CAPTN Vaiaro

The development of autonomous, electromotive forms of mobility is currently taking place primarily in the field of road transport. Water-bound concepts are nowhere near evident to the same degree. Yet, for towns and cities on the water an autonomous, closely synchronized 24/7 ferry service is an attractive alternative to journeys by car, particularly when, as in Kiel, the shores of the Kiel fjord are to be linked and connections to further bus routes are to function seamlessly.

The “CAPTN Vaiaro"" project exemplified the potential of such an alternative form of mobility on the water with the corresponding connections to land. The focus of the project was not just the question of which concrete design measures can be taken to make the ferry accessible to a wide range of people and perceived as safe. Using design, an attractive, highly visible sign of a future-proof city was to be created, which saw itself as a representative of sustainable ways of life. Two alternative designs are available which show the different priorities in determining the design’s character and interior: either as a transparent, floating observation platform or as an agile bridge with a digitally augmented view of the passage. Both concepts show that in the future completely new ships’ forms can become part of urban mobility chains.