Admittedly, the idea of a tram/overhead railway is nothing new, but when you hear the background and details that Marc Schindler and his team are going into with ottobahn, then you’ll quickly notice that it’s anything but traditional. Gaining additional surfaces for solar panels and using greenery to filter fine dust are more like by-products which result from the actual mobility concept. The idea is quickly explained: the ottobahn travels 5-10 m above the existing roads. The cabins are not particularly large, however so intelligently controlled by software - everything works autonomously - that there are no traffic jams or waiting times. Of course, the cabins have to be developed with very little weight so as to still comply with the carrying capacity and speed requirements.
“We see ourselves as a software company”, is the first thing Marc (Schindler) says. The tone here is very familiar and friendly, after all, this is a start-up. But with the logistics behind it, this statement is also quickly understood, because without functioning software in combination with the associated control, the idea would quickly break down. Although the car will travel at lofty heights, only stopping over ground to embark and disembark, otherwise the goal is to float above people’s heads and the jammed roads. As a confessed fan of trams, Steffen (Boll) is paying particular attention to the new mobility concept. Because everything that continues to develop mobility is exciting for csi. Finally, of course, we had to quickly put the entertainment qualities of the ottobahn to the test with our ultra-lightweight seat. 😉
We thank Marc and his team for an exciting discussion and keep our fingers crossed for the test track in Taufkirchen 2022.
Find more information about ottobahn here:
https://www.stmb.bayern.de/med/pressemitteilungen/pressearchiv/2021/156/index.php
https://www.fundernation.eu/investments/ottobahn-gmbh#beschreibung
