We were instructed by multi-national South Korean steel giant POSCO to build a working test track to develop the concept and mechanical engineering design for personal rapid transport (PRT). The pioneering project involved working as part of a consortium to provide breakthrough engineering solutions for the track, supports, switching and running chassis at the test site in Sweden.

The delivered outcome was a series of small, lightweight, driverless vehicles ready to carry individuals or small groups on-demand and without delay from the origin station to the destination station. The primary challenge of how to switch between tracks was overcome by deploying a static track design and using pivoting, ‘switching’ wheels on the moving chassis.

A test rig was set up at WGH’s workshop in the UK in order to trial the various mechanical elements, including guide wheels, different tread patterns and the tyre material itself, which needed to be durable and suitable for extremes of weather.