
Introduction
Our
vision
is
to
build
a
city
composed
of
modular
units
that
can
be
readily
added
to
or
removed
from
a
framework
to
meet
rising
demand, accommodate the social mobility of owners who wish to upgrade their living spaces, and simplify the moving process. Each single modular unit is based on a standard 40 ft high cube shipping container which offers 8 ft 10 in of interior height and spans 8-by-40 ft. Units can be combined in a cohesive
manner
as
desired
both horizontally
and
vertically
on
a
piece
of
land
with
some
constraints
to
provide
the
desired
living
space arrangement for each owner. Double height ceilings could be offered at a premium on a limited basis. All units will be off-grid capable through the use of rooftop solar panels or wind turbines and provisioning of their own independent water source.
For
tract
home
models,
a
virtual
marketplace
enables
owners
to
either
seek
or
advertise
available
space
in
a
particular
locale
and
make arrangements for the moving of entire living spaces—the involved parties could be connected locally or on opposite sides of the country, whereby preexisting
infrastructure
such
as
railway
or
freight
transport
can
be
used
in
these
cases.
The
only
fixtures
that
would
remain
on
such
a
property would
be
any
exterior
landscaping
and
city
infrastructure
such
as
supply
sources
for
gas,
electric,
water,
and
other
utilities,
which
could
be disconnected from and connected to a modular unit by a service specialist with reusable and specially-designed equipment.
The hassle and cost of open houses would be a thing of the past for homeowners, as prospective movers would visit their destination locale without the need to disrupt
the current owner since movers would be retaining their homes and simply executing a change of their surrounding environment. We
will
develop
the
equipment
needed
to
(1)
simplify
the
“last
mile”
home
transportation
process
(akin
to
how
the
modern
forklift
has
greatly simplified
and
sped
up
the
process
of
moving
pallets
of
material
within
a
warehouse)
and
(2)
site
these
homes
to
compatible
foundational frameworks. Units will be designed with both simplicity and robustness in mind to enable their removal and siting within 2 days if within the same locale,
the
only
difference
in
duration
for
further
distances
due
to
the transport
itinerary.
Due
to
the
prefabricated
nature
of
its
construction,
we project that up to 1000 modular units can be installed within one week. Included
with
each
unit
is
a
specialized
electric
car
designed
for
automated
self-driving
between
pre-marked
routes
to
local
hotspots
such
as schools, supermarkets, and hospitals. Each car is capable of automatically parking itself in its assigned space within a certain vicinity at home and docking itself to be charged overnight. The self-navigation of these cars will be supported by the combination of a moderate guidance-electronics infrastructure
built
into
both
the
city
roads
and
the
cars
themselves,
and
coordinated
location
and
speed
tracking
methods
to
achieve
collision avoidance. A free smartphone app will also be developed to enable regular cars to join the safety net afforded by this infrastructure. The app will
self-report location and speed to other user-drivers in the vicinity and also provide traffic analysis and suggestions based on the information it has collected on its network to provide greater situational awareness to all drivers on the road and give early warning before collisions occur. A means to beneficially shape traffic flow can be exploited by broadcasting a recommended speed limit (based on tested algorithms) from the back of the car to optimize traffic flow and prevent certain traffic jams from occurring.
To alleviate the need to build an abundance of specialized, likely costly public charging stations for these vehicles to support long distance travel, the
power
management
and
charging
system
for
each
of
these
cars
would
be
designed
in
such
a
way
as
to
permit
smartphone
app
transactions between vehicle owners to occur whereby money is offered to initiate an equitable transfer of a portion of the charge from one car to the next. Off-grid
solar-powered
super
capacitor
stations
can
be
designed
and
developed
to
provide
a
means
for
harvesting
electrical
energy
and
rapidly supplying charge to or receiving charge from vehicles. Integrated into this transportation system are mobile medical and dental care provider units catered to the individual needs of a patient in the event of
an
emergency.
Additionally,
a
computer
lab and
tutoring
services
will
be
offered
on
a
mobile
bus
facility
for
children
to
engage
in
dynamic learning experiences throughout their local community.
Some of the services we hope to include in each city community include an outdoor movie theater, gyms restricted to residents, an eclectic mix of restaurants
and
organic
supermarkets,
children
and
pet-friendly
parks,
and
facilities
for
sports
such
as
basketball
and
soccer. For
multi-level residential complexes, shopping centers
and community gathering areas will be located on the rooftop for best views of the cityscape and ocean. A
wearable
human-powered
exoskeleton
will
be
developed
to
enable
the
elderly
and
the
handicapped
to
perform
difficult
physical
tasks
such
as moving furniture or other large objects. This equipment would be offered to residents on a rental.