Autonomous shuttles want to become the new norm in the automotive industry but it seems there is always room for innovation. Italdesign is celebrating its 55th anniversary with the debut of the Climb-E concept at CES. Besides being fully autonomous, the vehicle that is designed for private use and features a highly modular interior has the ability to integrate into next-gen civil and residential buildings, bringing all kinds of services to people’s doors.
For the design and development of the Climb-E, Italdesign teamed up with elevator company Schindler to assist in vertical mobility, Politecnico di Torino for the architectural integration, and Easyrain for its safety ecosystem.
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The Climb-E’s cabin structure can be attached to a fully electric platform that is called “the skid”, allowing it to move around on its own. Furthermore, it can be attached to different kinds of carriers for longer journeys. The symmetrical design means it can move in both ways. The lower portion of the body is made of composite material and the upper portion features large glass areas that can be completely blocked for privacy.
Two pairs of pivot doors with sensors and integrated LED screens provide access to the interior, allowing it to be used by users on wheelchairs or with any kind of mobility impairment. More importantly, the roof of the concept features a four-point attachment system that is compatible with a lifting system designed by Schindler, allowing the Climb-E to move vertically and “climb” on buildings.
In standard configuration, the vehicle can transport four passengers, although the interior can transform into different kinds of rooms. Among the countless possibilities, Italdesign says that the Climb-E host “medical assistance services, telemedicine medical analysis, dental care, catering, cooking services, home massages, sales of various products, veterinary and pet grooming services”, bringing everything to the door of your home or workplace. Owners can use the Climb-E at home to extend their living room or bedroom, or at their workplace as an extra meeting room or private call area.
The interior features configurable sofas, tables, practical storage compartments, and semi-transparent screens on the windows that can display multimedia content and be personalized according to the profile of each user. All vehicle functions including infotainment, dimmable ambient lighting, and climate control can be operated via touchscreens or voice control. When the passengers need privacy they can select the black-out feature that eliminates the transparency on all glass areas. For the upholstery, Italdesign chose eco-leather, recycled polyester, and Alcantara.
The detachable, electric and autonomous skid (platform) is not intended to be privately owned but shared, allowing storage in underground containers or in disused spaces around town. It offers four-wheel steering and all-wheel-drive while integrating the electric motors, the lithium-ion battery pack, the lighting units, the safety systems, as well as ground projection devices and a 43-inch screen on each side for communicating with pedestrians and other road users. Italdesign says that the Climb-E has a range of 200 miles (322 km) when moving horizontally, and can charge to 80% in 15 minutes through inductive chargers.
Last but not least, the Easyrain safety ecosystem includes an innovative system that can detect and restore potential loss of grip on a wet road surface. The cloud-based Digital Aquaplaning Information (DAI) software detects a hazardous situation. Then, the Aquaplaning Intelligent Solution (AIS) system sprays a controlled jet of water through four injectors before the front wheels touch the wet surface, avoiding any aquaplaning. In the future, the system will expand its use preventing the loss of grip while driving on snow and ice.
While the Climb-E’s integration is currently limited to “next-gen and future civic and residential building structures, Italdesign is working on expanding it to “current and historical architectural heritage”. Note that the Climb-E is purely a design study as part of the research for “innovative mobility solutions” but that doesn’t exclude the possibility of some of its features being potentially used in future production vehicles.
