Take a Ride on APT, the Personal Driverless Car That Navigates Airports

Easy, safe and secure, the Airport Personal Transport (APT) could soon be the future of automated personal travel

For some, the stress of flying begins as soon as they enter the airport parking lot. This initial journey – from car to check-in, security and boarding gates – can be trying, especially if it involves navigating the endless corridors of a strange airport with heavy luggage. But thanks to the efforts of Massachusetts-based designer William Alden, help may be at hand for anyone who has ever stumbled their way through an unfamiliar terminal.

Alden has designed the Airport Personal Transport (APT), a driverless car that’s capable of whisking passengers from point to point at a maximum speed of 12 mph. In order to test the plausibility of the APT, Harvard graduate Alden and his colleague William Donkin are now looking to produce a prototype of the vehicle and are seeking to secure $100,000 in backing via Kickstarter.

The men describe the vehicle as a “personal automated chauffeur”, with each APT capable of carrying two passengers with luggage safely and efficiently through an airport. While partially automated, the APT will be equipped with software that will allow passengers to regulate the destination, direction and speed of the vehicle.

The APT will also be fitted with sensors that will enable it to monitor and move around any obstacles in its path. In addition to being powered by electricity, APTs can operate without expensive guideways.

Despite the technical intellect behind the APT, the vehicle, as the duo explain on their Kickstarter page, is very user-friendly:

When you make an airline reservation simply reserve an APT. As you approach the airport, the APT System will notify you where to park. An APT will be waiting for you. Simply roll on your bags. Sit down. Identify yourself via your credit card or mobile device. And then you are whisked off to your terminal safely and at three times your walking speed.

At the time of writing, Alden and Donkin have received just over $15,000 in backing. But if they meet their $100,000 goal, Alden hopes to test what he believes is the future of automated personal transport at Logan International Airport.

[Photos: William Alden/Kickstarter]