Challenge
Bring electric transportation to India’s street vendors, which are designed to enhance business potential and safety.
Solution
Implement SOLIDWORKS® Premium 3D product development software in conjunction with modeling, design, data management, simulation, collaboration, and communication solutions from the 3DEXPERIENCE® Works portfolio—as part of the 3DEXPERIENCE Works for Startups Program.
Results
- Simple collaboration between engineers and designers
- Easily iterate and refine product without worry about data management
- Greatly shorten design cycle from sketches to functional designs
- Seamless integration for data management
There are millions of street vendors in the bustling cities of India. Tigoona Mobility offers these merchants comfortable electric transportation designed to enhance business potential along with safety. The smart tricycles’ optional features include a folding umbrella, a solar-powered light, and customizable and locking compartments.
India’s street vendors are integral to local economies, offering everything from vegetables to newspapers. “In India you have hawkers and street vendors that push their merchandise,” explains Founder and Creative Director Abhijit Bansod of Studio ABD. “The vegetable guy will shout about what vegetables he's selling; the person who's selling newspapers, he'll be shouting about that. Each one has different bells or horns, or other sounds associated with their profession.”
Related Resources
There we got to know about the possibility and potential of what the [3DEXPERIENCE] platform is really offering. It is something both designers and engineers are comfortable using, so there's no loss in translation.
Three Times Improvement
Vendors traditionally covered several miles daily on foot, which limited their sales radius and customer reach. Studio ABD recognized this limitation and offered the Tigoona electric tricycle to increase the range and efficiency of such vendors. The name Tigoona comes from the Hindi word for three times: tingoona. The human-centered design of the Tigoona Mobility product offers three times the customer reach, three times the business potential, and three times the safety—and most importantly, three times the pride. Bonsod elaborates, “Most vendors typically cover five to seven kilometers [per day by foot], but with an e-assist model, they could cover 30 to 40 kilometers, so you're going to engage with a lot more people in a day.”
The smart tricycle was developed by Studio ABD, which uses SOLIDWORKS® for design to precisely craft a functional and reliable product. The innovative Tigoona Mobility product was incubated in the 3DEXPERIENCE® Lab in Pune. “There we got to know about the possibility and potential of what the [3DEXPERIENCE] platform is really offering,” says Bonsod. “It is something both designers and engineers are comfortable using, so there's no loss in translation.”
Increase Safety and Growth
Selling is a necessity for these street vendors. The innovative electric tricycle achieved its aspirations with enhanced safety features to protect its users from the hazards of road travel and enabling street vendors to reach a broader customer base, potentially growing their businesses, and even expanding to new markets.
In particular, this enables local street vendors to 1) Grow their selling radius to increase their daily sales and income, 2) Reduce the physical effort required with the e-assist feature, making their work less strenuous and more enjoyable, and 3) Tap into new markets that were previously inaccessible with the ability to reach greater distances.
Journey of Learning
As the project moves forward, the excitement and commitment of the Studio ABD team suggests that this innovation could redefine street vending in urban and rural landscapes alike. “We want to really solve complex problems, and we are on a journey of learning. The team is excited to explore and implement [our solution] in this coming year,” concludes Bonsod. As the team continues to iterate and refine their product, the focus will be on widespread deployment and continuous improvement based on vendor feedback and technological advancements. The future for street vendors across India is looking brighter.
Products used:
- 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS Premium
- 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS Simulation Designer
- Collaborative Designer for SOLIDWORKS
- Collaborative Industry Innovator
- 3DSwymer roles
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