UNICARagil - from Concept to Creation: Building the Future of Vehicles
At the Chair of Ergonomics at the Technische Universität München, Manuel Kipp and Jonas Bender worked on the research project UNICARagil, which was funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) from February 2018 to May 2023.
The project brought together leading German universities and industry experts to develop disruptive modular architectures of hardware and software components for autonomous vehicle concepts based on the latest research in automated and connected driving as well as electromobility. The aim was to address the increasing mobility demand and progressing urbanization by creating a modular and scalable vehicle concept consisting of the vehicle platform and attachment modules that can be adapted to a wide range of logistics and passenger transport applications. The functional vehicle architecture was the core element of the research and development work, which was connected to the cloud, road infrastructure, and a sensor drone. The project also focused on the development of generic sensor modules for environment detection, a flexible and updatable software and hardware architecture, and innovative dynamic modules that allow completely new forms of motion in road traffic.
The project resulted in four innovative vehicle concepts: autoCARGO, autoELF, autoTAXI, and autoSHUTTLE. The Technical University of Munich, represented by the Chair of Ergonomics and FTM Institute of Automotive Technology TUM, focused on the development of the autoTAXI. The Chair of Ergonomics concentrated on human-machine interaction and ergonomic concept development, as well as the construction of the autoTAXI’s interior. The interior design was created by the Fachhochschule Salzburg - University of Applied Sciences, taking into account aspects of manufacturability, sustainability, and applicability. The Technical University of Munich used additive manufacturing methods to successfully translate the design into reality.
The autoTAXI is a forward-looking vehicle that meets the requirements of comfort, flexibility, and sustainability. The project's results demonstrate that sustainable mobility is already achievable today and that there is still potential for improvement. The Final Event on May 11 in Aachen showcased the possibilities of the four use cases to the public, paving the way for future mobility. UNICARagil makes a significant contribution to the development and use of such vehicles in the mobility sector.
UNICARagil - from Concept to Creation: Building the Future of Vehicles
