Jul 31 2009Robotic Moles To Deliver Goods Underground
An army of little robots that travel through a city's existing sewer lines delivering packages of death to unsuspecting recipients. That sounds wonderful.
The brainchild of designer Phillip Hermes, the Urban Mole is a capsule that travels through existing networks of underground pipes in order to transport packages as diverse as groceries, signed documents and any title that appears on Oprah's Book Club.
According to VisionWorks, "The pipe system is structured like a road network - the more traffic, the bigger the pipe." Electric rails within the pipes provide juice for the Mole's motors in a system that works like a miniature subway. Still more pipes run from drop-off points to delivery centers called MoleStations...where customers can retrieve their items locally. The designer estimates that the average cross-town delivery could take place in less than ten minutes.
Interesting, but it'll never work. Mainly because you and I are gonna sit down there with night vision goggles and crowbars and bash every single one of these things open waiting for a shipment of diamonds. Then, we'll order pizza and party with the ninja turtles. COWABUNGA!
Hit the jump for a coupe more shots of the conceptual couriers.
Robot Delivers Packages Through Sewers [wired]
Thanks to naas, who really does know Master Splinter.
Reader Comments
1. lewis - July 31, 2009 12:00 PM
first
2. pistachio - July 31, 2009 12:04 PM
2ND
3. The Bush Whacker - July 31, 2009 12:05 PM
3rd
Oh and who is going to go into a sewer to fix the little devils when they breakdown due to moister.
4. Fork-o-fork - July 31, 2009 12:06 PM
Yes.
Please deliver my groceries/mail/condoms/mail order russian bride through the pipes carrying raw sewage.
5. Gordon "Fücking" Shumway - July 31, 2009 12:10 PM
@1,2,&3
http://buelahman.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/even_jesus_hates_you-cheetos.jpg
We already have this system. It's called the post office.
6. naas - July 31, 2009 12:14 PM
There's always been a postal underground, but now with armed robots
7. naas - July 31, 2009 12:14 PM
..who wont sympathize when you have a little shit on the side of your box
8. STOMPY (is having a powergirl pikachu threesome...) - July 31, 2009 12:16 PM
Ha, sounds like my mom's motto was quoted in this post "- the more traffic, the bigger the pipe".
9. shadwag - July 31, 2009 12:17 PM
i always wondered what happened to using pigeons. was it all the poop?
10. Bethy - July 31, 2009 12:22 PM
So my legal documents will be covered in strangers shit when I get them?
11. SmokingGirl - July 31, 2009 12:31 PM
Bring back carrier pigeons!
And this just sounds ridiculous. Sending packages through sewage lines? What a stupid idea...
12. Milkman - July 31, 2009 12:33 PM
Interesting idea but no it would not work through existing conduits. They would have to develop a method to install that electrical railing above without ripping up every pipe in the city. It sounds like this is better suited to new developments. Besides the weird factor of knowing your delivery has been swimming in human feces, chemicals, tampons, etc. And the added inconvenience of still having to go to a station to retrieve it.
Now if they built it on a new development where the deliveries literally came inside your house (garage), that would be awesome.
13. Fork-o-fork - July 31, 2009 12:36 PM
@9 & 11
http://uncyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/Carrier_pigeon
14. Pew³ - July 31, 2009 12:38 PM
As long as these little robots can't climb a stair, I still have my escape planned.
15. naas - July 31, 2009 12:40 PM
@9 I think so, plus the unreliable delay when flying past hen coops
@12 ..and dead kittens. You could probably find a few of those snagged on an odd shaped box if you weren't ordering a shoebox from zappos
16. naas - July 31, 2009 12:42 PM
@14 you might have a problem over there http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2wQ6TD44gk
17. Pew³ - July 31, 2009 12:46 PM
@16. http://drmchsr0.files.wordpress.com/2007/10/oh-noes2.jpg
18. Livingjetlag - July 31, 2009 12:56 PM
@12 - you shouldn't flush tampons.
@1 - Hey, Lewis, you firstard, I'm sending you a package. Flushhhhhhhhh!
19. naas - July 31, 2009 12:57 PM
@17 I know man, you're not safe anywhere http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Dx_J1JC8mag/Sa-zkUF5mKI/AAAAAAAAA3E/9P_fM5ffpu4/s400/Guy-Robot-gallery-04.jpg
20. Fork-o-fork - July 31, 2009 1:00 PM
Well that's the solution then... the package just erupt up out of your toilet!! No annoying walking down to the pickup station.
21. Eskimo Dave - July 31, 2009 1:01 PM
What a silly idea. This is what bike messengers are for.
22. McCracken - July 31, 2009 1:02 PM
Wow, that's a lame idea. And no wonder, it's DHL, they suck.
I'm just gonna stick to the post office or just drive/get a ride to the other side of town and give them the effing thing myself.
23. DrNecropolis - July 31, 2009 1:54 PM
Isn't that what the movie Screamers was about?
24. Daisy - July 31, 2009 2:22 PM
FAKE!!!!
This is a complete photoshop job. You can tell its a fake because the shadow's are all wrong.
This is exactly like that scene in the movie Never Back Down where Max was tunneling out of a prison camp, and had a problem disposing of all the dirt.
25. Tom - July 31, 2009 2:39 PM
They already did this with much simpler pneumatic tubes decades ago, before inexplicably shutting down the whole operation and switching to delivery vans.
26. lewis - July 31, 2009 2:47 PM
@18- im sending your mum a message. *fap* fap * fap*
27. Meseret Hailu - July 31, 2009 2:50 PM
I want to desing better robot moles than these. Wer can I find tree online courses and certification in these?
28. Ballsworthy - July 31, 2009 3:41 PM
Waitaminute. MoleStations. MOLESTATIONS. Heh.
29. Pat - July 31, 2009 4:24 PM
This is just like the commuting tubes of New New York in "Futurama."
30. Jaded Icon - July 31, 2009 5:57 PM
If they can send robots, why don't we send humans through tunnels like this.........oh wait we do and its called a subway.
31. angelika - July 31, 2009 7:03 PM
This looks completely like a copy of www.artmarcovici.com/unitx only that UNITX is a much better concept !
32. Rince - August 2, 2009 8:46 PM
NOOOO!! bike messengers will be out of business!
33. NerdNinja - August 2, 2009 9:40 PM
holy crap... MoleStation=molestation...? i bet they'll change the name, LOL.
34. GeekoFan - August 3, 2009 3:10 AM
Must See!!
http://75684.onodot.com/
35. Web Hosting Reviews - August 18, 2009 12:43 PM
This is really cool post!
This seems to give new updates on the new technologies that was already invented.
This post really sounds very interesting!