Tag Archives: cargo

This Ingenious Space-Saving House Was Once a Humble Shipping Container

Posted on by

Named Cargo, and designed by the Portuguese studio Madeiguincho, this tiny home was initially an old shipping container but is now an attractive house. The humble metal box was customized and modified to feature a rooftop terrace and a space-saving interior that slowly opens up to the outside. It is based on a standard shipping container and measures 6 x 2.5 meters. The home is finished in wood, and the rooftop terrace features a big overhang. Insulation and operable windows also mark the home, which helps maintain a cool temperature throughout the house.

Designer: Madeiguincho

The rooftop terrace can be accessed via a ladder and one of the exterior walls of the container is uncovered, so that the home can be opened up when the weather allows. The tiny home is also adorned with a deck and massive double glass doors, which were protected by wooden slats. The interior has wooden decor, which is similar to Madeiguincho’s previous works. The studio isn’t too fussy or formal with the layout, since the available space is quite limited. The home features a large room in the center with a raised bed, with some storage space underneath. There is also a L-shaped seating area, with a porthole-style window.

The Cargo also features a simple and compact kitchen with a sink, storage, and basic cooking facilities like an oven and a stove. The home also includes a small bathroom which includes a toilet and shower. The Cargo tiny home is nestled in Portugal’s stunning Algarve region and is intended to be a short-term rental, which does seem to be a better option than a full-time home.

Cargo’s wooden and minimalist appeal lends it a calming and subtle personality. It is a wonderful specimen of how shipping containers can be converted into modern and well-designed homes with comfortable amenities, and all the essentials you could need for a simple and cozy life.

The post This Ingenious Space-Saving House Was Once a Humble Shipping Container first appeared on Yanko Design.

This electrified trailer expands the use-case-scenarios of your e-bicycle

Posted on by

As an eco-conscious bicycle rider, how many times have you longed for more cargo space to carry groceries or tow around kids? Times when you wished you had the liberty of extra space whenever needed?

The Biomega EIN weightless trailer is the answer to all these predicaments – bringing a utility many will fancy. The lightweight electric bicycle trailer is a useful solution for sustainable transport in urban situations— places where no emissions and compact mobility are preferred.

Designer: Mayone Design

This award-winning design for Biomega is ideal for a modern urban lifestyle and no-frills mobility, the way you demand. The electric powered single wheel trailer can haul medium-sized cargo or a couple of kids. The onboard motor detects the motion of the bike and provides assisted power to seamlessly tow behind it. So, you’ll be getting able assistance on inclines when required, and no assistance when going downhill.

Safety is paramount here, so the bike comes with regulatory reflector badges and reflective bands on the sides, making it visible during dark hours or commuting in inclement weather conditions. The weight is another factor that’s important for the trailer to be viable in practical situations, hence, the monocoque capsule design. There’s a kickstand too for easy parking and the wheel is also of a standard bicycle size for adaptability with most models out there. The rechargeable digital motor and the battery pack reside at the bottom of the trailer for visual aesthetics.

The makers claim the bicycle trailer to be ultra-lightweight and agile enough to tow around in tight spaces which is a huge plus. Would an eco-conscious city commuter want this for times when there is a desperate need? Absolutely yes, given the option to attach it on demand rather than having it there all the time

 

The post This electrified trailer expands the use-case-scenarios of your e-bicycle first appeared on Yanko Design.

A loveseat that leaves you no reason to get up until you want to hit the bed

Posted on by

 A sofa has come of age from being the white elephant in a living room to allow the space to be used as an additional guest room in the apartment. Convertible sofas that deliver convenience, alter effortlessly back into a comfortable sofa after the guest has had a good night’s sleep on it.

Transforming sofas or couches with built-in storage provide the convenience of usage in addition to storage to put the bedding or PJs out of sight. But what if you are an anthophile; how can your couch give you that additional space to shower your love for the greens? Well, you need a sofa that is called the Cask!

Designer: Ricardo Sá

The first time I read that, before sharing it with you, I thought the couch would be reusing wood from a cask as we know it. It turns out, the sofa is far from that but a crafty rendition of a modern-day couch for an apartment that loves to remain systematized: looking ship-shape and vibrant.

To that accord, the well-upholstered sofa finds open storage space on the front and a shelf on the back to allow homeowners to store and display anything from books and magazines to plants and accessories. What really adds up flair to the loveseat, if I may, is the naked arms on either side, which function as the side table to place your coffee mug or a phone when your eyes a fixated on the television screen.

The bespoke Cask sofa is designed with the idea, as designer Ricardo believes, to “give people plenty of room for storage and spot to put down their coffee,” without compromising the aesthetics of a room even slightly. If you love spending time on the couch with your partner (or by yourself), the Cask ensures you can have all the necessary things around you, without cluttering the center table. How I wish Ricordo considers a power socket somewhere on the Cask and I would never leave this baby ideal.

