This year, 3D has become more hype in a sense that we now have 3D movies, 3D TVs, 3D computer games and now, China go futuristic with their 3D Bus concept. China 3D Fast Bus is a futuristic concept vehicle that carries passengers above street level, straddling the lanes below so traffic can pass freely underneath.
The latest 3D Bus certainly has raised a lot of eye brows outside China. Some like the idea while others thought that the usage of 3D Bus will only rein havoc on the road.
Some also hinted that the idea of 3D Bus is cool and efficient, but it could use a better name.
Talking about names, this conceptual 3D Bus has been getting various nicknames, namely:
* 3D Fast Bus
* 3D Express Coach
* Straddling Bus
* Tunnel Bus
Below is a positive comment from GizMag.com
Far quicker and cheaper to build than a subway or monorail system, the Straddling Bus system simply requires modification to existing roads, and the creation of a network of elevated bus stops. The road mods can either comprise inlaid rails – at a 30 percent energy saving due to lack of rolling resistance – or simply a painted colored line, which the buses can be programmed to follow autonomously as they roll on regular tires. Clearly the latter would be exceptionally cheap to deploy, requiring almost no disruption to the road.
Where there's no room to build an elevated stop, passengers can get in and out using a built-in ladder.
The fully electric buses charge themselves in a new and unique way – which is called relay charging. All along each route, there are charging stations positioned in such a way that there is always a charging post in contact with the bus. The roof of the bus is itself an electrical conductor, so as it brushes against one of these charging posts, it's juiced up as it runs. As its main load is starting and stopping at each station, the bus runs on high-power, fast-discharge supercapacitors. The remaining energy after a start can sustain the bus through to the next stop.
It won't have to worry about traffic lights, as the approach of a straddling bus will be prioritized in the traffic light sequence such that it will always have green lights to move through.
Since the buses will need to be able to turn off one road and onto another, it's important to warn any cars trapped beneath the bus that something's about to happen – and to warn the bus driver or automated pilot system that there's still cars beneath. A laser/radar system is being employed to warn drivers about a bus's intentions, and there's even talk of integrating the bus with the traffic lights in such a way that when the cars wish to turn the same way as the bus is turning, they'll get a green turn light, but the traffic moving straight ahead will be stopped at a distance that allows the straddling bus to turn.
The buses are 6 meters wide and 4.5 meters high, so they can straddle two lanes of traffic, and yet still fit under most existing overpasses. Each bus will have a capacity of 1,200 people, which sounds like a ridiculously large number, but then it's worth remembering that China already has 120 cities with more than a million inhabitants – and by 2030 it will have double that. You simply can't think in normal numbers when it comes to China.
Emergency exits will be handled with inflatable slides, much the same as those found on commercial aircraft, which is a fun idea – and the buses seem to be slated to park themselves in position at a station when they're not in operation, causing no more disruption to traffic than a tunnel would.
This is not a pipe dream – the pilot program goes into construction by the end of this year in the Mentougou district of Beijing, where 186km of tracks will be laid. If it works, you can expect to see it rolled out across China's large cities – and FAST. The next 20 years are going to see some thrilling technological advances as China plays catchup to its rampant population growth and booming economy. This is just the beginning. Exciting times for emerging tech heads!
Recommended reading:
* Everyone going for 3D
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