h a l f b a k e r yEureka! Keeping naked people off the streets since 1999.
add, search, annotate, link, view, overview, recent, by name, random
news, help, about, links, report a problem
browse anonymously,
or get an account
and write.
register,
|
|
|
After reading AO's Personal Elevators idea and wanting my car to function in said device, I found myself considering the difficulties in parking inside an office. Then I realized the similaraties between my cubicle and my car. They both have a comfortable chair, a phone, a coffee cup, stuff lying around,
and the concept of accepted confinement.
My idea is a car with the dimensions of a cubicle. There will be a comfortable chair with retractible seat belt, and a computer with monitor that converts to an instrument pannel. The carbicle is driven directly into the building into a Personal Elevator system, then driven into the place that would be your cube.
Benefits: Want to work at home? You have your office with you! Want to work at the beach? No problem. Tired of getting out of your car and walking to your office? No longer an issue. Office air conditionig set too low? Turn on your heater.
AO's Private Elevators idea
http://web.archive....Private_20Elevators Inspiration for this idea [Worldgineer, Oct 05 2004, last modified Feb 02 2005]
Simla
http://www.halfbake.../Cubicle_20Elevator but no road permit. [DrCurry, Oct 05 2004]
Never Leave Your Car
http://www.halfbake...0Leave_20Your_20Car Same intent. [phoenix, Oct 05 2004]
Street-legal Planemate
http://www.halfbake...t-legal_20Planemate "...Make the thing a mobile office!" [phoenix, Oct 05 2004]
MAIT
http://www.maitint.org Used to have pictures of moving rooms on their site [pashute, Apr 06 2005]
Similar, though more psychedelic it's AfroAssault's justly lauded
Psychedelic_20Mobile_20Toilet_20Cube [calum, Dec 05 2006]
Please log in.
If you're not logged in,
you can see what this page
looks like, but you will
not be able to add anything.
Annotation:
|
|
The drivers seat / desk chair would also be a toilet, to avoid having to leave the carbicle. |
|
|
Another benefit: your monitor converts into a TV, letting the truely sedentary to stay seated when returning home. Add the occasional drive through, and perhaps there is no need for a home. |
|
|
...a keyboard that neatly folds back up under the dash after sitting comfortably on your lap for use...a windshield that also works as a monitor...the CPU built into the dash with multiple CD drives...cable ready and wireless internet service...top of the gear shift is a roller mouse.... |
|
|
Hehe! I just knew you had fallen out of Dilbert. |
|
|
put a functional toilet under the seat cushion and you have my vote. |
|
|
Vroom Vroom Room. Or Vroom with a View. |
|
|
Don't forget the Secretary in the back seat. |
|
|
And then, on the other hand, spending all this additional time in your office environment might be considered "Bad Carma". |
|
|
Bad Carma if you run over a dogma. |
|
|
"Boss, I can't make it into work today. I totalled my cube." |
|
|
Gives whole new meaning to "My computer crashed". |
|
|
Worldgineer, your genius is maddening.
Now where do I put my pink fuzzy dice... |
|
|
but then "still-in-the-office accessories" become nullified. |
|
|
Exective parking spots = corner office spot. |
|
|
[FM]'s link: Not even close - we're talking a large box, maximizing the street legal width (and height?) more similar to a small winnebago but even more boxy and with bulletin-board interior walls. |
|
|
Pink fuzzy dice can adorn your work lamp. |
|
|
How about a bike that transforms into an office? A cubicycle. |
|
|
A specially designated building is not needed. Carbicles can congregate anywhere, at a parking garage, at a rest stop, or at the beach. Wherever there are carbicles, theres the workplace. Special support carbicles with vending machine, copiers, and lavs would be needed. Great for those companies on the go. |
|
|
or those fly by night operations/syndicates |
|
|
Random thought. Would an injury while driving fall under auto, health, or workers' compensation insurance? |
|
|
NOW!!! I need this NOW!!! I'd love it! |
|
|
This completely solves the massive parking problem at large corporate offices. And they could institute it immediately just by enclosing the existing parking lot, providing ventilation for exhaust, and installing wireless networking and phone connections. Sheer, unmitigated genius. Perhaps RVs could be used as conference rooms, valet-driven to pick you up at your workstation. Problem: your poor personal finance skills would be apparent to all who pass by your 85 Chevette with the cracked windshield to check on that project report. |
|
|
Buy one of these European Smart cars, go from there... |
|
|
Carbon monoxide might be a problem or the ever feared hallway traffic jam on the way to the food court |
|
|
CO is easily solved with good ventilation. Systems designed for parking lots often have CO sensors already. Food court? It's called a drive through. |
|
|
Convert a disused drive-in movie theatre into office space? Nice big Powerpoint screen there, got your toilet facils, catering, intercom, the works. |
|
|
And the long walk to the concession stand helps keep the workforce fit. |
|
|
Issue everyone with one of those new hybrid WiFI/cellphones that talks to the internal PABX on premises, and hands off to the cell network when you leave - let it also function as a modem for your tablet/slate/laptop/car computer whatsit. |
|
|
I remember seeing a kind of people-mover/mobile office hybrid on one of those "Beyond 2000" type programs - kind of a slightly larger, upscale bimbo box - rear seats swivel into conference-room config, internal LAN/WLAN, phone, fax, etc etc etc. Oh and chauffer of course. |
|
|
I'd like to see a clear distinction between driving and work modes/spaces/configurations in the carbicle. Perhaps the driver's seat should swivel rearward away from the steering wheel and into the "office" proper. Reduce the temptation to drive and work. In fact, some kind of disabling interlock for all the office crud would most likely be essential if this thing is ever to get road safety approvals. |
|
|
This would be ideal for workforces that already do a large proportion of their work on the road (real estate, service techs, cops). Indeed, their arsenal of geek weaponry is already moving in that direction, whether briefcase, pocket, or in-vehicle mounted. |
|
|
[+] if they're all hydrogen powered :) |
|
|
Hydrogen fuel cells, with mains voltage power points. |
|
|
Fuel economy would probably be poor.
Somebody would need to find an elegant
solution to attempt connection to utility
infrastructure (AC power, network, HVAC,
maybe even water and waste) when the
Carbicle is parked. Exterior vehicle color
should match your house if you dock
outside at night...few will have a
sufficiently large garage. |
|
|
A hybrid vehicle concept (well baked) should work well with this. Just plug your vehicle in and the motor will turn off. A simple core-tenant system will work well for HVAC - you'd each have your own air conditioning. |
|
|
I want to keep work seperate from any leasure activity! Including my car!!^&%*^*(% |
|
|
Great idea [+] The idea of it being propelled with eletric motors seems practical but I don't think I'd feel safe parking my hydrogen-filled carbicle next to 10 or 20 other peoples hydrogen filled carbicles.... Someone rear ends somone else and hits their tank and the chain reaction starts. |
|
|
Brilliant idea - have a croissant. Just thinking...it would be useful to keep the vehicle size and weight down to minimise emmissions and optimise handling. Maybe if the top of the car could be lifted off when it arrived, it would minimise a feeling of claustraphobia. |
|
| |