Principal Investigator Kent Larson
Project Website http://www.media.mit.edu/projects/pev/overview/
What is a truly suitable system design for the emerging urban context and societal aspirations?
The PEV is a low-cost, agile, shared-use autonomous bike that aims to solve the “last-mile” urban mobility challenge of today, and to become a healthy, sustainable alternative to cars for cities of tomorrow. The PEV can be either an electrically-assisted tricycle for passenger commute or an autonomous carrier for delivering packages.
The PEV uses standard bicycle components; it is lightweight (<50kg) yet robust. Its sensors are easy to reconfigure per the requirements. It has a 250W mid-drive electric motor and 10Ah battery pack, providing 25 miles per charge and a top speed of 20 miles per hour.
Our vision for the PEV: When a rider summons the PEV through a phone app, the nearest available bike will arrive autonomously to meet the rider. Upon completing the trip, the PEV simply moves on to its next assignment of picking up a passenger or a package.