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Lamborbiker Version II by Flavio Adriani

TheFuture — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 06:09:31 +0000

Still remember with Lamborbiker ? Now, Flavio Adriani has come up with Lamborbiker version II which is still a unique bike concept which has been differentiated from other conventional bikes through its hub-less wheel design. The concept was inspired from the Ferrucio Lamborghini designed by Nicola Tesla which includes an electric engine to contribute with the environment. Both the rear and front wheel is rimless and uniquely designed to enhance the performance of the bike. The exhaust pipes are placed under the seat for better space management. The design doesn’t contain any speedometer and the handles have been placed below the standard height of a conventional bike. All together, the bike has it all to serve as a future superbike.

Designer : Flavio Adriani

Rural Transportation Is Especially Designed for Rural Areas

TheFuture — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:01:16 +0000

Rural concept is a clean, practical and efficient transportation concept specially designed to be used in rural areas by focusing on minimalism and functionality at the forefront. The wheel hubs of the concept wrap the electric motors which provides quieter driving, keeping the calmness of rural nature intact. The passenger’s pod is located on the singular carbon fiber chassis on the top of the vehicle. The most amazing thing about the vehicle is that it doesn’t require any mechanical joints since it uses wire to drive and steer which can be adapted or modified during purchasing the car according to the user’s need.

Designer : Matt Bradbury

Twizy Z.E. Concept Brings A Fresh New Approach To Urban Mobility

TheFuture — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 10:55:23 +0000

Twizy Z.E. is an innovative all electric concept means of transportation that is designed for future urban mobility with four-wheel chassis, offering the passenger and driver seated one behind the other. This can concept is helping the environment by producing no CO2 emissions and assisting the users to juggle the daily city traffic with speed, efficiency and simplicity. The ultra-compact car is only 2.3m long and 1.13m wide, ensuring great convenience for busy urban use.

For its occupants, the open bodywork of the car represents highly practical solution for urban mobility through a turning required circle of only three meters and a footprint hardly larger than that of a scooter. The wheel provides easy and agile handling that ensures rarely getting stuck in the traffic, while the low center of gravity of this four-wheeler provide excellent stability.

A completely unique feature of this car is its octagonal wheel fairings that entirely cover the tires. This innovative design creates a pleasing and harmonious feeling along with its pearl-white and blue hub caps, where no one can see the wheel rotating any longer. Instead, the movements of the hub caps are only being seen, giving a silent and graceful gliding appearance along the road.

The Twizy Z.E. concept car is powered by a 20hp (15kW) electric motor that can develop 70Nm of torque, combining comfort with reactive performance at any engine speeds. It can accelerate like a 125cc bike and pulls away quickly from standstill. The car features a 75kph of top speed which may not seem a big number, but since it is designed to be used in busy traffic, it still is a fast car while cutting the traffic easily.

Designer : Renault

Future Melbourne Taxi Design for 2020

TheFuture — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 06:16:51 +0000

Melbourne Taxi 2020 is a vehicular and systematic TAXI design concept which is proposed for Melbourne city for the year of 2020. The concept utilizes an electric TAXI vehicle and supported infrastructure with recharging booths placed at vital points around the city. The design of the vehicle is mainly focused on safety of the driver and passengers, reliability, ease of use, iconic design and minimal environmental footprint. The highlighted features of the vehicle are GPS and mapping system for passengers and driver, Smart card system, passenger info and entertainment hub, hydrogen fuel cell, solar panel system including recharging hubs and battery generators.

This proposal is focused around providing an alternative view of what the future of the Taxi might be. The vehicle is designed around the user and this is reflected in the safety of ingress/egress, the passenger/driver compartment split and features for ease of use by passengers. Features include, split for driver safety when used as night rider, GPS and mapping system for driver and passenger, passenger entertainment/info hub, Smart card system, disability access and focus on curb side access only. Technological features include the hydrogen fuel cell, battery generators, solar panel system and recharging hubs.

The overall aesthetic of the vehicle is influenced by the Australian environment; space, relaxed ambience, unique identity, comfort, security, and a ‘can do’ attitude. These unique characteristics immediately identify the vehicle as special purpose and also set it apart from other vehicles on the road. The curb-side DLO captures the essence of the Taxi in that it is inviting passengers inside for an experience.

The footprint is emphasized by the wheels being in the outermost corners of the vehicle which allows for greater volume and also a very level and balanced stance. The roof features an acrylic opening area to allow for a greater sense of space while also allowing a great vantage point for passengers. The solar panel is also cleverly housed on the roof to harness the most energy from beating Australian sun.

