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safety
Researchers Looking To Make KITT More Than A Hasselhoff Fantasy
Scientists and researchers at Stanford must have quite the fascination with David Hasselhoff and his KITT because they are working on making the talking-car technology a reality. The lead on this team, Clifford Nass, says that a more intelligent car that knows about the driver and communicates with the driver can help provide a safer and more engaging driving experience. More »
accessories
Wheelchair Uses Lasers To Automatically Dock In Van
Researchers at Lehigh University are developing a way to make it easier for wheelchair-bound individuals to dock a wheelchair in the back of a minivan. The system utilizes lasers and radio frequency technology to automatically guide a wheelchair onto the forklift-style platform that is in the rear of the van. This is similar to how the spacecraft Jules Verne docked with the International Space Station or how my Roomba robotic vacuum will automatically dock with its charging cradle. More »
news
Microsoft Shills Its SYNC To Hyundai, Kia
Microsoft is again shilling its technology out to the masses, but this time offering up its car infotainment system, better known as SYNC, to the Hyundai-Kia Auto Group. The 2010 models will be the first to include the Microsoft entertainment system that still remains nameless as Ford has the name SYNC locked down by the balls. For the time being, the system used by Hyundai and Kia will be similar to that offered by Ford, FIAT and most recently with Suzuki (who decided on the Suzuki TRIP name), but the group is looking at new capabilities that could be added like navigation and emergency call services. Press release below the jump. More »
safety
Virtual Crosswalk Walls Are Too Futuristic For Our Own Good
Yes, we know, being a pedestrian or cyclist can be dangerous, but that won't stop us from driving however the hell we want, as long as this futuristic design never sees the light of day. This new conceptual idea for crosswalks is a bit too i, Robot for us. Rather than just having pretty painted lines—this crossing would also include a plasma laser barrier that makes cyclists and anyone doing an Abbey Road impression more visible and helps avoid those nasty vehicular manslaughter charges. We wonder what happens if a vehicle were to cross the barrier? More »
novelties
The Solution To Truck-Related Wind Drag: Box Fans!
Kambiz Salari, a researcher at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, has used a very simple method to solve a consequence of driving a truck. Salari has applied for a patent that will reduce the aerodynamic drag that accompanies driving a truck by essentially placing a box fan immediately behind the cab. The report shows that 65 percent of fuel burned while driving a truck at 70 mph on a highway is to compensate for the drag and using a fan-type device will reduce the aerodynamic drag and boost the mileage rating. Forget about the fan and improved mileage, we'd rather see a truck manufactured like the one documented in the patent. that's pretty damn stylish, to be honest. [New Scientist]
racing news
Singapore's F1 Night Race Getting LED Flags
The first-ever Formula 1 night race is still on track for September and more details have arisen about some of the safety precautions that will be taken to ensure to well-being of all everyone involved. In addition to the special lighting system installed at the Singapore track, 35 LED flags will be situated around the track to make the drivers more aware, especially when the flag-waving race official will be harder to see at night. More »
news
Unnamed German Luxury Automaker Creates Digital Factory System
A "luxury car manufacturer" from southern Stuttgart has invested a lot of money into something that isn't even real. We're thinking it was the brainchild of Dr. Z., but the unnamed company has picked up six of the ridiculously expensive Christie HD8K 1080p DLP high definition projectors that creates virtual factory floors and production plants to maximize production efficiency. It's quite the elaborate setup as individuals have to don special 3D goggles to get the full, stomach churning experience.More »
news
Scientific Types Working On The Plug-In Hybrid Heater Dilemma, Really
One of the advantages of the internal-combustion engine (or the external-combustion engine, for that matter) is that you get vast amounts of waste heat for use in making the vehicle's passenger area nice and toasty when it's cold out. However, an increasingly large group thinks that an engine technology that squanders two-thirds of its energy on waste heat leaves something to be desired, so legions of engineers are now working on plug-in hybrids and full electric cars. Thing is, without all that hot water coming out of the engine all the time, how do you keep the vehicle's occupants from freezing their tuchuses off while at the same time refraining from sucker-punching the batteries by making heat in the same manner as your toaster? Antarctic-grade parkas will do the job, but the engineers seem to think that the next generation of thermoelectric semiconductors are the way to go. [MIT]
