Posts by Category: future tech

It’s coming WHEN?

cool tech April 27, 2006 posted by

StarRotor engine.

The StarRotor Engine. OK, so it’s a bit rocket science, but the tech looks very interesting nevertheless. A kind of jet engine for your car. But an efficient, quiet, cheap and green one. 120mpg from vegetable oil anyone? Wonder how well the development is going?   By simply replacing conventional engines (15-20% efficiency) with a StarRotor engine, fuel economy will double or triple. For example, a conventional luxury car getting about 25 mpg on the highway would get about 75 mpg. A…


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cool tech April 26, 2006 posted by

Modec Zero Emission Van.

The Modec Zero Emission Van. Carry two tonnes for up to 100 miles at 50 mph an hour. All from a single charge. We’ll believe it when we see it. [via Gizmag]  It is the first zero emission van that is comparable in economy and performance to diesel equivalents making it a real and viable urban delivery vehicle. The van has been designed with large fleets in mind and talks are currently underway with a number of organisations including Ocado….


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Awesome April 4, 2006 posted by

Android dawn.

Well it’s almost here. The age of the android. No, it’s no use you protesting, pretending that it’s still science fiction, turning your face to the wall. Take a look around. At the Japanese, at ReplieeQ2, the latest generation of android from Osaka University. Sure they’re still primitive in many ways, but so were calculators back in the sixties, now look where we are. You’re excited by Robosapien? Pah!


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future tech March 27, 2006 posted by

Self Parking BMW.

The Self Parking BMW car (video). Hmm…not long now before we see more of these self parking vehicles littering the streets. And not long after that before the first lawsuits when puppies get run over or whatever.


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cool tech March 20, 2006 posted by

VW Eco-Racer.

The Volkswagen Eco-Racer. Why oh why, if car manufacturers can seemingly churn out these 100 mpg sports cars with top speeds of 230km/hr at the drop of a motor show, do we not see more 100mpg + vehicles on our road right now? You have to start suspecting hidden agendas, don’t you?  This sports car is powered by a 100 k/w turbo diesel engine of the next generation and stands for a trend setting synthesis of rock-solid economy and an abundance of…


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cool tech February 27, 2006 posted by

The Loremo 150mpg car.

The Loremo LS sports vehicle. Weight 450kg, 150+ mpg turbodiesel, single forward opening ‘gate’ door (incorporates steering wheel), 100mph, GPS, MP3, onboard computer and air-conditioning. Priced at less than €11,000. But you’ll have to wait until 2009, sorry. [Via Metafilter]   Loremo feels like a sports car, nevertheless consuming only 15 litres on its way from Munich to Rome. Its sliding roof flooded with sun gives rise to the summer feeling at any season. Its unique appearance is a confession to…


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cool tech February 10, 2006 posted by

The Infinity Transmission.

Laird Gogins, believes that he has invented a transmission system that will increase mileage in cars by 20 or 30 mpg. Serious claims backed up by 23 patents and some initial order interest. Go dude, go!  Today’s four- and five-speed automatic transmissions need torque converters with coolant, radiators and hoses — all of which cause loss of power and efficiency. Gogins invented a transmission that needs none of those parts. Gogins’ transmission has two identical cams 180 degrees across from…


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future tech January 18, 2006 posted by

Right SED Fred.

Apparently the next chapter in flat screen technology is called Surface-conduction Electron-emitter Display or SED. So look out for it on a shelf sometime in the 2007s. What’s good? Well it combines the contrast, responsiveness and image sharpness of conventional CRT with the power efficiency, larger sizes and slim shape of LCD or plasma. Sigh. Start saving now. More here.


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future tech January 10, 2006 posted by

Smart Cycles.

The Smart Cycle from the Sakai Industry Club incorporates self-correcting steering to make it harder to fall off. Perfect for the elderly or those tired and emotional riders who have trouble navigating their local hi-ways and by-ways. In test and prototype form only at the moment, more’s the pity.  A sensor to detect the lean of the bicycle is placed under the seat. A device attached to the frame picks up signals from this sensor and automatically turns the handlebars…


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future tech January 10, 2006 posted by

Wasp Hounds.

If the boffins have their way, the sniffer dogs of the future could be wasps. Yep, instead of looking for bombs or fugitive terrorists with doe-eyed bloodhound critters, the Man could use parasitic wasps which have super sensitive odour receptors. Makes a bit of a mockery of all them old black and white Louisiana chain gang swamp escape movies , don’t it? Scary too. Bzzzzzz……..  He found he could train the wasps to seek out almost any odor of concern…


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future tech January 2, 2006 posted by

The Sun card.

The All-in-One Card. One geek’s dream concept of a Sun powered (literally and figuratively!) credit card thin PDA. Before you dismiss it as total fantasy, just remember how far we’ve come in only a few years in terms of portability and functionality.  It only needs a small processor that does nothing but send the touch and other inputs to a server, and the server sends the display and sound back. Since all the storage is on a server, it gives…


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cool tech November 28, 2005 posted by

Hyrdrogen cars cometh?

The HydroGen3 emission free vehicle. Looks like GM is finally getting its ecological act together re a reasonable replacement for stinky oil powered things. Two types of tech, liquid and compressed. Take a look at this excellent video to get a great feel for what they’re proposing. The prototype does around 100mph, and gives 50–60 miles per equivalent gallon with no emissions. Electric, see? Excellent.


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future tech November 24, 2005 posted by

Codecs for all.

ARDOR or Adaptive Rate-Distortion Optimised sound codeR. A new initiative to create a universal audio codec that will be cross functional on anything from a mobile phone to a stereo system. What does that mean? Well you could move sound and music around from device to device as easy as pie. Or even easier. Looks like it’s a Philips Research Labs project too, which is interesting.  The end result of the ARDOR project is a prototype of a universal sound codec….


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future tech November 23, 2005 posted by

Peugeot concept trike.

The Peugeot 20Cup. Wow, those French designers can really do stuff when they try, can’t they? This trike/car hybrid concept looks really fun-tastic.  This supercharged four-cylinder with a turbo-compressor in this version develops a maximum power of 125 kW and produces torque that can reach 240 Nm. Thanks to its engine, which is still in the prototype stage, the 20Cup has an amazing weight/power ratio: 170hp for under 500kg! Of the three, 18” light alloy wheels, the rear one is…


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