The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) has introduced a concept vehicle that can fold itself nearly in half by simply pressing a button.
The vehicle, named the Armadillo-T by In-Soo Suh, an associate professor of the Graduate School for Green Transportation at KAIST, can shrink down to under five-and-a-half feet according to ABC News.
Once the Armadillo-T is parked, a stabilizing wheel pops out from under the vehicle, and the back of the car the curls forward and up, similar to a real armadillo.
Suh and his fellow researchers developed other technologies to make the Armadillo unlike any other vehicle available today. The team replaced side mirrors with cameras that take up less space and reduces blind spots by providing a complete detailed side-view for the driver.
"This car is ideal for urban travels, including car-sharing and transit transfer," said Suh in a press statement. "I expect that people living in cities will eventually shift their preferences from bulky, petro-engine cars to smaller and lighter electric cars."
The Armadillo-T can also be slightly controlled from a smartphone device according to Suh.
Three Armadillo-T's can fit in a single five-meter parking spot. The vehicle has four separate motors in each of the wheels, instead of one centralized motor according to Nick Gianaris, executive director of the Composite Vehicle Research Center at Michigan State University.
The vehicle has a top speed of 37 mph according to Suh.
"It will be sold in a niche market or a new market. Demand will start from places like golf resorts or amusement parks, as large carmakers tend to wait until their own market becomes mature first," said Suh.
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