A San Jose startup is rethinking the way groups travel: Picture a long string of connected pods that can drive themselves.
Next Future Transportation says it’s developing a modular transportation system, consisting of individual pod vehicles that connect and disconnect with one another to get people from place to place. Think of railcars that link up to form a train, but smaller and with rubber wheels for roads.
CEO Emmanuele Spera imagines a string of pods starting off at an airport, collecting passengers who are assigned seats based on their final destinations. Following an algorithmically determined route, the pods would proceed for a ways, then disconnect and take separate routes to local hotels. Likewise, public buses formed from the pods can easily adjust their size depending on the time of day and anticipated demand.
Spera’s vision is for smart cities to have fleets of these autonomous pods swarming around. Some would have up to 10 seats, while others might include dining and beverage units, nap cabins and more.
It sounds futuristic, but the company will be starting a pilot project in Dubai in February, Spera said. That will be self-driving, because it’s in a controlled environment, Spera said, but he expects the first commercial order will require human drivers.
The company is trending on startup database Crunchbase because it has been generating buzz in the Middle East from media outlets and potential partners, Spera said. The company has also been testing units in Italy, where its engineering team is based.
Next Future Transportation has raised about $150,000 from Spera himself and through crowdfunding on StartEngine. Its first patent was granted in April.
The company still has a homegrown feel to it. A full-scale module is parked outside Spera’s home in San Jose, and there’s a homemade 3-D printer in the garage where he created the first 1:18 scale models. To pay for the $20,000 cost of the first full-scale prototype, Spera spent months driving for Uber and Lyft.
The company is trending on startup database Crunchbase because it has been generating buzz in the Middle East from media outlets and potential partners, Spera said. The company has also been testing units in Italy, where its engineering team is based.
Next Future Transportation has raised about $150,000 from Spera himself and through crowdfunding on StartEngine. Its first patent was granted in April.
The company still has a homegrown feel to it. A full-scale module is parked outside Spera’s home in San Jose, and there’s a homemade 3-D printer in the garage where he created the first 1:18 scale models. To pay for the $20,000 cost of the first full-scale prototype, Spera spent months driving for Uber and Lyft.
While Next is currently testing its vehicles, Spera sees the software that routes pods and passengers as the startup’s main focus.
