LINK
Ultra simple and smart through design.
Student project
Group members: J.Feldmann, J.Kaufmann, L.Steinbock, L.Esteban, K.Struve
Muthesius University of Fine Arts and Design
2024 - 15 Weeks
The Problem
Metropolises located by water are rapidly growing living spaces and increasingly require efficient, environmentally friendly mobility solutions. Public transportation via waterways offers promising potential to reduce car traffic, improve air quality, and contribute to climate neutrality. In addition, it could help alleviate the burden on urban infrastructure. However, this sector also faces the ongoing challenge of a shortage of skilled workers, raising the question of sustainable and future-oriented concepts to strengthen public transport.
The Objective
The goal of this project was to develop "ultra-simple" autonomous ferry concepts that are both climate-friendly and easy to implement. The concept aims to establish autonomous waterway transport as a new mobility solution and serve as a model for future innovations in the field of autonomous mobility. A central aspect was to make the ferries quickly realizable through minimalist design and the use of cost-sensitive, yet high-quality materials.
Ferries in Kiel
Operate after a fixed time schedule, long waits and small entry gates. Overall a bad user experience, not inclusive and not sustainable. The local ferry company complained about the lack of skilled captains and due to the lack of mobility also in after hours there is a great discrepancy of cultural offerings between the west and east coasts.
Aerial view of Kiel: https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiel#/media/Fil: KielerInnenFoerdeLuftaufnahme.jpg
One Mobility
Smart, interconnected mobility throughout the city.
Electric 24/7 autonomous ferry
The process
Designing the platform
With this starting point it allowed us to focus on information placement. „Ultra simple“ here meant simple and clear information placement and an open and lightweight design
Safety areas, moving parts
Harsh color accents and clear iconography as an intuitive barrier
Dimensions of pathways
Seats / Standing area
Bike organisation
Indoor and Outdoor spaces
Transparency and air
Based on the information placement we‘ve set out to find a shape, material and details which incorporate the idea of a simple, light weight and transparent tunnel.
The ceiling
To guarantee comfort we've identified the need for some technology to be able to create such experiences. The ceiling is a high tech component, still ultra simple but it creates the safe space for passengers and a reason to use the ferry on cold, stormy or super warm summer days.
The final design
Branding for the digital age
As part of the mobility system, a solution was developed to make orientation in public spaces as clear as possible. The core element is the compass: routes are given prefixes based on their direction of travel for example, the N51 runs north and becomes the S51 at the final stop when heading south. Making them universal in language and as clear as possible.
Available day and night - on demand
Through the concept of "One mobility", waiting times are minimised and LINK will wait or on route to pick up its passengers.
LINK waits for you
Ultra simple waiting area
Public transport for bad weather
Individual, dynamic and customisable experiences allow comfort for every trip. The Technologies within the ceiling can follow one around and be controlled through the phones.
Warm on cold days
Comfortable on hot days
Cheap and simple sheet metal construction
Standardized perforated sheet-metal plates and aluminum profile segments assemble LINK. Two layers of the perforated metal plates allow shielding from heavy wind and rain.
Transparent shell concluded in a final model
A detailed model of 1:10 scale and poster presented our work to the German ministry of transportation, local ferry company and international visitors.
