Barrels and cones dot an open field in Saline, Mich., forming an obstacle course for a modified vehicle. A driver remotely steers the vehicle through the course from a nearby location as a researcher looks on. Occasionally, the researcher instructs the driver to keep the wheel straight—a trajectory that appears to put the vehicle on a collision course with a barrel. Despite the driver’s actions, the vehicle steers itself around the obstacle, transitioning control back to the driver once the danger has passed.

The key to the maneuver is a new semiautonomous safety system developed by Sterling Anderson, a PhD student in MIT’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, and Karl Iagnemma, a principal research scientist in MIT’s Robotic Mobility Group.

The system uses an onboard camera and laser rangefinder to identify hazards in a vehicle’s environment. The team devised an algorithm to analyze the data and identify safe zones—avoiding, for example, barrels in a field, or other cars on a roadway. The system allows a driver to control the vehicle, only taking the wheel when the driver is about to exit a safe zone.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Anderson, who has been testing the system in Michigan since last September, describes it as an “intelligent co-pilot” that monitors a driver’s performance and makes behind-the-scenes adjustments to keep the vehicle from colliding with obstacles, or within a safe region of the environment, such as a lane or open area.

“The real innovation is enabling the car to share [control] with you,” Anderson says. “If you want to drive, it’ll just … make sure you don’t hit anything.”

The group presented details of the safety system recently at the Intelligent Vehicles Symposium in Spain.

Off the beaten path

Robotics research has focused in recent years on developing systems—from cars to medical equipment to industrial machinery—that can be controlled by either robots or humans. For the most part, such systems operate along preprogrammed paths.

As an example, Anderson points to the technology behind self-parking cars. To parallel park, a driver engages the technology by flipping a switch and taking his hands off the wheel. The car then parks itself, following a preplanned path based on the distance between neighboring cars.

While a planned path may work well in a parking situation, Anderson says when it comes to driving, one or even multiple paths is far too limiting.

“The problem is, humans don’t think that way,” Anderson says. “When you and I drive, [we don’t] choose just one path and obsessively follow it. Typically you and I see a lane or a parking lot, and we say, ‘Here is the field of safe travel, here’s the entire region of the roadway I can use, and I’m not going to worry about remaining on a specific line, as long as I’m safely on the roadway and I avoid collisions.’”

Click here to read the rest of this article at MIT News Office.

With a projected range of 200 miles and a top speed of 120 mhp, this vehicle has real practical uses in mind.

Lit Motors calls the C1 “The world’s first gyroscopically stabilized rolling smart phone. This vehicle combines the efficiency and freedom of a motorcycle with the safety and convenience of a car. Offering the alternated to alternatives on an exciting and safe platform, the C-1 transforms your daily commute into something to look forward to.”

Click here to view the embedded video.

Dutch Innovation

A team of top engineers has been working on the first prototypes. Renowned institutes such as the Dutch National Aerospace Laboratory and Delft University are involved in the development. The driving prototype was fully tested in 2009 and now the flying-driving prototype made its first flights. The PAL-V complies with existing regulations in all major markets, which means that the vehicle is allowed both in road traffic and in the air.

Robert Dingemanse, CEO and co-founder of PAL-V commented: “We are very proud to announce this successful maiden flight of the PAL-V and we now invite investors to create the future with us. We know there is a lot of interest for the PAL-V. Prior to announcing these test flights, we were already approached on a daily basis by potential customers and dealers wanting to be part of this exciting project.”

Click here to view the embedded video.

Door-to-Door Mobility

A PAL-V offers the choice of flying like a plane or driving like a car. This means fast door-to-door mobility for private individuals as well as professionals and organizations. The flying range will be between 350 (220 miles) and 500 km (315 miles), depending on the type and pay load. Driving, a PAL-V will have a range of about 1200 km (750 miles). It runs on gasoline and there will also be versions that use biodiesel or bio-ethanol. It can reach speeds of up to 180 km/h (110 miles/h) both on land and in the air.

