BMW Urban AIRDrive
As part of this master‘s thesis, an alternative mobility concept of the BMW brand for megacities will be presented. All BMW brand values that the automaker is aiming for now and in the near future should be communicated.
The focus of the thesis is on the development of large cities for the time horizon 2030-2035. How these areas will change is difficult to predict in terms of architecture and infrastructure and therefore poses a certain challenge for mobility providers such as BMW.
The thesis is that although the cities are expanding rapidly, they can not keep up with their infrastructure and as a result the roads and subways are completely overloaded. An alternative should therefore be the free airspace: with its use roads can be relieved and a whole new experience of mobility can be offered.
The aim of the work is to design a new premium sharing concept of the brand BMW in the aviation sector, which represents the typical brand values of BMW.
– Concept –
The two main components of the AIRDrive are the balloon and the gondola, which are not firmly connected. The fully autonomous balloon is in the air most of the time, receives orders independently, or flies to the service center if necessary. Customers stay in the gondola during the flight. In it, passengers can rest, work or explore the environment around them using augmented reality.
– Exterior Ideation –
– Interior Ideation –
– Final Design –
– Package –
The balloon's shell is filled with helium. Inside the balloon there are so-called balloonets, which ensure the flight level of the aircraft. The lamellas between the shell and the engine are the valves that ensure the pressure control of the ballonets and the balloon itself. There are batteries in both parts of the concept. Once the gondola is docked to the balloon, it delivers most of its energy to it, so the balloon does not have to land to charge its batteries (Air-refueling). The engine is located in the rear of the aircraft. It moves from left to right as well as up and down to steer the aircraft in the right direction.
– Interior Modality –
In the interior of the gondola, customers can move and position as they like during their stay. For example, the users can work, put their feet up and relax, or they can enjoy the view and explore the city below with augmented reality. Mood lights ensure the right atmosphere and well-being.
Thank you!
