After reading AO's Personal Elevators idea and wanting my car to function in said device, I found myself considering the difficulties in parking inside an office. Then I realized the similaraties between my cubicle and my car. They both have a comfortable chair, a phone, a coffee cup, stuff lying around, and the concept of accepted confinement.
My idea is a car with the dimensions of a cubicle. There will be a comfortable chair with retractible seat belt, and a computer with monitor that converts to an instrument pannel. The carbicle is driven directly into the building into a Personal Elevator system, then driven into the place that would be your cube.
Benefits: Want to work at home? You have your office with you! Want to work at the beach? No problem. Tired of getting out of your car and walking to your office? No longer an issue. Office air conditionig set too low? Turn on your heater.-- Worldgineer, May 13 2003 AO's Private Elevators idea http://web.archive....Private_20ElevatorsInspiration for this idea [Worldgineer, Oct 05 2004, last modified Feb 02 2005] Simla http://www.halfbake.../Cubicle_20Elevatorbut no road permit. [DrCurry, Oct 05 2004] Never Leave Your Car http://www.halfbake...0Leave_20Your_20CarSame intent. [phoenix, Oct 05 2004] Street-legal Planemate http://www.halfbake...t-legal_20Planemate"...Make the thing a mobile office!" [phoenix, Oct 05 2004] MAIT http://www.maitint.orgUsed to have pictures of moving rooms on their site [pashute, Apr 06 2005] Similar, though more psychedelic it's AfroAssault's justly lauded Psychedelic_20Mobile_20Toilet_20Cube [calum, Dec 05 2006] The drivers seat / desk chair would also be a toilet, to avoid having to leave the carbicle.-- bungston, May 13 2003 Another benefit: your monitor converts into a TV, letting the truely sedentary to stay seated when returning home. Add the occasional drive through, and perhaps there is no need for a home.-- Worldgineer, May 13 2003 ...a keyboard that neatly folds back up under the dash after sitting comfortably on your lap for use...a windshield that also works as a monitor...the CPU built into the dash with multiple CD drives...cable ready and wireless internet service...top of the gear shift is a roller mouse....-- OpheliaFrump, May 13 2003 Hehe! I just knew you had fallen out of Dilbert.-- pluterday, May 13 2003 put a functional toilet under the seat cushion and you have my vote.-- Freefall, May 13 2003 Vroom, vroom. +-- k_sra, May 13 2003 Vroom Vroom Room. Or Vroom with a View.-- jurist, May 14 2003 Don't forget the Secretary in the back seat.-- thumbwax, May 14 2003 And then, on the other hand, spending all this additional time in your office environment might be considered "Bad Carma".-- jurist, May 14 2003 Bad Carma if you run over a dogma.-- sufc, May 14 2003 "Boss, I can't make it into work today. I totalled my cube."-- krelnik, May 14 2003 Gives whole new meaning to "My computer crashed".-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, May 14 2003 Worldgineer, your genius is maddening. Now where do I put my pink fuzzy dice...
but then "still-in-the-office accessories" become nullified.
Exective parking spots = corner office spot.
+++++++ !-- mahatma, May 14 2003 [FM]'s link: Not even close - we're talking a large box, maximizing the street legal width (and height?) more similar to a small winnebago but even more boxy and with bulletin-board interior walls.
Pink fuzzy dice can adorn your work lamp.-- Worldgineer, May 14 2003 How about a bike that transforms into an office? A cubicycle.-- friendlyfire, May 14 2003 A specially designated building is not needed. Carbicles can congregate anywhere, at a parking garage, at a rest stop, or at the beach. Wherever there are carbicles, there’s the workplace. Special support carbicles with vending machine, copiers, and lavs would be needed. Great for those companies on the go.-- pluterday, May 14 2003 or those fly by night operations/syndicates-- LoneRifle, May 14 2003 Random thought. Would an injury while driving fall under auto, health, or workers' compensation insurance?-- Worldgineer, Jun 23 2003 NOW!!! I need this NOW!!! I'd love it!-- bryaninbama, Jan 30 2004 This completely solves the massive parking problem at large corporate offices. And they could institute it immediately just by enclosing the existing parking lot, providing ventilation for exhaust, and installing wireless networking and phone connections. Sheer, unmitigated genius. Perhaps RVs could be used as conference rooms, valet-driven to pick you up at your workstation. Problem: your poor personal finance skills would be apparent to all who pass by your 85 Chevette with the cracked windshield to check on that project report.-- ConsultingDetective, Jan 31 2004 Buy one of these European Smart cars, go from there...-- KLRico, Jan 31 2004 Carbon monoxide might be a problem or the ever feared hallway traffic jam on the way to the food court-- nathangk, May 19 2004 CO is easily solved with good ventilation. Systems designed for parking lots often have CO sensors already. Food court? It's called a drive through.-- Worldgineer, May 19 2004 Convert a disused drive-in movie theatre into office space? Nice big Powerpoint screen there, got your toilet facils, catering, intercom, the works.
And the long walk to the concession stand helps keep the workforce fit.
Issue everyone with one of those new hybrid WiFI/cellphones that talks to the internal PABX on premises, and hands off to the cell network when you leave - let it also function as a modem for your tablet/slate/laptop/car computer whatsit.
I remember seeing a kind of people-mover/mobile office hybrid on one of those "Beyond 2000" type programs - kind of a slightly larger, upscale bimbo box - rear seats swivel into conference-room config, internal LAN/WLAN, phone, fax, etc etc etc. Oh and chauffer of course.
I'd like to see a clear distinction between driving and work modes/spaces/configurations in the carbicle. Perhaps the driver's seat should swivel rearward away from the steering wheel and into the "office" proper. Reduce the temptation to drive and work. In fact, some kind of disabling interlock for all the office crud would most likely be essential if this thing is ever to get road safety approvals.
This would be ideal for workforces that already do a large proportion of their work on the road (real estate, service techs, cops). Indeed, their arsenal of geek weaponry is already moving in that direction, whether briefcase, pocket, or in-vehicle mounted.
[+] if they're all hydrogen powered :)-- BunsenHoneydew, Aug 11 2005 Hydrogen fuel cells, with mains voltage power points.-- david_scothern, Aug 11 2005 Fuel economy would probably be poor. Somebody would need to find an elegant solution to attempt connection to utility infrastructure (AC power, network, HVAC, maybe even water and waste) when the Carbicle is parked. Exterior vehicle color should match your house if you dock outside at night...few will have a sufficiently large garage.-- ed, Dec 09 2005 A hybrid vehicle concept (well baked) should work well with this. Just plug your vehicle in and the motor will turn off. A simple core-tenant system will work well for HVAC - you'd each have your own air conditioning.-- Worldgineer, Dec 09 2005 I want to keep work seperate from any leasure activity! Including my car!!^&%*^*(%-- plbmak, Dec 05 2006 Great idea [+] The idea of it being propelled with eletric motors seems practical but I don't think I'd feel safe parking my hydrogen-filled carbicle next to 10 or 20 other peoples hydrogen filled carbicles.... Someone rear ends somone else and hits their tank and the chain reaction starts.-- acurafan07, Dec 05 2006 Brilliant idea - have a croissant. Just thinking...it would be useful to keep the vehicle size and weight down to minimise emmissions and optimise handling. Maybe if the top of the car could be lifted off when it arrived, it would minimise a feeling of claustraphobia.-- senake, Dec 05 2006 random, halfbakery