Transportation
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A decade ago, Delta and US Airways shuttles were the preferred mode of travel between the cities. But high fares, slow and frequent flight delays — along with Amtrak’s high-speed Acela trains, online ticketing and workstation amenities — have eaten away at the airlines’ share of passengers.
Air Travel’s Hassles Drive Riders to Amtrak’s Acela
Kenguru, the first drive-from-wheelchair EV, enters production
The Kenguru drive-from-wheelchair electric car Image Gallery (14 images) Though its undoubtedly true to say that mobility vehicles designed for wheelchair access exist, like AM General's MV-1 these generally relegate the wheelchair user to backseat passenger.
First manned flight of FanWing aircraft planned for next year
With a traditional airplane, a propellor or jet engine pulls it forward, and lift is created as air subsequently flows over the wings. FanWing aircraft are a little different. They have a powered horizontal rotary fan along the leading edge of their single wing, which serves to pull air over it, creating lift without the need for speed.
Zyvex Marine's latest nanotech-enabled lightweight boat, the LRV-17 Image Gallery (5 images) The purveyors of fine nanotech-enabled lightweight boats at Zyvex Technologies have been in touch to tell Gizmag about their latest creation, the LRV-17, developed to combat piracy off the coast of Africa. At 17.35 m (57 ft), the LRV-17 is a slightly bigger boat than Zyvex's unmanned Piranha USV , but unlike its piscine predecessor the LRV-17 can support of a crew of six for up to five days. Thanks to its weight, Zyvex claims its 1500 nautical mile (2778 km) range can outdistance other boats of its size by a factor of three - hence LRV, which stands for long-range vessel. Like the Piranha, the LRV-17 is made from "carbon fiber nanocomposites," Arovex and Epovex, which are crucial in keeping the boat's weight down to 17,900 pounds (8100 kg).
Nanotech versus the pirates: Zyvex Marine unveils the LRV-17
In the 1800s, when pneumatic tubes shot telegrams and small items all around buildings and sometimes small cities, the future of mass transit seemed clear: we'd be firing people around through these sealed tubes at high speeds. And it turns out we've got the technology to do that today – mag-lev rail lines remove all rolling friction from the energy equation for a train, and accelerating them through a vacuum tunnel can eliminate wind resistance to the point where it's theoretically possible to reach blistering speeds over 4,000 mph (6,437 km/h) using a fraction of the energy an airliner uses – and recapturing a lot of that energy upon deceleration. Ultra-fast, high efficiency ground transport is technologically within reach – so why isn't anybody building it? The next frontier of speed Vacuum tube-based transport has a lot of things going for it.
Ultra-efficient 4,000 mph vacuum-tube trains – why aren't they being built?
Drayson sets EV record at Goodwood
The Lola-Drayson B12/69EV has set a speed record for electric cars, at the Goodwood Festival of Speed (Photo: Noel McKeegan/Gizmag) Image Gallery (3 images) This past January, the Lola-Drayson B12/69EV was unveiled to the public. Created by Drayson Racing Technologies and the Lola Cars group, it promised to be the fastest electric-powered racing car in the world.
California Proves Big Things Are Still Possible
Squeeeeee! We're getting high speed rail here in California!!!! To say that I'm giddy with excitement would be an understatement. It wasn't certain that the vote would go our way, so it's with a huge sigh of relief that I share this with you :
Survive the apocalypse with Hyundai Hyundai is getting in on the incessant zombie trend with an actual concept car designed to mow down the fearsome hordes of undead brain suckers. It's called the Zombie Survival Machine, and it looks exactly like what it sounds like. Hyundai has partnered with Robert Kirkman, creator of the famed comic book and graphic novel The Walking Dead , in building the concept for Comic-Con. "I don't know a lot about cars, but I do know a lot about the zombie apocalypse and what I would like to have to survive," Kirkman explains in the video below.
Hyundai prepares for the apocalypse with Zombie Survival Machine
Czech engineers set to build six-prop Flying Bike
From the Jetsons to Back To The Future , hopping onto or into a personal flying vehicle has been on the engineering "To Do" list for a good many years. We've seen a number of noteworthy attempts at defying gravity and taking to the skies here at Gizmag (many of which are featured in this roundup from 2010) and now another possible addition to that growing collection has landed on our desk. Known simply as the Flying Bike (or FBike), this collaborative effort from a bunch of Czech companies and enthusiasts is still very much in the early stages of development, but the proposal is to fit a number of electrically-driven propellers to the custom frame of a two-wheeler that will allow the pilot to rise above the traffic for as long as the batteries hold out. The FBike project began in the autumn of 2011 with a proposal to create an e-bike, but enthusiasts from Czech companies Technodat, Evektor and Duratec set their sights on loftier designs instead.
New SplinterBike Quantum all-wooden bike launched in time for London 2012 Festival
Around about this time last year, we featured an all-wooden bike named SplinterBike that went on to be viewed by over 320,000 visitors to the Power of Making exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. A second version was used to set a new speed record for 100 percent wooden bikes in August 2011 and now the creator of both, Michael Thompson, has built a special SplinterBike Quantum (SBQ) edition for the 2012 London Olympics. A few design changes have been made to allow a variety of visitors to the Adain Avion event at the London 2012 Festival to mount up and ride an all-wooden bike for themselves, including adjustable seat height and a different gearing setup. Launched earlier today, the SBQ is said to have been created in response to the staggering amount of public interest shown in the previous two models, and at the request of Adain Avion London 2012 Cultural Olympiad.
FlyNano achieves first test flight - Images
The FlyNano prototype, at Finland's Lake Hepari Image Gallery (2 images) Last April, we told you about the FlyNano – a single-occupant petrol/electric microlight amphibious aircraft being developed by a Finnish aeronautical firm of the same name. At the time, some readers expressed skepticism, rightly pointing out that there was no video of the plane actually flying.BMW has further strengthened its commitment to an electric mobility future by announcing the opening of its first i Store on July 25. To celebrate the event, the German auto giant has developed a new folding pedal-electric bike called the i Pedelec. Like the Voltitude , the new bike can be rolled along when folded to make getting on and off trains or buses, or in and out of elevators, a little less troublesome, and benefits from a geared electric hub motor, high performance batteries and disc braking at the front and rear. BMW also says that two folded i Pedelec bikes can be comfortably squeezed into the trunk space of its forthcoming i3 EV, and that their batteries can be charged while in there. Situated next door to its BMW and MINI Stores on Park Lane in London, UK the new i Store showroom is described as a dedicated customer-oriented access point for its future range of electric vehicles and associated support solutions.
BMW unveils i Pedelec bicycle concept
The felidae family is perhaps the most multi-personalitied family in the entire animal kingdom. It spans everything from huge, predatory beasts that would sooner tear you apart limb by limb, sinew by sinew than look at you, to tiny, amicable (although somewhat aloof and self-serving) pets that wander gracefully around home and yard. We think that might be why Tiger Adventure Vehicles chose its name. As its latest vehicle the Siberian Tiger shows, Tiger's line of campers has two distinct, equally strong personalities: hardened and fearsome on the outside but gentle and welcoming on the inside. The Siberian tiger is the largest cat in the world, so Tiger Adventures chose to use the name for its largest, most expensive Tiger camper model.