Posted on June 22nd, 2011 by axb
Have you ever wondered what air travel might look like in the year 2050? Aircraft manufacturers at Airbus have, and to them the future looks exceedingly bright (and comfortable).
Their new Concept Cabin, a futuristic design created for the 49th biennial Paris Air Show, features a transparent roof that can adjust its opacity, giving passengers a panoramic view of the skies. The streamlined web that supports this canopy will be made of a lightweight titanium modeled after bird bones. Airbus engineers even predict that much of the cabin will be able to be 3D printed.
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Filed under: Aerospace, e-News, Transportation | 11 Comments »
Tags: Aeronautics, Aerospace, Biomimicry, Transportation
Posted on June 21st, 2011 by axb
When University of California, Berkeley senior Austin Whitney walked across the stage at graduation on May 14, 2011, it was more than just a personal triumph. His rise from a wheelchair represented a triumph for paralyzed people everywhere–and for engineers whose adaptive technology designs have helped disabled individuals overcome mobility limitations.
“Ask anybody in a wheelchair; ask what it would mean to once again stand and shake someone’s hand while facing them at eye level,” Whitney, 22, said in a pre-graduation university news report about his feat. “It will be surreal, like a dream.”
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Filed under: e-News, Mechanical | Comments Off on Berkeley Engineers Help Student Walk
Tags: Giving Back, Mechanical
Posted on June 16th, 2011 by axb
Recently, the blogosphere has been all atwitter about the world’s first amphibious ice cream truck, which first set sail on the Thames last month. It was created by Cadbury ice cream in celebration of National Ice Cream Week (May 30th – June 5th). This summer it will be touring UK beaches and selling tasty treats on land and sea.
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Filed under: e-News, Ocean | 6 Comments »
Tags: And Now, Ocean
Posted on June 14th, 2011 by axb
While both bicycle and helmet technologies have advanced considerably over the years, cyclists still face many risks on the road. One of the most serious of those risks is simply not being seen by drivers, a phenomenon that causes eighty percent of cycling accidents. Short of riding a tall unicycle dressed as a circus clown, what further precautions can cyclists take to ensure their safety?
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Filed under: e-News, Transportation | 3 Comments »
Tags: Transportation
Posted on June 9th, 2011 by axb
A product-design student in Derby, England, has invented a wheelchair alternative he hopes will give people with mobility issues more freedom, the BBC reported. Martin Harris, 21, noted that current wheelchairs are often restricted to paths. His battery-powered device “can work either indoors or outdoors – a leg can simply pick itself up and step over an obstacle.”
The chair, which can be steered by a joystick in the armrest, has six pairs of legs underneath the seat that consist of 216 pieces bolted together. Two conventional wheelchair motors power the “walking” chair, which can travel at up to 4 mph – the maximum allowed for battery-powered wheelchairs.
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Filed under: e-News, Mechanical, Transportation | 1 Comment »
Tags: Giving Back, Mechanical, Technology, Transportation
