Surface Transport

Surface transport technology includes all the devices for traveling along the surface of a planetary body or along surfaces within space habitats, spacecraft, or large structures on or within any of the above. This includes vehicles as well as any network of support structures.
 
Articles
  • Amphibian (vehicle) - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    A vehicle that can function equally well on or under the water and on land. See also Triphibious. Such vehicles are very popular on Pacifica, Oro Mistral, and other water worlds.
  • Cargo Gel  - Text by Todd Drashner
    Utility fog based device used for transporting cargo in a wide range of environments from planetary surfaces to interstellar spac
  • Flo-stone  - Text by Todd Drashner
    Nanotech based material used for flooring and originally designed to simulate the look and feel of marble or ceramic.
  • Groundborne Independent Quadrobile (GIQ)  - Text by Thorbjørn Steen
    Ground transport with four independently powered wheels.
  • Mecha  - Text by Steve Bowers
    Humanoid Armoured Fighting Vehicle, basically a manned walking weapons platform. Can range from an armoured exoskelton only slightly larger than the occupant, to an excessively large construct the size of a skyscraper.
  • MultiModal Personal Rapid Transport  - Text by Steve Bowers
    Otherwise known as People Pods, these small vehicles can utilise a number of different modes.
  • Omnicraft  - Text by Todd Drashner
    Versatile mode of transport designed to operate and provide accommodations in a wide range of environments from planetary surfaces to interplanetary space.
  • Personal Transport, Hitech  - Text by Terrafamilia
    Some modes of personal transport that became possible during the Nanotech Age.
  • RV-5 Transport Vehicle - Text by M. Alan Kazlev inspired by entry by Kevin Self
    Robust and popular Federation era all-environment wheeled vehicle used by extraterrestrial mining and exploration teams. The RV-5 carried four crew and a limited amount of cargo, and came with turingrade expert systems and pilots. Both electric and hydrogen fuel cell versions were available. Variants on the design remained common for centuries on many middle region, frontier and less developed worlds.
  • Scrub Slug  - Text by David Jackson
    Large or very large footed ground vehicles for military or civilian use.
  • Slidewalks and RiverRoads  - Text by Stephen Inniss
    Moving walkways - transport for passengers and other objects.
  • Telescopic Limbs  - Text by John Edds
    Robotic limbs capable of extreme elongation with respect to their minimum length
  • Triphibious - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    A vehicle that is able to travel on or under water, on land, and in the air. Triphibious vehicles are very popular on Pacifica.
  • Vac Trains  - Text by Todd Drashner
    Fast train transport in evacuated tubes to reduce atmospheric resistance.
  • Vechidai, Vechai  - Text by Michael Boncher
    Limbed or skirted vehicles or weapons platforms
  • Vehvecs  - Text by Tony Jones, with additions by Steve Bowers
    Independent-minded sophont vehicles.
 
Related Topics
Atmospheric TransportInterplanetary TransportInterstellar Transport
Liquid TransportSubsurface TransportSurface Transport
Surface-To-Orbit TransportTransportation
 
Development Notes
Text by Stephen Inniss

Initially published on 28 February 2009.