Lifeboat Foundation

Ever since Star Wars brought podracing and flying motorcycles to the forefront of TV, it’s fair to say most people have wanted to fly one. Luckily, we truly are entering an era of flying vehicles – after all, flying cars will be raced around a track by the end of the year – and flying motorcycles are next on that list.

Jetpack Aviation’s “The Speeder” is the answer to all our sci-fi prayers. A jet turbine-powered motorcycle that looks more like a flying jet ski, this new vehicle prototype has just completed the first test flight that will enable it to go into the next stage of production.

While it isn’t necessarily the completed vehicle that took flight, the company was testing its VTOL self-stabilizing jet platform that will make the basis for their Speeder vehicle. The tests showed it could hover, turn, move in various directions, and right itself after being knocked – all incredibly difficult feats when working with four jet engines.

Continue reading “World’s First Flying Jet Motorcycle Just Completed Prototype Test Flight” »

Jacek Olczak compared cigarettes to gas-powered cars, which are set to be barred from being sold in the UK starting in 2030.

Roads that can charge electric cars or buses while you drive aren’t a new concept, but so far the technology has been relatively expensive and inefficient. However, Indiana’s Department of Transport (INDOT) has announced that it’s testing a new type of cement with embedded magnetized particles that could one day provide efficient, high-speed charging at “standard roadbuilding costs,” Autoblog has reported.

With funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF), INDOT has teamed with Purdue University and German company Magment on the project. They’ll carry out the research in three phases, first testing if the magnetized cement (called “magment,” naturally) will work in the lab, then trying it out on a quarter-mile section of road.

In a brochure, Magment said its product delivers “record-breaking wireless transmission efficiency [at] up to 95 percent,” adding that it can be built at “standard road-building installation costs” and that it’s “robust and vandalism-proof.” The company also notes that slabs with the embedded ferrite particles could be built locally, presumably under license.

Continue reading “Researchers are testing concrete that could charge your EV while you drive” »

Developed with ford performance, this ev gets some air and annihilates the quarter mile.

Google’s parent Alphabet unveiled a new “moonshot” project to develop software for robotics which could be used in a wide range of industries.

The new unit, dubbed Intrinsic, will “become an independent Alphabet company,” and seek industrial partners to advance their work helping to make everything from solar panels to cars, the new unit’s chief, Wendy Tan-White, said in a blog post.

“Intrinsic is working to unlock the creative and economic potential of industrial robotics for millions more businesses, entrepreneurs, and developers,” she said.

Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) today announced the “LQ”, a concept vehicle that leverages advanced technology to build an emotional bond between car and driver. The next generation of the Toyota “Concept-i”, a concept vehicle first exhibited at the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show, LQ is equipped with automated driving capabilities and “Yui,” a powerful artificial intelligence-powered interactive agent designed to learn from the driver and deliver a personalized mobility experience.

The solar powered car revolution is coming — engineers are one step closer to harnessing the Sun to power your next car, giving the auto industry renewed interest in solar.

This computer technician built a life-size remote-controlled Corvette.

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