Pininfarina has tried its hand at designing an autonomous shuttle for the new mobility company, Holon, and the results are pretty much the same as everyone else’s. A toaster with wheels, the Holon Mover does, at least, include a number of features to make it more accessible than the majority of other vehicles. Holon and Pininfarina say the Mover was designed “from the ground up to be inclusive.” That means that, in addition to featuring autonomous technology, it also has a ramp to help passengers with mobility issues in and foldable seats with locks in the floor designed specifically to secure wheelchairs.
The interior has also been designed to
feature braille wherever necessary, to help the seeing impaired. After years of
listening to automakers claim that autonomous vehicles will be the saviors of
the differently abled, it’s nice to finally see someone put some actual effort
into reducing a vehicle’s physical barriers, not just its operational barriers.
In addition to being accessible, the Mover is also intended to be comfortable,
says Silvio Pietro Angori, the CEO of Pininfarina.
The Mover’s autonomous functionality will
be based on Mobileye Drive. Filled with redundant sensors, innovative mapping
technology, and advanced driving software, the company promises that the Holon
Mover will always make the right decision on the road.
Holon says that it already has its first
pilot project lined up in Hamburg with Hochbahn, Germany’s second-largest mass
transit company. It will also work with Beep in the U.S., which will put the
first Movers on the road there. In addition, it’s looking for other customers,
such as airports, campuses, and national parks.
