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Urban Mole delivers packages through a city's sewers
Vast vacuum tube networks certainly never took off, and it's not like robots are flying around and delivering our packages for us. Maybe that's because both ideas rely on extensive changes to come about — maybe we need something a little more grounded. Or should I say a little more… undergrounded?
Designer Phillip Hermes' "Urban Mole" would crawl through a city's already existing subterranean network of pipes and sewers. Ideally, electric rails would power the units as well as guide them along toward their pickup and drop-off points, where folks like you and me can receive our packages.
Hermes envisions his moles as being the size of a shoebox and being able to make cross-town deliveries in as little as ten minutes (depending on how big your town is, I suppose). A shoebox, huh? Sounds pretty small, but maybe by the time we have these buggers crawling underground our society will be relying on component construction.
Here's another click-to-enlarge shot of the Urban Mole:
Wired, via Geekologie
By Old Man Dotes at 7:03 PM ON 07/31/09
This concept is doomed already, for two reasons: Firstly, who wants *anything* that's delivered through the sewers? And secondly, look at the name of the delivery company that' stenciled on those moles.
By angelika at 7:08 PM ON 07/31/09
This looks completely like a copy of www.artmarcovici.com/unitx only that UNITX is a much better concept !
By forquan at 7:17 PM ON 07/31/09
I suppose it's just a coincidence that the designer of a next-gen package carrier is named Hermes?
By ShawnieMichael at 8:41 PM ON 07/31/09
Also lets not forget thieves. IT would be so easy to go down the manholes and steal the parcels. Another bad idea.
By roshinobi at 2:10 AM ON 08/01/09
I don't see this incredible need to be able to deliver things across town in such short amounts of time. If it's an emergency, you can easily get someone to drive the item the same distance a system like this would be able to cover, and it probably wouldn't take any longer.
Really, how often do you have to get a package to someone in the same city as you RIGHT NOW? Is it worth the billions of dollars of infrastructure, or would we rather have high-speed trains?
By Chris at 12:21 PM ON 08/01/09
high speed trains? I'd rather have true high speed internet...
By roshinobi at 2:11 PM ON 08/01/09
The internet's great and all, but I'd much rather be able to see more of the country without going through the debacle that is commercial air travel than be able to read blogs twice as quickly. It's not zero sum though. Let's get along and have both, but not waste money on this package delivery job destroyer.
By Sam at 3:09 PM ON 08/01/09
Remember Futurama?
"Your call has been CON-NEC-TED through SewerCom. Reach out and touch the sewers."
Also, stupid concept. Someone was running low on ideas to hand in.
By Anonymous at 4:36 PM ON 08/03/09
This idea stinks
By Logan at 7:41 PM ON 08/24/09
very soon, people will be transported by web... this idea is past...
By some-guy-with-a-pc at 9:45 AM ON 09/22/09
hey everybody!! i am a terrorist (with an arabic accent) finally an idea that would make blowing up any building i want easier!! mwahahaha -_- lol
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