LINDO Smart, is a 3 wheeled, electric vehicle concept, that is based on the Piaggio, Tuk Tuk (Vespa Ape) vehicle.

When designing LINDO, I wanted to be able to create a vehicle that would ultimately help make a positive impact on the transport system that is currently implemented in the Melbourne CBD.

Melbourne, being one of the largest and most congested cities in Australia, provides its community with a very fixed and linear transport system. We wanted to refine a mode of transport rather than to confine its users by making the system inaccessible and difficult to use.

When you design a product, your first and foremost priority is the user. How will this product improve the lifestyle and wellbeing of the user? One of the largest aspects of modern vehicle design is sustainability. How can we create a vehicle that is efficient but also somewhat self-sustaining and unobtrusive to the user?

The Lindo’s design is based around a carbon fibre chassis, and titanium space frame, making it incredibly light yet strong and highly durable. At the rear of the vehicle the Lindo is equipped with 6 ultra-efficient lithium ion battery cells that are charged through a capacitor which is able to charge at a quarter of the time it takes for conventional battery systems. The batteries are connected to two in hub wheel motors which are directly connected to the wheels axis making them more efficient and versatile in a range of driving conditions.

When developing the Lindo I wanted to be able to provide the users with an easy and fast service that could be immediately adopted when using the vehicle. Currently one of the most widely used products in the world is people's smartphones. We developed an application for people's smartphones that can be instantly paired with the Lindo vehicle by either the driver or the passenger. The user is able to order a service to pick them up from their current location via their smartphone and choose their destination to plan out their trip whilst also tracking and monitoring their current usage from the vehicle. Using PayPal and online banking, users can pay instantly either using pay wave on the vehicles inbuilt payment system or paying through the application.

When I was designing Lindo I began to get stuck with my design and aesthetic of the vehicle, this led to a downfall of linear design direction. However, later in the semester lifted the blanket from my eyes and realized why I love design so much, it’s because of the design system and ecosystem and the two correlate and combine to make a refined, cohesive product. A relationship between the user and a product is crucial. I wanted to offer users a unique service that they could immediately relate to and bond to. I developed a mock smartphone application that is centered on the user’s journey in the Lindo vehicle. The user is able monitor, order, and control certain services within the Lindo’s design eco-system. This application is a fundamental part of the design and enables users to have a deeper and more meaningful connection with the service. Another important aspect of the design is the efficiency and sustainability of the vehicle. I wanted to incorporate innovative technologies that could realistically be implemented into the vehicle within 20-25 years. The battery and motor system is one of those key aspects. Consisting of two in-hub motors the vehicles computer analyses the driving conditions and is able to turn the motors off when they do not need to be used. When one motor is not in use the momentum of the tyres charges the batteries.

A service that works with you, not against you. A system that seamlessly works within your life instead of you trying to work around it. An unobtrusive product that is designed for the user and not the stakeholder. With Lindo, Melbourne’s public transport will become faster, safer, and more efficient.