Humans are almost preoccupied with how we get from point A to point B. This week's roundup features jet-powered cars, a self-driving car, a concept Cadillac and airless tires.
1. Equinox Race Car
The Equinox race car concept from automotive designer Ben Tabbitt features two jet engines atop six wheels and multiple stability fins. It's a wonder that such a vehicle wouldn't just lift off into the wild blue yonder. Who knows. It might. The car is strictly a concept, but we love the way it looks.
2. Delta Wing Car
Although this hot rod looks like a racing car, it's actually a four-passenger, street-legal vehicle based on Delta Technologies' all-electric DeltaWing ZEOD RC. The Atlanta, Georgia-based company unveiled the concept earlier this week and say they want to produce a sleek street vehicle that has all of the aerodynamic, lightweight and handling benefits of their race car. Cool.
3. Airless Tire
It's almost an oxymoron, like jumbo shrimp, but BriTek's airless tire is exactly that. It's comprised of two layers of rubber - one inner and and one outer. Adjustable spokes stretch the inner layer of rubber to increase or decrease tension. While riding over a road, the inner layer gets compressed and then releases elastic potential energy that's converted into forward momentum.
4. Cool Caddy
This car is strictly a concept, but dang, it's cool. It comes from industrial designer, Ondrej Jirec, who worked it up while studying at the Art Centre College of Design in Pasadena, California. Although no where near production, we can always dream about it.
5. Google's New Self-Driving Car
Until now, the Toyota Prius has been the vehicle behind Google's self-driving car. But this week, Google unveiled a super cute self-driver that looks like the offspring of a Mini Cooper and an Volkswagon bug sans the steering wheel. At first, this car will likely follow pre-defined routes at a maximum speed of 25 miles per hour. But we have to start somewhere, right?
6. Flying Jet Car
A team of engineers and automotive designers are working on a flying car that sports a jet engine. Greg Brown and Dave Fawcett's GF7 will feature a luxury sedan for a body. On the highway, it will motor around via an electric engine. For the air, a jet engine will power this puppy up to 550 mile per hour. Whoosh!
7. 3D-Printed Fruit
What can't be 3D-printed? Fruits you say? No, fruits can be 3D-printed. Cambridge, England-based Dovetailed has come up with a way to print fruits, including apples, pears and raspberries. The foodie printer relies on spherification, a molecular-gastronomy technique that creates fruit-flavoured droplets. According to the company, the taste, texture, size and shape of the fruit can all be customized.
8. KID Fitness
Recess time at school is much reduced compared to what it was decades ago. That combined with bad food and the allure of electronic, couch-sitting games is leading to childhood obesity. Attivo wants to give kids a good reason to get outside and play. To that end, they've designed playground equipment that exercises the entire body as well as improves agility and coordination. For example, a climbing station works the upper body and a skateboard ramp improves balance and builds core muscles. An inventive goal has a net down the centre, which allow two groups on either side to use it. Great for smaller spaces.
9. Floating City
Chinese construction company AT Design Office wants to make living at sea, well, liveable. They've designed a floating city concept that would drift along ocean currents like an iceberg. The structure would be self-sustaining thanks to farms, hatcheries, recycling systems, a central ventilation shaft and a tidal energy plant at the bottom of the structure.
10. Anti-Fogging Material Mimics Fly Eyes
Fly eyes see perfectly fine in moist environments. So scientists decided to mimic the hexagonal structures in a fly's eye to create anti-fog materials. A coating made from the material could be used on any glass product or to protect wires and electronic networks from freezing.
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