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Industrial Design Student Work: A High-Capacity Autonomous Cargo Hauling System

Four Cargo, by Fabien Otto

By Rain Noe - September 10

in design.edu

This concept is by Fabien Otto, an Industrial Design student at Germany's Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences. It calls for autonomous, modular drive platforms that split in half to support cargo containers. After they've delivered the container, they rejoin into one unit, and drive back to their depot. Additionally, a joined unit can be used as the pivot for hauling two containers at once.

"Four Cargo is a semester project focusing on future perspectives on autonomous driving and heavy duty vehicles. Based on the current problem that rural areas are increasingly unable to be supplied with food and other everyday products, this concept offers a solution strategy in the form of an autonomously driving vehicle."

"The vehicle can be separated in two major component categories: four electric driving vehicles and two containers. These components offer a high modularity and fast interchangeability."

"The vehicles bring the desired container, which can be equipped as a supermarket, to the village that needs to be supplied with certain goods. Arriving at the final destination the containers will be loaded or unloaded autonomously. After the successful delivery of goods the vehicles will continue their schedule and navigate to the next village or back to the distribution center."

As for how the containers are loaded and unloaded:

Additionally, the containers' surfaces do double duty for branding and signaling:

You can see more of Otto's work here.

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Zach W

2 months ago

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-How would it handle a loading dock?
The motors extend on both ends or are flush at best, making it very hard.
-Also 18 wheelers have 18 wheels for a reason.
4 regular looking tires is not nearly enough

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Zach W

2 months ago

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Not sure rounded ends is the best choice. They might be better for city driving but you lose a lot of interior packing space.....

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Huw Gwilliam

2 months ago

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Amazing - they invented... The Train!

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