CubeMe » Mobility

Thames Cable Car Work to Start in Summer

Ian — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 12:56:37 +0000

The £50.5m scheme will connect the Greenwich Peninsula and the O2 to the Royal Victoria Docks and the ExCeL.
Up to 2,500 people per hour will be able to make the 1.1km, five-minute journey across the river in one of 34 gondola cabins.
Work to build a £50m cable car across the River Thames in London, linking two Olympic venues, will begin this summer.
Transport for London said it was “striving” to complete the connection before next year’s Games but warned this would be “an extremely challenging timeline for a complex project”. It will be part of the Oyster card network but fares have yet to be set.
Via [BBC]

PAL-V, Flying Car

Shan Tara — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 18:02:54 +0000

Like the Terrafugia Transition flying car, the PAL-V ONE also sports a push propeller, which it uses for forward speed.

The PAL-V One has finished its maiden flight and is now working to secure investors for the commercialization phase – the company hopes to start delivering production models in 2014.It will cost $279,000 and the company said it has already accepted 100 orders.

The PAL-V flies in the air like a gyrocopter with lift generated by an auto-rotating rotor and forward speed produced by a foldable push propeller in the back. It has three wheels, a narrow base, but a high center of gravity and on the ground it drives sort of like a motorcycle thanks to a patented “tilting” system.

The flying range of the PAL-V is between 315 and 350 miles, and it can reach speeds of up to 110 mph on the ground and in the air.

Disco Volante Concept

Shan Tara — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 22:38:04 +0000

Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera Disco Volante 2012 concept have surfaced online.Set to debut in Geneva, the model celebrates the 60th anniversary of the 1952 Alfa Romeo Disco Volante. Touring has reinterpreted the fender skirting, too, revealing the rear wheels entirely and creating a hard, straight cut above the fronts; the character line that forms to top of the front wheel opening is a traditional Alfa cue, and this treatment brings to mind the Pininfarina-designed Alfa GTV/Spider of the late 1990s/early 2000s.

The line exists on the original Disco Volantes, but the execution is softer and it’s lower on the body.

The ‘Sealander,’ Amphibious Camping Trailer by Daniel Straub

Shan Tara — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 15:06:29 +0000

Sealander built by German designer Daniel Straub, is a clever two-in-one vehicle that combines features of an electric power boat and a camping trailer. The ‘Sealander’ is not really designed for a crossing of the Atlantic, but rather to shallow waters. Sealander’s shell is made of fiberglass reinforced plastic with a double bottom to prevent sinking in case of a leakage. Power is via a 5 hp electric motor which doubles as a source of energy for on-board devices.

Sealander – Schwimmcaravan – Grenzenlos mobil from SEALANDER – Der Schwimmcaravan

The ‘French Connection,’ Motorbike by Deus Customs

Shan Tara — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 16:44:51 +0000

Randy De Puniet, current Moto GP1 star, commissioned our French connection Jeremy to provide him with a Deus custom motorcycle for the streets of Sydney. Randy’s design brief was for a middleweight, 2-up twin. Easy enough to kick around the city and able to offer enough legs out of town. Must have: orange, black, and white for the paint. Enter the Kawasaki W650, lower the puppy at both ends, and dress the rims and hubs in a satin film of black.

Custom fitment of an SR500 tank with speedometer nestled centre front. A vintage style headlight supports the tachometer. With the air box gone, the W now breathes through K&N filters and gasses exit via a custom 2-into-2 system. A simple way to achieve an old school feel was to swap fork legs and throw the caliper on the other side. Fork internals have been modified while Ikons are helping at the rear. Custom front and rear guards encase a pair of Firestones.

Joey Ruiter’s Moto Undone Electric Motorcycle

Shan Tara — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 15:05:39 +0000

Designer Joey Ruiter‘s ‘Moto Undone’ is an electric motorbike encased in a block of polished metal. Moto is an electric motorcycle inside a block of polished metal, its 1000w 48v electric hub motor will run for three hours, or around 90 miles, and runs silently. The mirrored finish makes the bike seem almost invisible.

We want to re-set the definition of a motorbike by stripping away historical attributes that make them so great. It’s hard to imagine a motorcycle without fancy paint, overpowered motors, exposed mechanical genius, and sweet exhaust tones. Moto Undone is pure generic transportation and by motorbike category definition it isn’t very cool. The motorbike references are small and when someone is riding, they are all you see. The bike almost disappears. The rider just floats along the streets silently.

Floating Suite by Marijn Beije + Design

Shan Tara — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 20:10:43 +0000

This incredible ‘Floating Suite’ was designed by the Dutch designers ‘Marijn Beijer + Design.’ The suite is built as a catamaran; from one side, a double bedroom open with a great view to the outside, on the other side, the bathroom. The living space in the middle is covered by a glassed roof, so all the rooms are open to the exterior.