Curb side access only for passenger ingress / egress safety. All doors use a slider system for minimizing the overall footprint of the vehicle whilst it is in operation. Access for wheel-chair bound passengers is catered for by providing a platform that extends to the curbside to allow access. All rear compartment seats tuck away to open-up maximum floor room for wheelchair access. Rear trunk also operates on a slider system.

The rear compartment is split-up to allow for better communication for the rear occupants. Rear seats fold away to allow access and floor clearance for wheelchair access. Heads-up display on split window for accessing features such as map, places of interest, fares and also for advertising. Driver to passenger split is driven by – safety and privacy. The split ensures security of the drivers whilst also providing a more private booth-type environment for passengers. Doors split open at the centre to allow for maximum operating opening distance.

Polycarbonate is used throughout the vehicle due to its impact resistance, relative lightweight, optical qualities and high temp resistance. The chassis comprises of aluminum to minimize weight.

Curb-side access only for passenger safety, bright orange livery for visual impact, safety-cell for passengers and driver all contribute to overall safety. Optimized seating configuration allows greater interaction, comfort and ease of use – especially the fold away seats for wheelchair access.

Hydrogen fuel cell technology coupled with electric generators / batteries propel the vehicle. The solar panel is used to harness extra energy as well as the recharging hubs when the vehicle is used to pick up passengers.

Designer : Damian Lucaciu

Renault Picnic Zero-Emissions Concept Car Provides Room for Social Gathering

TheFuture — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 10:26:05 +0000

When people goes for a picnic, a car that can provide room for social gathering parked in an urban landscape is always desirable, which was the main inspiration of designing the Renault Picnic concept car. This car can become an urban furniture, where people can re-acquaint themselves with the surrounding natural environment with its various functionalities. It features LED-impregnated DOL that allows adjustable and customizable tinting patterns that will make the car’s surface a public art. The easy access sliding doors allow convenient entrance. You can attach a bicycle with the rear bumper and can arrange some extra sittings with tailgate rumble seats that slides-out from the front trunk. The Renault Picnic features low-cost and minimalist dashboard with i-pod compatibility which is ideal for new drivers. The modular seating arrangement of this car ensures equal comfort to be enjoyed for all passengers either inside, on atop the rear bumpers or on the front tailgate.

Gabriel says :
The Renault Picnic seeks to augment rather than detract from the health of it’s surrounding environment. It is a Zero-emissions vehicle that provides a social function to the parked car within in the urban landscape. When parked, the Picnic transforms into urban furniture, becoming a social space for people to re-acquaint themselves with the surrounding environment. LED-impregnated, glass-coated polycarbonate windows project customized images when the vehicle is parked, transforming the vehicle into a form of public art.

Further considering the environment, the exterior panels are composed of hemp-based composites, and the vehicle is powered by Lithium Ion batteries and two rear-mounted in-wheel hub motors.

In order to reduce cost, complexity and weight, the simple interior is constructed of modular components, with four identical, soy-foam seats and an i-pod doc replacing most of the functions, including sound system and GPS on the dashboard.

Designer : Gabriel Wartofsky

RimLock Bike is Designed to Lock Itself

TheFuture — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 07:20:33 +0000

The RimLock bike acts as a lock itself and is designed to make a better life for a bike messenger, making it easier and quicker to lock and immobilize the bike. The inspiration of this bike came from the bike messenger or delivery person who tend to leave their bike unlocked because of the complexity and time required associated with this issue. The user just puts the key inside the bike’s hub and twists the rim to make it not rollable. Both the rear and front wheel have this locking ability and comprises a hole on the frame that will allow you to use chain lock to make it harder to steal the bike. This will make the bike safer in hazardous neighborhood.

From : JamesDysonAward

Transport Efficient for 2020 : Combination of City Loader and AirLines

TheFuture — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 07:00:13 +0000

Transport Efficient 2020 is a concept vehicle that offers two different modes for driving as per requirement. First one is City Loader, a stylish and compact vehicle that can be employed for short distance city use to effectively drive through busy traffic. This vehicle is powered by electric engines and gear hub drive and the energy is stored in metal air hybrid batteries that can charge via plug and ride. On the other hand, the AirLiner mode offers long distance transportation and comprises several superconductive magnets that produce frictionless levitation to allow the vehicle hover above the street. An embedded rail in the street produces an electromagnetic field for this operation.