gadgets
Aftermarket Manufacturers Go Sync, Next-Gen Also On The Way
We knew that Microsoft was going to look to hawk its Sync system elsewhere—especially with its booming popularity and the soon-to-be expired Ford contract. Now we know who is first to the free market table Alpine and Continental, two aftermarket manufacturers, are already working on integrating the voice command and entertainment system into their own products. Perhaps even more interesting, due to its early popularity, Microsoft is already working on the next generation of Sync and it has a super-exciting codename! More »
driving
Researchers Looking At Blue Lights To Fight Nodding Drivers
We all known that sleeping drivers is a leading cause of automobile deaths and accidents, but researchers are learning of less technological ways to combat dozing drivers: blue lights. The latest studies show that sleepy drivers should take a 30-minute blue light "bath" to combat drowsiness while driving. Why would one choose blue lights instead of coffee, energy drinks and cigarettes? More »
accessories
Tires With Retractable Studs Take A Note From Bond
Anybody that has ever tried to put those damned tire chains on can smile and know that the age old midwest winter traditional may soon be extinct thanks to Q Celsius, a new tire that has retractable studs. The Q Celsius takes its name from James Bond's gadget man, Q, and operates with a switch inside the vehicle. More »
news
Ricardo Cracks Barrier Between Two- And Four-Cycle Engines
Motorheads have been dreaming about an electromagnetic valve train for years now. A virtual cam profile, in concert with the elimination of floating valves, opens up endless possibilities for engine tuning. The dream is inching closer to reality, as power electronics shrink and the manufacture of rare-earth magnets gets continually better. A closed-loop valve system could be here sooner rather later (I know, I know, but please contain your urge to drool). In fact, Ricardo engineering seems to be breaking down the boundaries of existing technology, as they claim to have developed a blended two- and four-cycle power plant. More »
industry news
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Ford Shows Us How To Create Virtual Cars To Gain Virtual Market Share
Today I took a trip over to Ford's Manufacturing Development Center in Dearborn to check out the latest and greatest in building imaginary things. The amusing twist here is that one of the first jobs I got while in college was with Ford's Advanced Manufacturing Group at the Dearborn Engine and Fuel Tank Plant in the Rouge. One of my assignments was to mock up a planned manufacturing line with carboard boxes and lift tables — oh how far things have come. Using a bevy of software suites and quite a bit of industrial knowhow, Ford can now simulate the entire assembly of a car before the first mold has been cast.More »
industry news
Nissan Engineers Simulate Elderly Experience With Old People Suit
If you want senior citizens to blow their social security checks on your car you better make it worth their while (or get Sam Waterson to do your commercials). That's why Nissan engineering are using this special suit to put themselves in the back-supporting loafers of the elderly. The hope is that they can design cars that are safer and more amenable to that population. The suit recreates the limited mobility, impaired vision, and added midsection girth of older people. A future version will also include a synthesizer for testing voice-recognition sensors by changing words like "Koreans" to "orientals." Pics and press release below.More »
technology
Nano Tech Wiperless Windshields Are The Future And We're Scared
Leonardo Fioravanti of Pininfarina fame has dreamed up a new type of windshield that implements some damn hi-tech solutions to the problem of rain automotive glass. Fioravanti must not be familiar with the adage "If it ain't broke, don't fix it," because he definitely has tried to do away with windshield wipers. This rad new design, perhaps dreamed up while high, use aerodynamics and four fancy layers to keep rain, dirt and other elements from obstructing your view. More »
gadgets
Hyundai Dual-View Display Lets Driver, Passenger See Different
Dual-view LCD technologies have begun to appear in the home entertainment market, but now Hyundai is trying to bring that technology into the car with a dual-view in-dash display. The idea behind this technology is pretty simple. The driver of the car would see one image, presumably the navigation or vehicle info, while the passenger of the vehicle would see something different, like media information. More »
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