The 2008 Peugeot Design Competition has produced yet another interesting concept car, this time in the shape of an omnidirectional pod that looks just like a water-drop. Called the MoVille, this single-seater pod designed by Woo-Ram Lee is compact in size and is powered by solar energy, providing motion to the huge spherical wheels via electromagnets.

The MoVille (which bears a strong resemblance to the Drupal logo) is designed to take up as little space on the road as possible. It would apparently feature artificial intelligence to recognize and welcome its owner (strangers get steamrolled) or to drive itself to a destination you specify. It could also be driven manually, not by an old fashioned wheel, but via a drive-by-wire system hooked up to a gadget like a mobile phone (Bond style) or a gaming console.

Parking should be a breeze with the omnidirectional wheels and such a small wheelbase, but for those really dreadful parkers, it would come with proximity sensors and cameras. If you still can’t manage, just switch to automatic and let MoVille park for you.

You can access the pod via its dual sliding window doors which feature photovoltaic cells to keep you powered up. The pod itself is made from unpainted biodegradable plastic.

The MoVille is one of 29 finalists in this year’s competition which has now come to a close. If you’d like to vote for this design or any of the other 28 finalists, head on over to Peugeot where you have a shot at winning an XBOX 360 (closes 15th Sept 2008).

Sources:
TheDesignBlog and Peugeot