Small Advanced Mobility 

Project: development Cito Dual Mode

Awareness is increasing that solving traffic congestion and environmental problems is very difficult. In spite of several positive initiatives, it seems that we are dealing with a vicious circle in which the capacity of road systems lags behind the ever growing demand for mobilty. Small Advanced Mobility (SAM) sees this lack of capacity, which occurs mainly during rush hour, as a result of the main characteristics of car use. These decisive characteristics are:  

• The car is over dimensioned considering its main purpose; 90% of transportation concerns only one person

• The transit capacity of road systems is sensitive to human shortcoming and error

• Due to merging people transport and goods transport, the car-infrastructure is overdimensioned

It is concluded that the mobility of the car finds itself in a negative spiral. Optimization of people transport is desired to decrease the build-up of traffic and environmental load.

Direction of solution

Small Advanced Mobility's vision to break this negative spiral implies the introduction of a new type of car! By imposing several restrictions and applying innovations, a considerably more efficient and more appealing system of transportation is obtained. A system that will be able to surpass the attraction of a normal car in most cases.

A new modality

Cito Dual Mode (CDM) can be used to deal with the described problems in an adequate manner. The basis of CDM is formed by the small, car-like cito (cito-car). This vehicle seats two persons of which the passenger takes place behind the driver. A cito includes the same level of comfort compared to a normal car. An important feature is the possibility to either operate the cito manually or to let the car operate itself automatically. This double way of operation is known as Dual Mode.

The intelligent cito drives automatically in an U-shaped track module. At the same time, mutual communication takes place sharing positions and velocities. The citos drive at very short distance from each other and cut in and pull out autonomously. Due to the cito's small size and its capabilities to drive autonomously, the track can become a narrow construction. Therefore CDM results in an increase of efficiency (space versus capacity of transit) somewhere around 600%.

Early 2009 a short test track will be operational at TNO VeHIL-lab. Then the construction o a 15 km track between Eindhoven and Helmond is planned for 2011. Dutch Defense Vehicle Systems, VolkerWessels and Vredestein are examples of the many parties involved.