Text from designer :

Airliner

This long distance transport vehicle is actuated by superconductive magnets. Superconductors produce frictionless levitation avoiding any mechanic resistance. The vehicle hover above the street. The superconductor is cooled down by electric condensers so the particles of the material nearly stop moving. A rail embedded in the street creates a magnetic field which will be written in the superconductors, positioned at a set distance from the magnetic rail. No mechanic fixation between rail an vehicle will be required. The electromagnetic field generated by the rail also speed up the vehicle. The magnetic field is only generated under the moving vehicle and wont be of any danger for other moving vehicles crossing the rail.

The airliner consists of a drivers cab and several modules which float autonomously, so the shipping volume is expandable. If no cargo is carried the drivers cab ally with the closing module to reduce the volume. At a logistic centre close by a freeway and a city, the cargo gets unload, stored and upload to the cityloader.

Cityloader

This compact transport vehicle is designed for distances up to 400 km and the city traffic. It is powered by electric engines and wheel hubs which can be recharged via plug`n`ride concept at the logistic centre or city stations. A modifiable loading space allows a wide spectrum of use.

Designer : Tobias Förtsch

Insecta, Futuristic Car Inspired By A Grasshopper

TheFuture — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 08:09:37 +0000

Insecta, as the name suggests is something related to insects, exactly what the designer Shao Yung Yeh thought of while designing this new revolutionized car. Inspired by a grasshopper he designed this car with such a unique combination of colors and design. This is a battery powered personal vehicle that looks much like a grasshopper with its legs connected to the central chassis as a thorax. Just as the abdomen of the grasshopper, a battery pack is fixed at the bottom pretending it more like an insect. With zeal to create something alive, the designer has developed this product that is light weight, agile and eco friendly.

Yeh is a 22-year-old designer who studied industrial design at Cheng Kung University in Taiwan. The technology he envisions for Insecta is as advanced as its styling. The battery pack shifts according to the car’s direction to maintain balance and handling. It uses hub-mounted wheel motors. And the adjustable suspension is one part bug-leg, two parts Citroën, changing the height of the car to suit traffic conditions.

Yeh doesn’t see someone like General Motors or Toyota building the car of the future in the future. “I think there would be more and more independent companies building unique electric cars,” he said. “They will be looking for innovative design languages and building up their own brand identities.”

Designer : Shao Yung Yeh via Wired

“Freewill Urban” : A Collapsible, Personal Commuting Vehicle Used to Assists Daily Short Distance Travel

TheFuture — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 08:10:52 +0000

Check out this innovative transportation concept known as Freewill Urban – Intercity Commuting vehicle designed by Jinn Wong. This vehicle is a personal commuting assistant which helps in daily travel for the journey between the train station and the user’s destination. This vehicle consists of three-wheels with a long handle designed to pull the vehicle in an indoor environment. Freewill Urban is powered by two individual motors in the hub area of the two front wheels. Each motor controls each wheel separately. The vehicle uses oval shaped form and curves in order to offer styling approach. So, you can surely try out this electronic scooter for short distances.

Text from designer :
The aim of this project is to design an innovative transportation concept, which co-operates with public transport to provide ability to commute without the need of transit between more than one types of public transport.

The design solution generated as the result of this research project is personal commuting assistant, named ‘Freewill Urban©’. This design concept is a collapsible, personal commuting vehicle used to assists daily travel for the journey between the train station and its user’s destination.

Environmental sustainability is considered with uses of rechargeable electric powered concepts to reduce the amount of pollution created from gas emitting vehicles in the city. This product is aimed to encourage commuters to travel by public transport, which reduces the need of commuters to travel by their private vehicle into the city. By doing so, it reduces the amount of pollution generated by private vehicles traveling in the city.

Designer : Jinn Wong

CarvX, 4 Wheels Bicycle for Extreme Off Road Experience

TheFuture — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 07:11:41 +0000

This new concept is going to offer a 4 wheels bicycle with extremely unique features. It is hard to believe that CarvX is a leaning bike with four wheels which can lean all the wheels with the help of steering techniques. This unique technique will surely provide new way of riding a bicycle. The frame of this bicycle is made from aluminum and has 4 independent double wishbone suspensions. Not only this, bike is equipped with 4 hydraulic disc brakes and 14 speed Rohloff hub. There is no need for much power from your side in order to achieve high speed and falling or loss of control is just impossible with CarvX.

Designer : GBO DESIGN