(CNN) -- Living in Tokyo, Japan, during the late '90s, Geoffrey Barnett found it extremely difficult -- even dangerous -- to ride his bicycle to work every day. "The traffic is incredible, and there's so much pollution," said Barnett, an Australian who worked in the city as an English teacher. His students shared his frustration, and they would often talk about Tokyo's jam-packed streets during class. "It was always a topic of discussion that motivated the students to talk, because it was a part of their life as well," Barnett recalled. Out of those frequent discussions evolved Barnett's idea for Shweeb, a system of personal, pedal-powered monorail pods that he hopes can one day become an alternative form of urban transit. With Shweeb, pods hang from an elevated track that, theoretically, would stretch to destinations throughout a city.
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Shweeb, a pedal-powered monorail, wins $1 million from Google
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Inventor pushes "a system that would change the world"
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Google says Shweeb could be a low-cost, eco-friendly solution to traffic woes
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But expert sees more potential in light-rail trains and plug-in hybrid cars
During its global search, @placeholder was able to see a Shweeb prototype in action.
While there's still a long way to go until his ultimate vision can be fulfilled, Barnett said he feels encouraged by @placeholder's vote of confidence.