Try to imagine what Taipei will look like in 2050. What will our main means of transportation be? What will we all be driving?
The Persuasive Electric Vehicle (PEV) is the creation of the convergence between the top talents in innovation from MIT, and Taiwan’s great strength in technology. The vehicle will be shown to the people of Taiwan, bringing Taiwan’s industry into the future.
The PEV was jointly developed by the MIT Media Lab and Taiwan’s Institute for Information Industry. Ninety percent of the vehicle’s research and manufacturing was done with the help and support of Taiwanese businesses. In fact, a key member of the PEV project, Ph. D. student Michael Lin, is from Taiwan.
In addition to business opportunities, the PEV is predicted to improve the planet in three ways: 1. Reduce pollution by substituting fossil fuel with electricity, 2. Increase convenience by using artificial intelligence, and 3. Improve people’s lifestyles by utilizing big data and cloud computing.
The PEV is an autonomous tricycle that can carry goods as well as people. By using an application called “Spike,” the PEV can come to your designated location. The vehicle is equipped with electronic automated steering and a pedal so the user can choose to either drive the vehicle or enjoy being driven. It also comes with a GPS and sensors to calculate the shortest distance and alternative routes in case of traffic congestion or accidents.
The PEV is a big step forward for Taiwan’s connected car industry. While on the road, it will continuously collect the data of both the driver and the surrounding environment, uploading it onto the cloud. The cloud platform will have access to information such as the amount of cars and traffic conditions to provide personalized and accurate information to each traveler.
During traffic rush hours, the PEV can pick up packages, mail and goods, making it an excellent logistics alternative for e-businesses.
In the next year, the PEV will be test-driven at the TAF Innovation Base in the center of Taipei, collecting travel information for future reference and calculating Taipei’s most suitable transportation model. The TAF Innovation Base was previously the ROC Air Force Headquarters. In February of 2015, the Executive Yuan announced the conversion of the site into the TAF Innovation Base.
In addition to showcasing the PEV, we have also invited the director of the MIT Media Lab’s Changing Places Group, Professor Kent Larson and Dr. Serta Karaman, Assistant Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics at MIT, to share their research and observations on the developments of smart cities, and how Taiwan fares in innovation in comparison to the rest of the world.
In working with MIT, new ideas have come straight to Taiwan. In combination with the advantages of Taiwan’s industry, we have put ideas into practice, turning them into products to be marketed throughout the world. Joining the forces of the two strongest MITs has put Taiwan at the front of the smart economy. MIT x MIT will reverse your image of a congested Taipei, and enable Taiwan’s industries to smoothly connect with the smart industry of the future.