Meet Yu: A futuristic self-driving vehicle by Tata Motors
What's the story
Tata Motors has filed a patent for a futuristic autonomous vehicle, the Tata Yu.
The self-driving four-wheeler is designed to seamlessly carry goods and people, solving last-mile connectivity problems in cities.
The concept was created by Ansuman Mallik and Atmaj Verma as part of a six-month project at Strate School of Design in Bengaluru, which was sponsored by Tata Motors.
Development
Why was Yu conceptualized?
The creators of Tata Yu noticed a common problem in urban transportation: goods and people share the same routes, but need different vehicles.
This observation prompted them to visualize a vehicle that could carry both cargo and passengers at the same time.
The design process was supervised by industry experts like Ajay Jain from Tata Motors, Edmund Spitz (HOD of Transportation Design at Strate School), and Thomas Dal (Dean at Strate School).
Design
The vehicle features dedicated spaces for parcels and passengers
The Tata Yu prototype is split into two major parts: a central part for e-commerce parcel storage and a rear part for passenger transport.
The vehicle picks up parcels directly from warehouses, stores them in boxes of different sizes, and delivers them to their destination.
It can even sort these boxes automatically based on their delivery destination, making last-mile connectivity more efficient.
Delivery
It offers 2 delivery methods for parcels
The Tata Yu offers two ways to deliver parcels. In areas with an automated transfer system, or a 'bridge,' parcels are directly deposited into it.
This idea could be implemented in different offices and housing complexes in the future.
Or, gig workers can accept delivery offers through an app, pick up parcels from the van at specified stops, and deliver them to the destination.
Passenger transport
Yu's passenger transport mirrors ride-hailing services
The passenger transport process of Tata Yu is similar to popular ride-hailing services like Uber.
Passengers can enter their destination on an app, and if a van is going in the same direction, they can get on it to reach their destination.
Payments are made through the app, ensuring a hassle-free travel experience for users.
The vehicle can accommodate two passengers at a time.
Specifications
Specifications and future plans
The prototype of Tata Yu is 3,700mm long, 1,500mm wide, and 1,800mm tall. It is driven by hub-mounted motors.
The battery capacity and range details are still under wraps, and the makers have estimated it would take years for the vehicle to go into production.
Yu is expected to be commercially available by 2030 or later.