I was waiting in line at the airport recently, thinking about my Escatak concept—an idea to combine check-in, security, and customs in one escalator ride. And I figured: Why wait until you reach the airport to get that process started?
Sure, you can check-in remotely and get your boarding pass on your phone, but you still have to wait in line to register and check your luggage. So I’ve drummed up the Nexus, an autonomous minivan concept that carries you to the airport, and on the way gets you fully ready for your flight.
This self-driving van would carry a modified luggage trunk that would weigh, measure, and inspect each bag with an x-ray and chemical analysis, in conjunction with airport security.
As passengers (there’s room for four) climb aboard, they’d pass through a metal detector, then scan their passport at the machines located between each seat. During the ride, the van would photograph each traveler and complete a full body scan, then drop everybody off in a designated “safe zone”—ready to board and ahead of the standard airport choke points.
If airport security officials could get onboard with this idea, I think the Nexus service would appeal to taxi companies, especially those losing airport fares to competitors like Uber. Airlines looking for a similar competitor edge could offer it as an exclusive service—anything to make the flying experience less of a hassle.
I developed the Nexus concept in collaboration with Indian industrial designer Ashish Thulkar, who also created the Drone Tower and Tridika concepts.
Read more: https://www.wired.com/2016/12/bombardier-nexus-airport-van-concept/
