Frontiers of Engineering: Reports on Leading-Edge Engineering from the 2006 Symposium (2007)
Chapter: ENGINEERING PERSONAL MOBILITY FOR THE 21ST CENTURY, Introduction
Introduction
APOORV AGARWAL
Ford Motor Company
Dearborn, Michigan
WILLIAM F. SCHNEIDER
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana
Humans have historically spent roughly the same share of their time and income traveling daily, but modern technology, especially the automobile, has greatly increased both the range and convenience of personal travel. Personal mobility enabled by automobiles is closely related to a sense of personal freedom. Current approaches to providing this mobility have had a major impact on the landscape of our cities and suburbs, on the environment as a whole, and on energy consumption. Providing the same levels of personal mobility in the future in a cost-effective, energy-efficient, and environmentally sustainable manner in both the developing and developed worlds is one of the great challenges for the 21st century.
The speakers in this session explore the history and evolution of personal mobility, including its availability and the expectations it raises, the energy and environmental challenges of current forms of personal mobility, and prospective technologies that could transform personal mobility for us and future generations.
