UPES student designs electric scooter ‘Switch’ for a pollution-free commute

Adhithya Vishnu M, Final year B. Design student, School of Design, suggests a unique electric scooter model called ‘Switch’ to help build a sustainable commute option after the lockdown period is over

Amidst a massive discussion on how to lower carbon footprint while coping with the stress of a pandemic, Adhithya comes up with a viable solution to the problem of short-range transportation.  “The project,” he informs, “was a pro-active exercise that I was a part of at Lucid Design, Bangalore during my summer internship last year (June 4, 2019 – August 4, 2019). I was in charge of the concept work, form analysis and the packaging of the product.” He further adds that certain modifications were made to the design by the head of the firm after he left, to make it more viable. The design has been featured in Yanko Design, an online magazine dedicated to covering the best in international product design.

Switch is an electric scooter model designed specifically to solve the problems of public transportation, crowded parking and pollution. Electric scooters are not an entirely new concept as there are existing products in the market. But the edge that Switch has is that it is truly portable. The user can fold it completely using the flat-pack mechanism and carry it along anywhere in a backpack.

Adhithya figured out how the mechanism would work in the scooter under the guidance of Mr. Amit Mirchandani., Design Director of Lucid Design. “The entire project was a team effort to find out a more eco-friendly and reliable mobility solution. It was the guidance from my mentors, Adil and Amit, that resulted in the product that the firm has made. It is only because of the skills that I had gained from my time at UPES that allowed me to reach where I am today.” He adds that the entire project wouldn’t have been possible without team effort. Switch has an enabled fingerprint unlock button located just below the handlebar. It additionally uses a high capacity battery that can be conveniently swapped for a fully-charged one. The scooter also has an integrated navigation system for user convenience.