CURVO is not merely another ropeway; it is the world’s first, non-linear aerial ropeway system, engineered to move horizontal with slight inclines through the complex geometry of modern cities with intelligence, agility negotiating bends along the existing roads. A prototype is already on the road in Kolkata, India.

Ropeways that bend within city

CRSPL, a pioneering Indian ropeway company, developed CURVO through years of careful research and precise engineering. The system can follow non-linear routes horizontal with slight inclines along urban roads.

Drawing on over 55 years of industry expertise, Founder and Chairman of CRSPL, Mr. Shekhar Chakravarty, envisioned a ropeway system that bends with the city, effortlessly integrating into complex urban landscapes.

CURVO represents the bold realization of that vision through innovation of a globally patented, next-generation solution.

Initial situation

Conventional ropeway systems either move strictly in straight lines between stations or require full intermediate stations to take turns, which is often difficult in urban areas. It also requires elevated adjustments to pass over buildings and other obstacles interfering the linear alignment.

In the winding, irregular grids of most cities, this rigidity limits their usability. CURVO, addresses this challenge by enabling aerial transport to navigate curves just like ground vehicles, fully adapting to the cityscape.

“CURVO’s brilliance lies in the effortless way it achieves what was once impossible-turning corners at line speed, without detachment form the rope “, says Rachana Mukherjee, Owner and Director at CRSPL.

The unique innovation has paved the path for a huge market for urban aerial transport industry in sync with the global requirement of sustainable urban transport.

Technology overview

The CURVO system introduces a world first non-linear gripping technology. It is oriented vertically relative to the rope and can negotiate non-linear alignments, including horizontal curves, at line speed without detaching from the rope.

To negotiate horizontal bends, the cabin passes through an “angular module“. The carriage or gripping device transfers onto a pair of shunt rails via articulated track wheel frames mounted on the grip.

This design shifts the suspension centroid to negotiate the horizontal deviation, allowing the grip to travel smoothly along curved rails. The rope is guided by multiple horizontal rollers parallel to the curve.

Advantages of CURVO

CURVO is particularly suited for urban environments, providing seamless overhead connectivity without interfering with road traffic:

Height: CURVO requires a clearance of 6-7 meters from the road surface as it follows the road alignment. Linear Systems sometimes need 40-50-meter-high towers to pass over buildings.

Land requirement: CURVO needs minimal ground space for stations roughly 50 m² and intermediate support frames roughly 10 m² which can be spaced 90-100 meters apart along road curbs. Linear Systems often require land for high-rise terminal and intermediate stations.

Accessibility: Boarding and deboarding stations can be placed overhead as per the urban planning requirements along the route.

First- & last-mile connectivity: The flexible CURVO system can serve as a feeder to existing transport networks such as railways, metros, airports, & bus stations, with unified ticketing and seamless intermodal integration.

Maintenance: “Routine maintenance and emergency interventions are easier to manage “, as Mr. Kamal Kumar Bose, Managing Director of CRSPL, points out.

Speed: CURVO travels faster than the average vehicular speed and also reaches directly to destination unlike some linear ropeways.

Privacy & Clearances: CURVO travels above existing roads rather than directly over habitat residential areas requiring clearances from local authorities or private landowners.

Conclusion

Together, these elements transform ropeways from a rigid, point-to-point infrastructure into a fluid, modular mobility platform – capable of adapting to complex terrains, urban environments and scalable network configuration in urban cities where land availability is limited and where we have to respect heritage structures and existing urban infrastructure.

Rachana Mukherjee emphasizes: “The result is a new design class of aerial transport where traditional systems cannot operate and positions CURVO as technical leader in next-generation aerial mobility.“

In short, CURVO doesn’t merely improve ropeway transport – it reinvents it, unlocking an entirely new frontier of continuous, flexible, and globally scalable sustainable movement.