China to build ginormous buses that cars can drive under

Source: www.engadget.com...

China seems to be where the future of innovation will be. Do you think this can be implemented in Europe and America?

The site contains cool pictures and videos.

This sounds like a good idea to me and now that I've seen it, I am surprised it hasn't been done before.
Let's just hope there is no confusion to what lanes people get in and out of, I would hate to get mixed up underneath a bus. I'm sure some new safety features are involved too.





Edit To Add: Vid


spec

[edit on 3-8-2010 by speculativeoptimist]

Wow this looks very cool!





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[edit on Tue Aug 3 2010 by Jbird]

I don't care for it, one vehicle mishap underneath and someone's having a bad day. I'm sure they thought of that, probably super reinforced rails, but I wouldn't want to be in the bus when it meets a real life situation. I guess its no worse than the numerous rear ends I have witnessed into the back of our local public transportation buses. They stop abruptly to pick up passengers from 50 mph speeds causing the poor drivers behind them to have little or no reaction time. I know first-hand, i almost rear ended into one myself. I avoid them like the plague, staying away from them in that right lane. Then they tie up that lane for 1-3 minutes, that's when cars start cutting into the middle lane, again creating more potential for collisions. I guess the Chinese have the right idea after all.

reply to post by jymmyjaymes


It is recommended for your safety to follow big vehicles (bus, trucks) with 100 feet distance. I guess that is not for nothing

This is a novel concept. While it may not work long term, i can never fault "out of the box" thinking while trying to solve our real world problems.

China is where the future is at?

Interesting...

they say that necessity is the mother of invention. I guess over crowded cities have given them the need to find a way to offer public transportation in a very bizarre way.

Personally I'd think subways, elevated trains, and even speed trains would be a little more efficient than this road hazard running around.

So what happens when you break down? There doesn't seem to be anywhere to pull off to. It would add to their congestion problems imo.

Originally posted by Benchwarmer
So what happens when you break down? There doesn't seem to be anywhere to pull off to. It would add to their congestion problems imo.

In the glorious people's republic of China cars never break down because Chinese automobiles are of the highest quality - having been thoroughly inspected and tested by good party officials.

-Problem solved.

Star and Flag Gagol

China have to build everything bigger than everybody else! Bridges, dams trains, and now buses. We get it China you are awesome.

I like the look of these buses although I would question their reliability. I also would not like to be driving underneath one, I already don't like going up the inside of a big lorry.

New highway code additions would also need to be made. Did China think about the highway code?!

It's about time we had cool tech like this floating around in cities though, where are all the cool things 80s science fiction said we would have by now?

I saw something similar in 1969 in Florida. Cars could drive under it, it didn't have any problems with turning radius and it was electric!

It was at Busch Gardens in Tampa.

They called it a monorail.

Seriously, HTF do you turn one of those things around?

Do you build a large garage on the highway to do maintenance on the monstrosity?

I predict epic FLOP.

Unlike the monorail, you don't need to build the expensive aerial infrastructure. The thing is on rail, and like our Metro systems, it will probably have garages connected to the rail network. It covers two lanes, so if a car break down you can get around, aside the fact that the bus will move away! When the bus stops it does not mean the end of traffic, and it can carry a LOT of people.

Maybe not what we need here, but I think it's a very clever idea for urban deployment in high density areas. Future will tell if it's a success.

Originally posted by gncnew
China is where the future is at?

Interesting...

they say that necessity is the mother of invention. I guess over crowded cities have given them the need to find a way to offer public transportation in a very bizarre way.

Personally I'd think subways, elevated trains, and even speed trains would be a little more efficient than this road hazard running around.

China IS where the future is. They have less regulation, and aren't bothered by our Western morals. For example, stem cell research is full steam ahead in China.

They are enough of the future that we sent Dr. Robert Baker over there with Hal Puthoff and Buzz Aldrin to develop HFGW technology.

Interesting concept. Looking at the concept art, I wonder how passengers will get on and off this thing....use a ladder?

Nevermind....I watched the youtube clip.....platforms

[edit on 3-8-2010 by Aggie Man]

reply to post by Aggie Man


The stations are above the bus and stairs gets you down inside the bus. You can see it in the video on the website. The video is only in chinese but it's somewhat self explanatory.

reply to post by Aggie Man


Raised platform bus stops with stairs I would imagine....

From looking at the pictures I think its neither a bus nor a train. Its a form of Tram (or Streetcar). In a way we are going back to the future with this :-)

If you really thought this through you could have the Tram rails enclosed in crash barriers with the leg of the tram passing between. Thus isolating the tram to an extent from the other road traffic.

For urban areas where speed of traffic is low, this could work.

reply to post by gagol
I think a car would be able to crash into it or under the wheels as someone else mentioned. I think the difference in cost of the monorail infrastructure versus the cost of the monstrosity-bus would be negligible, especially after you figure in the maintenance requirements of the bus.

With a monorail system, the supports for the rail are stationary. The stilt legs of the bus will be under a lot of stress.

Not your typical bus either, where you pull a cord to signal the driver when you want to get off. More like a train with a tunnel through the middle of it.

Originally posted by bigfatfurrytexan

Originally posted by gncnew
China is where the future is at?

Interesting...

they say that necessity is the mother of invention. I guess over crowded cities have given them the need to find a way to offer public transportation in a very bizarre way.

Personally I'd think subways, elevated trains, and even speed trains would be a little more efficient than this road hazard running around.

China IS where the future is. They have less regulation, and aren't bothered by our Western morals. For example, stem cell research is full steam ahead in China.

They are enough of the future that we sent Dr. Robert Baker over there with Hal Puthoff and Buzz Aldrin to develop HFGW technology.

ROFL... they have fewer regulations... you mean those pesky "safety" measures... you're right, because the value of human life is only gauged on it's ability to bring wealth to the state.

So a couple of hundred die here and there, we saved millions on gas!

reply to post by gncnew


And they figured out how to deal with human stupidity too?

What? If it breaks down you just drive under it damnit.