The post A loveseat that leaves you no reason to get up until you want to hit the bed first appeared on Yanko Design.

Honda announced an e-scooter with a roof so people can deliver parcels even in the rain

Posted on by

With a canopy that provides shelter against rain or even direct sun in some cases, the Gyro Canopy e is Honda’s revamp of its popular Gyro three-wheeled business-scooter line. The new Canopy e looks rather similar to a concept Honda debuted back at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show, but now features a much more detailed design that looks like the company’s serious about putting the vehicle into production. Notably, the Canopy e even comes with an electric powertrain, and more importantly, swappable batteries that allow delivery personnel to swiftly and easily swap out batteries instead of waiting to recharge them.

Currently exclusive to Japan (where it’s classed as a moped), the Gyro Canopy e comes with seating for one, with a cargo tray at the back. To give the rider stability, the moped sport three wheels (like a tricycle) while still maintaining a relatively slim profile that’s perfect for zipping through narrow streets and bylanes. If the rider finds themselves in a bit of a jam, the Canopy e even has a reverse gear to back out of traffic, potentially bad roads, and other sticky situations. Finally, as its name suggests, the Canopy e comes with a canopy that sprawls from the front all the way to the back. Sure, it leaves most of the sides exposed, but its profile is perfect to block out most of the rain that would hit a rider from the front as they drive forwards. The front of the canopy (or the windshield) even has a wiper to ensure perfect visibility in bad weather.

Perfect for intra-city deliveries (be it food, mail parcels, or even logistical use), the electric trike comes with a range of 77 kilometers (48 miles) on a full charge, with an average speed of 30 km/h (18.6 mph), which sounds about right considering it’ll be operating within city zones and catering to internal speed limits. For now, the Honda Gyro Canopy e comes in 2 color options (white and red), with a pretty sizable price tag of 715,000 yen, or around $6,295… something that may sound pretty high for the individual, but shouldn’t cost much for businesses, who will probably buy the scooters in bulk.

Designer: Honda

This self-propelled trailer for e-bikes and bicycles reinvents last mile delivery

Posted on by



Meet the precariously named Trailerduck, a self-propelled electric trailer that follows the towing vehicle for practical and safe last-mile transportation ideal for urban spaces.

Electric two-wheelers have gained popularity in the last couple of years owing to the increasing traffic in urban spaces and the awareness among users of the impact of fuel-powered vehicles for daily commute. Cargo hauling is one thing that’s a functional use of e-bikes these days for tasks such as transporting groceries or hauling handyman items to a remote location. But e-bike trailers and cargo e-bikes have certain limitations such as maneuverability, payload capacity limits, and overall ease of use.

German startup DroidDrive wants to brush off all the reasons that make users shy away from such trailers with the Trailerduck. This electric-powered cargo trailer is a great option for urban deliveries as it syncs its speed and direction of propulsion with the bicycle or e-bike that’s towing it. This way the four-wheeled trailer is able to haul much more cargo than the current conventional options. In a way, it is a standalone trailer that in the coming years may not even require a towing vehicle to do the job.




Trailerduck is embedded with a system-specific drawbar that has sensors to detect the motion and direction of the bike to accelerate, brake, or make a sharp turn. This allows the bike or bicycle, in particular, to not take the load of pulling the trailer – rather just guide it along to the next destination. The 1-meter wide trailer is capable of carrying a maximum payload of 300 kg, and its size permits travel in bike lanes and highways as well.

DroidDrive is ready to bring this innovative cargo-hauling trailer to the streets in the fourth quarter of 2022 as they are taking pre-orders for Trailerduck. The smart mini trailer will also be available for a monthly rent of approximately $590 – ideal for particular tasks where suck a machine is required.

Even better, the company is currently developing a Ducktrain system that’ll be a platoon of five such Duck trailers. Each of these individual trailers employ LiDAR system to track the vehicle sans any physical link. In around three years’ time, these trailers will get autonomous last-mile transport capability to travel to their destination on their own, safely.

Designer: DroidDrive

This self-driving forklift shows how logistics can be safer and more efficient in the future

Posted on by

Call it the price of efficiency or one of the most obvious design flaws, forklifts are among one of the leading causes of injuries at logistical centers and industrial facilities. The flaw, as it is, is quite simple. The payload sits in front of the driver, obscuring their view and potentially opening them up to collisions. There’s the issue of equilibrium too, with the fact that the payload massively shifts the center of gravity outside the forklift’s base, causing it to sometimes tip over, or sideways when the vehicle makes a quick turn.

As far as autonomous vehicles go, the technology would benefit forklifts the most – as being able to detect obstacles and drive at fixed speeds on fixed paths is something a machine can be trained to do better than a human. Meet the AFL, a forklift that puts algorithms to use by making a load-lifting truck that’s safer and more efficient. For starters, it redesigns the basic framework of a forklift truck by shifting the payload to the center of the vehicle to make it more stable. Its mechanism works in an unusual way, lifting the cargo by the front (as is done traditionally) before shifting it to the center.