On the ground the aerodynamic, 3-wheeled vehicle combines the comfort of a car with the agility of a motorcycle thanks to its patented, cutting-edge, ’tilting’ system. Driving, a PAL-V accelerates like a sports car.

Flying, a PAL-V is like a standard gyrocopter. It is quieter than helicopters due to the slower rotation of the rotor. It takes off and lands with low speed, cannot stall, and is very easy to control. This makes a PAL-V one of the safest types of aircraft. Obtaining a licence requires only 20 to 30 hours of training.

It is possible to land a PAL-V practically anywhere. For take-off, a strip of 165 meters (540 feet) is enough and it can be either paved or grass.

Governments are already preparing for increasing traffic with Personal Air Vehicles like the PAL-V. In the US and in Europe government-funded programs are determining the infrastructure of ‘digital freeways’ to provide safe corridors using GPS technology. The technology is available today to allow personal air traffic to grow safely. PAL-V is determined to play a leading role in this market.

The Company

The company management consists of a team of Dutch entrepreneurs with expertise in aviation, automotive, research, and marketing. PAL-V succeeded in gathering the best talent available. The company was initially funded by a group of informal investors and also received a loan from the Agentschap NL. Three Dutch ministries are supporting the project based on its technical innovation and economic potential.

Professionals and corporations are investigating the efficiency and improved effectiveness a PAL-V will bring to their operations. Potential lead customers such as police, the military, and flying doctors have expressed interest for surveillance, mobility, aid in post-war situations, and homeland security. Initial talks about specific requirements are underway.

Now that the final product development phase has been reached, PAL-V Europe will invite new investors to fund the development of the commercial product and the market launch.

A flying car has been a dream cherished for almost 100 years. Now it has become reality. This will be a revolution in door-to-door transportation similar to the transition from horse-and-buggy to the automobile. Leave home and fly-drive to almost any destination. Avoid traffic jams and cross lakes, fjords, rivers or mountain ranges like an eagle. Touch down on the other side and drive to your final destination. The PAL-V combines in one vehicle the freedom and excitement of flying like a bird in the sky with the choice of breathtaking driving performance on the roads and highways. It offers an unprecedented freedom in mobility.

Source: PAL-V Release

The new technology has the potential to dramatically increase the driving range of electric vehicles and eventually transform highway travel, according to the researchers. Their results are published in the journal Applied Physics Letters (APL).

“Our vision is that you’ll be able to drive onto any highway and charge your car,” said Shanhui Fan, an associate professor of electrical engineering. “Large-scale deployment would involve revamping the entire highway system and could even have applications beyond transportation.”

Driving range

A wireless charging system would address a major drawback of plug-in electric cars – their limited driving range. The all-electric Nissan Leaf, for example, gets less than 100 miles on a single charge, and the battery takes several hours to fully recharge.

A charge-as-you-drive system would overcome these limitations. “What makes this concept exciting is that you could potentially drive for an unlimited amount of time without having to recharge,” said APL study co-author Richard Sassoon, the managing director of the Stanford Global Climate and Energy Project (GCEP), which funded the research. “You could actually have more energy stored in your battery at the end of your trip than you started with.”

The wireless power transfer is based on a technology called magnetic resonance coupling. Two copper coils are tuned to resonate at the same natural frequency – like two wine glasses that vibrate when a specific note is sung. The coils are placed a few feet apart. One coil is connected to an electric current, which generates a magnetic field that causes the second coil to resonate. This magnetic resonance results in the invisible transfer of electric energy through the air from the first coil to the receiving coil.

“Wireless power transfer will only occur if the two resonators are in tune,” Fan noted. “Objects tuned at different frequencies will not be affected.”

In 2007, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology used magnetic resonance to light a 60-watt bulb. The experiment demonstrated that power could be transferred between two stationary coils about six feet apart, even when humans and other obstacles are placed in between.

Click here to view the embedded video.

“In the MIT experiment, the magnetic field appeared to have no impact on people who stood between the coils,” Fan said. “That’s very important in terms of safety. “

Wireless charging

The MIT researchers have created a spinoff company that’s developing a stationary charging system capable of wirelessly transferring about 3 kilowatts of electric power to a vehicle parked in a garage or on the street.

