Spotlight: Cargopods
With electric bikes and scooters becoming increasingly commonplace, Make’s Cargopod project, a collaboration with DAR Lab at South Bank University, imagines a future where electric travel services form an integral part of the urban environment.
Populating city streets across the UK, potentially taking the form of sculptural abstractions of trees and land-based corals, Cargopods will provide a one-stop station for cyclists. They’re designed to function as a charging point, water refill, parking place and meeting point all in one – a community amenity that encourages cycling and makes it more accessible.
3D-printed Cargopod prototype.
The Cargopod is constructed from recycled composite materials and powered by renewable energy generated by a photovoltaic panel mounted on the structure’s cap. The structure is 3D-printed using recycled matter, and at the end of its life, it can be broken down and reused as raw materials for new uses.
Employing a circular process of renewal, the Cargopod turns an environmental problem into a sustainable solution – an opportunity to give something valuable back to the community.
