compact autonomous monorail vehicle can be a car substitute for people living in rural areas

MONOCAB OWL can bring disused railway lines to life again

Existing old railway lines can be brought back into operation for the MONOCAB OWL, a compact autonomous monorail vehicle that can serve as a means of transport for people living in rural areas. It is designed to accommodate families, students, commuters, senior citizens, and tourists who reside in or wish to visit areas typically not accessible by private cars or late-night buses.

Inside the MONOCAB OWL, the spacious interior with foldable seats is barrier-free, allowing people in wheelchairs, with prams, and bicycles to easily board the autonomous monorail vehicle. The goal is not to construct new railway lines for the vehicle, but to utilize abandoned rails or reactivate existing lines. A potential notable feature is that the autonomous monorail vehicle may run without a schedule, meaning it can transport people via booking, just like the typical book-a-ride or ride-sharing systems used these days.

images courtesy of MONOCAB OWL

compact autonomous monorail vehicle works by booking

The autonomous monorail vehicle is gyroscopically stabilized. When two of these vehicles are traveling in opposite directions on reactivated railway lines, they can pass each other without contact due to their compact design. Similar to taxis, they can be booked for individual trips to villages and countryside using an app, 365 days a year. The MONOCAB OWL features two upward-lifting doors, and each cabin can accommodate around four to six people.

Large windows adorn the vehicle to offer panoramic views and allow natural light in, while the wooden cabin creates a sense of lightness and expansiveness in the space. Cushioned foldable seats provide a spacious interior, and back-to-back seating in the middle helps divide the space for passengers, which can also help accommodate bulky objects such as bicycles or scooters. There are also desks on board for those who may want to quickly work on their laptops before arriving at their destinations.

As of publishing the story, prototypes of the MONOCAB OWL have been released and tested, with the most recent one being released in September 2023 in Bielefeld, Germany. The MONOCAB research project is a collaboration between OWL University of Technology, Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences, and Fraunhofer IOSB-INA, under the overall project management of Prof. Dr.-Ing. Thomas Schulte. The design team notes that a current challenge is to demonstrate that compact autonomous monorail vehicles like the MONOCAB OWL can be safe, reliable, and economically feasible.

existing old railway lines can be brought back into operation for the MONOCAB OWL