Urban Mobility Challenge: Berlin 2030 is now open.
Local Motors, the name behind the world’s first 3D printed car, has announced a major initiative to identify and solve some of the most complex urban mobility issues in cities across the globe, starting with Berlin, Germany.
Urban Mobility Challenge: Berlin 2030 asks the question “In 2030, what would an urban mobility system look like that is efficient, affordable, safe and sustainable for Berlin?” and Local Motors is calling upon its online community of engineers, transportation designers and other specialists to submit innovative and imaginative solutions to the project.
“At Local Motors, we view Urban Mobility as the ability to move freely within a densely populated area,” explained John B. Rogers, Jr., CEO and co-founder of Local Motors. “We imagine a world where autonomous vehicles ensure that people get to and from where they need to be as quickly and safely as possible. Our goal is to harness the power of the crowd to find solutions that reduce cost, decrease time, and eliminate stress. Even more important is to reduce our carbon footprint across the globe without sacrificing personal transportation freedom.”
Rogers continued; “We chose to explore Urban Mobility first in the EU so we can learn from the countries that are already thinking about and solving the transportation issues of tomorrow. Within the EU, Berlin was a natural fit due to the planned growth and availability of a talented workforce in an engaged city that is focused on building the future.”
Winning solutions will be presented to key stakeholders in Berlin and brought to life at Local Motors’ Microfactory in Berlin using Direct Digital Manufacturing including 3D printing. The Microfactory in Berlin will be the first Local Motors presence outside of the United States and will include an LM Lab, a free space for the local community to collaborate, learn and experiment on the latest in vehicle and manufacturing technologies.
The DDM process stands to address the three major issues facing the automotive industry including high part count, weight and expensive tooling and Local Motors is pioneering this technology to fuel its ambitious plans to bring 3D printed vehicles to the market by 2016.
The Challenge is open for entries until June 7, 2015. Over $20,000 in cash prizes will be awarded across five categories.
