[jbermingham123]

This idea pertains just as much to the autonomous cars developments thread in the transportation section, so I have posted it there too.

A conclusion that most autonomous car enthusiasts have reached is that autonomous cars are bound to evolve into something more like personal rapid transit. This is because autonomous cars will never leave the roads, and thus they might as well simply be placed on tracks. Another conclusion that many have reached is that they will be much smaller. a little while ago, GMC unveiled an autonomous car project that had only two wheels; essentially a Segway with a roof and seats. There will also be no need for individual car ownership, saving families hundreds of billions of dollars in car payments.

If you stop and think about this for a moment, cars are destined to become small, self-driving compartments on tracks, used by all but owned and operated by few. Sound familiar? ELEVATORS!! My idea is this: The system described in this thread could simply be an extension of the roads and streets of future cities. The unidirectional shaft design is very much like a road, with dedicated shafts for upward cabs and dedicated shafts for downward cabs. Imagine requesting a car to pull up on the road nearest your house/building (streets in front of every single house will become impractical, as nobody will own cars), getting in, and arriving not only at your building, but at your floor!!