The Siroco, a gyroscopic motorcycle-bus designed to carry multiple passengers at a time
The concept
The Siroco is a gyroscopic motorcycle-bus designed to carry multiple passengers at a time. Even though the body is much larger than a typical motorcycle—it's around the size of a city bus—it would stay upright due to its advanced gyroscopic technology and a smart auto pilot control system.
The context
When I was working on the Powersphere concept, I wanted to create a motorcycle that could carry more than two passengers. In the meantime, Lit Motors C-1 prototype came out, as did Honda's Riding Assist and BMW's Motorrad Vision. All these prototypes help with understanding the idea behind the Siroco mass-transit bike-bus concept.
How it works
The Siroco is made to offer the same feeling as riding a motorcycle while it carries a dozen people in climate-controlled comfort. Its panoramic windows would offer an excellent view of the countryside and LCD screens could be embedded in the window panels to stream online shows and movies, provide information about location, ETA, weather forecast, etc.
The fact that this vehicle has only one row of wheels would allow it to take on curves faster, take less space on the road, and save energy with an aerodynamic body. The Siroco could be used to transport passengers between smaller cities (with populations of less than 15,000 people) and ride on existing narrow roads. Its suspension system could be designed to ride on rougher terrain or smooth pavement. The current seating arrangement is one center aisle with a single row of seats on each side.
Gyroscopic technology would permit the Siroco to stay upright at any speed, and it would balance itself while turning or when the weight of the passengers isn't distributed equally within. The internal battery pack could also move with a motor to help adjust the center of gravity. An onboard computer would calculate the orientation, acceleration turbulence, and vibrations of the Siroco in real time and make adjustments to make the ride more enjoyable.
What it's used for
The Siroco could be used to ferry passengers on routes that are not being serviced by major bus lines today. Its operating cost would be lower than a regular bus if you factor in occupancy, and it would be able to ride on narrower roads. The technology necessary to create such a vehicle is becoming more affordable, and the layout of the Sirocco could take many forms depending on the operator's requirement.
The designer
The Siroco renderings were designed and produced by Bing Xiao Liu, an industrial designer based in Montreal, Canada. Bing studied at the University of Montreal. Bing contributed to the early design of our Powersphere concept. He also designed the Upekzit double deck bus concept for Imaginactive.