Fan and his colleagues wondered if the MIT system could be modified to transfer 10 kilowatts of electric power over a distance of 6.5 feet – enough to charge a car moving at highway speeds. The car battery would provide an additional boost for acceleration or uphill driving.

Here’s how the system would work: A series of coils connected to an electric current would be embedded in the highway. Receiving coils attached to the bottom of the car would resonate as the vehicle speeds along, creating magnetic fields that continuously transfer electricity to charge the battery.

Source: Stanford University News.

The first iterations of the Ryno will be targeted at short-range, around town commuters who want a unique want utterly cool way of getting around. They’ll have to be rather well-heeled early adopters as the first 50 hand made and signed editions will cost $25,000 with a $6000 deposit.

Our opinion is that this we are seeing a slice of the future with the RYNO, and that always floats our boat!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Check out RYNO’s site for more info and videos.

Taking a mental time leap, perhaps a few decades out there, the possibilities that present themselves are quite amazing! Imagine a bullet train floating on air, or floating people or freight movers…

We suspect that this is just the tip of a new iceberg of discoveries and technologies.

Click here to view the embedded video.

What if you could walk up to something like a bus stop, enter some data on a touchpad, and then board a small, personal driverless pod that would whisk you off to your destination, nonstop and quietly? It may sound like something from the Jetsons—but ULTra PRT may be available right in your city sooner than you think.

The system is already in use at London’s Heathrow Airport, shuttling passengers between the business car park at Terminal 5 and the terminal proper. Rave reviews of the system pour in daily over Twitter from passengers with such remarks as, “Super cool! The future has arrived—I love these things.” “A transport revelation!” and “Just parked my car, and I have my own pod taking me to the terminal!”

A 2004 study found that ULTra PRT attracted over 70 percent more passengers than LRT, is more adaptable (can even run right through stores), and due to its small form-factor can be adapted to run beside many existing roads. ULTra PRT could also greatly enhance high-speed rail systems by providing transport to and from train stations, eliminating the congestion and expense of parking and the problem of how to get around when you reach your destination.

Read more at: Organic Connections Magazine.

The Concept_One  is an exceptional  supercar with a new propulsion concept. With a curb weight of 1650 kg, and 1088 HP, the Concept_One can reach 100 km/h (62 mph) from a standstill in 2.8 seconds and continue to accelerate to the limit of 305 km/h (189 mph). The battery module provide 92kWh of energy and delivers enough juice for up to 600 km (372 miles) of range.

Rimac Automobili developed a unique powertrain which is divided into four sub-systems, each consisting of one motor, inverter and reduction gearbox. Each of those systems drives one wheel, working completely independent one from the other. It’s called All Wheel Torque Vectoring and it allows a new approach to vehicle dynamics. Mate Rimac, the CEO of Rimac Automobili says, “I believe that the electric motor is a much better machine compared to the ICE, in almost all aspects, especially for a sports car.”

The carbon-fibre body is designed by Adriano Mudri: “Exploring the labyrinth of creativity, it was obvious at an early stage that the design had to be simple and clear with a lot of sporty elegance to easily catch up with its competitors in this power & exclusivity class.”

The interior is designed by a team of former Pininfarina employees, led by Mr. Goran Popović. After the Rimac Automobili engineering team finished the development and prototyping of the interior parts, the leather-specialist Vilner stepped-in. The result is a high-tech-supercar interior which can be both appealing and pleasant to interact with, at the same time. Special attention has been paid to the infotainment system and gadgets like head-up-displays and soft-close doors which had to match the propulsion technology in its advancement.

