbiosis of cars linked and communicating together. The difference between the human body and drivers on the road is a central command of the body. All drivers are highly inefficient and constantly making mistakes, whether driving too fast, changing lanes inappropriately because they're all self-interested. A network of automated cars would move in perfect harmony like flocking birds. It's like a computer playing chess. They would stop and turn and change lanes in communication with each other at the most effective and important intervals and would be 100% efficient. This would probably allow cars to travel the speed limit while cutting time of travel by 25-30% and reducing accidents to near zero.
When autonomous car traffic moves like blood cells, the roads will have to be completely isolated from pedestrians. Just like in Russia, the intersections will have to get either underground pedestrian pass-ways or bridges so car traffic is not interrupted. New city road design will completely abandon surface car roads - move them underground just below the surface, by that time all vehicles will be electric so no pollution underground.
Curiosity is the single most important attribute with which humans are born. More than a simple desire to discover or know things, curiosity is a powerful tool, like a scalpel or a searchlight. Curiosity changes us. It is also a way to effect change, perhaps even on a global level.