It is as simple as it gets. The user opens the app on his mobile and declares that he needs to travel to a selected location. The Gondola Mesh system analyzes the possible routes and provides him with a couple of different options – varying in cost and speed of travel.
The user can then choose how he prefers to travel. He can use the default speed – in which the system will move the Gondola Unit using speeds that are optimal from energy efficiency and gear wear perspectives. He can also choose to get to a destination faster by using more energy and getting his journey prioritized – but the cost will be much higher.
If he owns a personal Gondola Pod (available somewhere near the point of origin) system provides him with approx time until the Gondola Frame arrival.
If he does not own a Pod (or his Pod is far away from the point of origin) – the system adds the fee for renting a public Pod and provides him with approx time until the Gondola Unit arrival.
In both cases, waiting time should be under 5 minutes.
In a couple of minutes, Gondola Unit arrives at the destination and notifies the user. The user enters the Pod and is transported to the destination.
In a short-haul (up to 60 km) travels the Gondola Unit should have enough energy stored to complete a journey without the need for changing the Frame.
For long-haul journeys (more than 60 km) the energy available in the Frame that initiates the journey might not be sufficient to complete the travel. The Gondola Mesh system can anticipate this situation and provide the user with a fresh (fully charged) frame before the current one gets out of power.
The Pod (with the travellers on board) is moved from the frame with depleted batteries to the fully charged one and continues the journey – the user does not need to wait for charging. The Frame with depleted batteries returns to Gondola Base to be fully re-charged and used in another journey.
For the very long journeys (hundreds of kilometres, crossing country borders) the Pod might be loaded into specialised trains or flying units – for more info see the topic “How about flying?“
After the journey is completed the user leaves the Gondola Unit at a destination. If the Pod belongs to the user the Gondola Mesh routes the Unit to leave the Pod in the nearest available parking spot. The Frame returns to the nearest Gondola Base. In case the Pod was rented, the whole Unit returns to the nearest Gondola Base.