Rimac Automobili is a young company which develops and produces high performance electric vehicles, drive trains and battery system. This all began when the founder of Rimac Automobili, Mate Rimac, converted his old BMW to a race EV. He explored the technology by improving every part and began to team-up with experts from different fields in order to develop the next generation supercar. The old BMW is now officially homologated as a “Rimac Automobili e-M3″ and is used as a test mule for battery technologies, battery management, propulsion systems and latest in-house developments. Describing their beginnings Mate Rimac points out: “Our first car evolved in a short period of time into a project that didn’t give a final result – instead it was a start, the start of the world’s first electric hyper car—the Concept _One.” A group of 20 multi-talented engineers and designers settled in Croatia near Zagreb and are making something new and revolutionary. The production of the first model, the Concept_One, is limited to 88 units, starting with deliveries in 2013.

Source: Rimac Automobili

Ammonia produces just nitrogen and water vapour when burned and, unlike hydrogen, it is relatively easy to store in liquid form. That means transporting ammonia will not require costly new infrastructure, says John Fleming of SilverEagles Energy in Lubbock, Texas.

Fleming and Tim Maxwell at Texas Tech University, also in Lubbock, are developing a system to produce ammonia that can be installed in filling stations. Powered by mains electricity, it first produces hydrogen from water using electrolysis, then combines it with nitrogen from the air to produce ammonia.

To achieve this, the researchers have adapted the Haber-Bosch process used to make ammonia industrially. Their version works on a small scale and can make ammonia fairly cheaply.

In their system, a piston rapidly compresses hydrogen and nitrogen, heating the gases to 400 °C. The mixture is fed into a chamber containing an iron oxide catalyst, which sparks a reaction that further heats the gases and generates ammonia. In a third chamber, the mixture decompresses and cools down to room temperature. As it does so, it pushes against another piston, from which mechanical energy is recovered and fed back to the compressor, significantly cutting the process’s power consumption.

Finally, a heat pump cools the mixture down to around -75 °C, liquefying the ammonia for collection.

The team say the whole system could fit within a standard container and could therefore be transported by truck for installation at filling stations, where it could make between 4000 and 40,000 litres of ammonia per day. Maxwell adds that the system has a modular design, so it can easily be scaled up to produce more. The ammonia could be made for just 20 cents per litre, they claim.

Source: NewScientist.com.

According to studies by Citroën, driving and its relationship to society is changing. This has resulted in what the company calls a “Multicity” concept.

We think this is cooler than any 60′s VW microbus!

Here’s what Citroën has to say:

Today, the Multicity project is moving into its next phase with a new solution: Tubik, a concept car designed to make travel meaningful again.

Society is changing, and with it the idea of family. Sociologists talk about “affective groups” to describe this change which includes blended families and groups of friends. These “affective groups”, which are no longer limited to just four or five people, need to be able to travel together, without having to leave their luggage at home owing to a lack of space.

This is the challenge addressed by Tubik, a 9-seater vehicle whose styling and characteristics reflect the prestige cues of a modern saloon. Tubik was inspired by CITROËN’s renowned Type H, fondly referred to by the general public as the “TUB” (the name of its predecessor). CITROËN design teams gave Tubik distinctive, offbeat styling, with colours and materials that aim to meet the highest standards in sophistication and comfort.

To make travel enjoyable again, Tubik creates a lounge-style cocoon dedicated to comfort and relaxation. The modular seats, designed to be arranged in many different ways (semi-reclined, face-to-face, etc.), and the onboard technology (including a giant, semi-circular screen, and high-definition spatialised sound) turn the cabin into an area for living and sharing. The journey becomes as important as the destination!

Providing generous space while keeping fuel consumption under control demands an innovative drive train. Hybrid4 technology solves the equation. With this full-hybrid technology and the efforts made to improve aerodynamic design, Tubik maintains CO₂ emissions at a level comparable to a conventional saloon.

Reconciling function with looks

The design lines of Tubik are a nod to the CITROËN TUB (from the French acronym for low front-wheel drive commercial vehicle) and its ingenious  upgrade, the CITROËN Type H, whose versatility and style made it a best-seller of its times (half a million units in 34 years on the market). Sporting a similar body shape to its illustrious predecessor, Tubik is big enough (2.08m wide, 2.05m tall, 4.80m long) to carry up to nine passengers.

Images: Citroën