The absence of a human driving the truck means the cargo doesn’t need to be lifted above eye-level, and the AFL’s slew of sensors can operate perfectly, sensing in 360° for any obstacle. Moreover, multiple AFL trucks can communicate with each other (like a hive-mind) to create an effective and efficient route map that allows vehicles to move around without colliding into each other. If implemented well, the AFL can run entirely without human intervention, which means better performance, longer work-hours, and lesser accidents!

Designer: DongJun Kim

Mercedes-Benz releases a trio of electric vehicles for the long and short of cargo deliveries!

Posted on by

Many global automotive makers are turning towards making electric vehicles. While Tesla might be spearheading that movement, interestingly many leading companies are making the switch by transforming their larger vehicles to electric ones. Mercedes-Benz is the latest one to join the movement and has unveiled a trio of zero-emissions trucks that are estimated to go into production as soon as 2021. It all starts with the aim of making the Daimler trucks to become CO2-neutral.

The new models use hydrogen fuel-cells and battery-electric drivetrains for both urban and long-haul use, the potential range is claimed to be more than 600 miles which makes it very efficient in reducing emissions especially as deliveries have only increased during the pandemic. The first model is the MercedesBenz eActros, a battery-electric truck that was first revealed in 2018 with an expected to have a range of over 124 miles and is best suited for heavy urban distribution according to the Mercedes. The eActros will also be a smart truck with features like route analysis, fleet integration, and charging infrastructure solutions. The second model is the eActros LongHaul which is expected to be ready in 2024 which gives enough time for the infrastructure to be EV-ready too. It will also be completely electric but outfitted with extra batteries to give it a range of 310 miles on a single charge because it is for the “long haul”. Many will argue that it is not close to a regular diesel truck on a full tank but Daimler says they will keep the charging costs relatively low and the impact will be significant for the environment. I agree – planet first, mileage later.

The third model is the Mercedes-Benz GenH2 Truck which will be powered by a hydrogen fuel-cell that Daimler says can do over 620 miles on a full tank of the fuel – this is certainly the most interesting and advanced one of the EV truck trio! It will have two tanks and a new fuel-cell system to keep it running for multi-day routes. “Thanks to the use of liquid instead of gaseous hydrogen with its higher energy density,” Daimler says, “the vehicle’s performance is planned to equal that of a comparable conventional diesel truck.” Mercedes continues to work on a standardized electric platform for passenger cars while Daimler Truck works on its zero-emissions haulage solutions. This is a key development in their pledge to only offer CO2-neutral trucks “from tank to wheel” in Europe, North America, and Japan by 2039.

Designer: Daimler AG

The MercedesBenz eActros, the battery-electric truck the automaker first showed in 2018

This modular electric platform can pull any vehicle attached to it… like a futuristic horse

Posted on by

Building on perhaps one of the oldest modes of transportation, the U-Shift from DLR is an electric skateboard of sorts that plugs into a variety of modules, becoming a part of them… like a horse attaching itself to a chariot. Equipped with a powerful electric drivetrain capable of great torque, the U-Shift can pull modules with humans or cargo, allowing it to serve multiple functions in one format.

While some laud it as the future of logistics (and it certainly might be), it has roots embedded in history dating millennia ago! Just the way a single horse could pull a cart, a chariot, or a caravan with humans + cargo, the U-Shift has the ability to pull anything it’s attached to. Designed to suit modern conditions (because we don’t really use horses anymore), the U-Shift is capable of traveling larger distances non-stop, and silently. The first DLR U-Shift prototype was presented at the Interim Conference of the Strategic Dialogue for the Automotive Sector at Baden-Württemberg, Stuttgart last week. “We want to make tomorrow’s mobility more sustainable, effective, and convenient,” said Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut, Baden-Württemberg Minister for Economic Affairs. “Entirely new products and business models can emerge from futuristic innovations such as the U-Shift vehicle concept.”

Currently, the U-Shift prototype is controlled remotely, but future iterations of the electric driveboard are likely to be fully autonomous. For now, DLR has demoed the U-Shift along with a standard cargo-capsule, capable of carrying 4 Euro-sized pallets of freight eight barred rolling cabinets, and a mini-bus passenger capsule, with enough space for comfortably seating 7 people.

Designer: DLR (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft und Raumfahrt)

Uber wants to sell you Echos, AirPods and Oculus headsets

Posted on by
Uber is taking its retail offerings up a notch. Last year, the company teamed up with Cargo to let drivers hawk goods ranging from snacks to phone chargers. Now, Uber and Cargo are hoping riders will buy more expensive products, like Amazon Echos, Ap...