Join Opel peers into electric car future with the One Euro
The world’s economies are still in major turmoil, and it does not look as though there is going to be a quick and painless solution in sight anytime soon. Well, this is the result of spending for so many decades without closing in the gap on the deficit for the majority of countries out there. Having said that, the cost of living looks set to increase all the time, and transportation costs do not look likely to drop, either. You might be able to own a car now, but can you afford the fuel?
Hybrid cars as well as electric vehicles could very well be the future so that we will be less dependent on the reserves of ‘black gold’ that are sitting underneath most countries in the Middle East. Opel certainly knows this, which is why they intend to shape the future with their version of an electric car, which is the One Euro. This particular model will be able to seat two (it definitely looks sleek enough to impress more than a single date, especially when you take this for a cruise down the hottest stretch in town on a Saturday night), but it won’t be able to go fast mind you.
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First man-made electric helicopter constructed by Frenchmen
A while ago, I remember covering an inspirational story about a Chinese man who builds his own helicopter. I am just as inspired by Pascal Chretien, a French man who has created the first fully electric helicopter.
Mr. Chretien does not work for any big company, he is an electronics and aerospace engineer who practically built this craft single-handed. Considering that the big helicopter company Sikorsky has been trying to perfect their own electric helicopter known as the Firefly for years, Mr. Chretien’s accomplishment is quite impressive.
Yes, Chretien’s flew only three feet off the ground for two minutes and 10 seconds. Like most great feats of aviation, giant steps are often small ones. Think about the Wright Brothers’s 100-foot flight.
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External Combustion Kraftwagen
Now here is something you do not see every day – the $999.95 External Combustion Kraftwagen that is actually a vehicle to help you get around for your daily work. Yes sir, this is a fully operational car that is powered by an external combustion Stirling engine. As with many reliable machinery in this world, this is made in Germany from machine-tooled solid brass, stainless steel, and aluminum. How does it get to work though? Does it run on oil? No, it relies on the thermodynamic principle of a regenerative heat engine, using the expansion and compression of air to get the job done.
There is also an alcohol burner that is placed in the rear heats a cylinder, where a quick twist of its brass flywheel will set the engine’s displacement and working pistons into motion up to 2,000 rpm. Four flywheels will spin in unison to drive the couple of 3.5″ diameter rubber-bound wheels, while a third wheel located right in front is able to be manually turned 360º, letting the car to perform autonomous circles while it putters efficiently.
This is a green vehicle since it emits non-toxic exhaust fumes from a full burner of ethyl alcohol, where the engine can operate for up to 20 minutes at a go.
World’s Largest Solar-Powered Boat on a World Tour
I really like the look of PlanetSolar’s TURANOR. Not only does it look like a spaceship on water, but it is very eco-friendly as well.
As you might have guessed, the boat is covered with solar panels, about 5,380 square feet worth. In case you are wondering, the solar panels aren’t as fragile as they look. There are pictures from my Source of people walking on it.
These solar panels power two electric motors that can reach a speed of 15 miles an hour. Yes, that is pretty slow, and the TURANOR is on a long world tour.
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MIT Media Lab City Car could be our automobile future
MIT Media Lab showed off this particular CityCar at a conference lately, and it is very good. Just to let you know, it is still a concept, but it should be full-sized and in production in about 2013.
You can watch a video of it after the jump, and you can see that it has a very unusual folding ability. The folding is perfect for city parking places, where space is an issue. Just think how much less room these cars would take up in comparison to full size cars of today!
The folding also serves a secondary purpose as it allows the driver to get into the car standing instead of that acute or obtuse angle that one does when getting in the driver’s seat of ordinary vehicles.
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Six-engine Oliver VTOL plane
Yes, this cool-looking aircraft doesn’t exist as yet. This is the Oliver VTOL (Vertical Take-Off Landing), and it has six engines instead of the usual three of a jet engine.
Some of you might be wondering how such a vehicle could land. This is because you are seeing it from the front-facing view. If you could see it from the side, then you would know that the “top” and “bottom” propellers are at about the same level as the middle propellers. There are two propellers in the back and two in front that can swivel upward so the plane can take off without a runway.
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Boeing teaches two UAVs to flock together
Boeing is always doing some interesting experiments with Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) before, and they have just created a new “milestone” with multiple unmanned aerial drones.
Granted, it was only two drones (Boeing ScanEagles), but the company got them to fly together. These vehicles searched a test area through “self-generating waypoints and terrain mapping, and sent information to teams on the ground”.
This means that unmanned aircraft can collect and use data while communicating with each other for their mission. I’m sure that you can easily imagine more than two aircraft involved in a search-and-rescue mission or perhaps a military invasion.
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Trek Light Cycle Push Bike
Tron has clearly has an influence on “geek culture”, and I don’t see why someone hasn’t made a push bike that looks like a Tron light cycle.
It appears that Trek designer Ryan Callahan has created a Tron scooter with the Trek Light Cycle Push Bike. Yes, that is its full name, as long and drawn out as it is. My Source does not have much information on this, but you will note the blue lights in between the wheels. I wonder if this is battery powered or if the wheels in motion power these lights. I don’t know if it has the feature, but I know that it does not have the ability to make a wall behind it as it rides.
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