Dynamic Modelling of Docking Autonomous PODs in Tandem Configuration

Abstract

An adaptable transportation concept is proposed; comprising a fleet of autonomous PODs that can merge and separate based on passengers’ demand. The purpose is to match the number of seats with the number of passengers, thereby reducing vehicle size and energy consumption. It enables passengers’ in-person communication and simultaneous arrival. Since each POD has its own motor, if full power is not needed, one of the motors can be turned-off to save energy. The merging process is investigated so as to find the safe docking speeds when two PODs merge in tandem configuration. If the docking is not done at the right speed, it may cause damage to the vehicle, or else be inefficiently slow. The PODs are represented by finite element models, which are simulated to determine the safe merging speeds. The speeds are determined for different docking scenarios and POD materials; ranging from 1.4-16 km/h. The safe speeds depend on the type of material and adopted damage criterion; Nonmetallic materials showed higher tolerance than metallic materials in response to docking impact. As a recommendation for future work, other materials and configurations can be investigated, and the effect of the proposed system on traffic conditions can be evaluated.