+ Marijn Beije + Design

Aptera 2E, Three-Wheeled Electric Car

Shan Tara — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 18:04:13 +0000

Aptera has developed an electric three-wheeled car called the Aptera 2e that goes zero to 60 in 10 seconds and can hit a top speed of 90 miles per hour. The all-electric version gets an equivalent of 200 miles per gallon and the company has discussed developing hybrid too.

“After years of focused effort to bring our products to the market, Aptera Motors is closing its doors, effective today. This is a difficult time for everyone connected with our company because we have never been closer to realizing our vision. Unfortunately, though, we are out of resources. It is especially disappointing since we were so close.”

“We remain confident, even as this chapter closes, that Aptera has contributed new technologies to build a future for more efficient driving. Through the dedicated staff at Aptera, our board and suppliers we have touched this future. All that remains is for someone to grab it. We still believe it will happen.”

Copenhagen Bike Share System by RAFFA Arhictecture

Ian — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 19:40:42 +0000

RAFFA Arhictecture has submitted this new bike sharing system for the city of Copenhagen that could increase ridership from 37% up to 50% by 2015.The system features real-time GPS tracking, an online reservation system, and attractive bikes that can be stored anywhere

The bicycles should function as censors and inform the system about certain behaviors, so that the system can react according to the situation. To predict the performance of a system, the entities have to exchange information. An internet-based platform can analyze the different interests and could then manage possible conflicts. The bicycles are equipped with GPS and W-Lan, so they are connected to each order and can inform the system about their position and status. (Is a bike being used? Where is the bike and where is it moving to? Is there a reservation for the bike? etc.) Privacy protection is a matter that has to be taken into account in the process.

Via [enpundit]

Two Nuns Bicycle by Ron Arad

Shan Tara — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 05:02:25 +0000

Ron Arad designed the ‘Nuns Bicycle’ for a fundraising project called WOW bikes, organised by the Elton John AIDS Foundation and W Hotels. Ron Arad has used naturall sprung properties of tempered steel, bolted in tension that gives a natural yield or “softness”–to build a bike with wheels made of sprung steel.
To account for the added flexibility in the materials, Arad’s sprung wheels of steel are in fact a little bit larger than the average bike wheel but it’s this yield that gives the wheels a slight cushion and makes the wheels work in a practical way. Hearst said it’s a surprisingly comfortable ride, and, ironically, the faster you go, the smoother it is.

E-Volo, Personal Elicopter

Shan Tara — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 07:22:24 +0000

Thomas Senkel of e-volo made the first manned flight with an e-powered multicopter at an airstrip in the southwest of Germany. The ‘e-volo’ multicopter is a prototype personal transport vehicle, steerable via joystock and powered by sixteen propellers to hover in the air.

‘e-volo’, altitude, directional control, and balance are automatically managed by onboard computers, while the driver steers by using a simple joystick. the designers note that the program could be integrated with GPS and obstacle detection systems to enable unmanned flight. Each of the vehicle’s sixteen motors uses an off-the-shelf battery and is independently controlled, easing maintenance and repairs.

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The craft is energy and economically efficient, with a one-hour flight estimated to cost about 6 euros’ worth of electricity. Redundancy engineering permits ‘e-volo’ to land safely even if up to four of its motors fail, and the vehicle can also be protected by safety parachute. currently ‘e-volo’ should permit flights of up to 20 minutes, but by integrating a hybrid gas system, or as the capacity of batteries increases, the engineering team suggests that flights could last over an hour.

Hanebrink, Electric All Terrain Bike

Ian — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 07:51:16 +0000

The hanebrink is designed to work on almost any surface from sand to snow and even ice. The hybrid electric mountain bike features a carbon fiber seatpost and handle bars, Shimano cranks, chains, and deraileur, 14-speed gears, hydraulic disc brakes, Hanebrink hubs and wheels with 20×8 inch tubeless tires, and a run time of up to one hour with a single Lithium-Ion battery.

“Power shifting is possible though because it is a bicycle we recommend pedaling through a gear shift. As long as you are in the correct bicycle gear, your pedaling will always allow you to add speed with just minor effort. In a great pedal rhythm, riders can reach speeds up to 35 mph.”

The Hanebrink all-terrain vehicle’s lithium ion 10 amp hour battery (LiFePO4) will give the bike enough juice for about an hour’s use on a single charge, which will take three hours. The rear rack could have up to five batteries fitted which will extend the run time to over five hours. The wide aluminum rear rack is otherwise capable of carrying over 100 pounds of cargo.

Bicycle Repair Station by Bike Fixtation

Shan Tara — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 08:11:17 +0000

Designed by Minneapolis-based Bike Fixation, this self-service kiosk and bike stand offers all the tools and parts urban cyclists would need to make almost any repair. Bike Fixtation allows you to easily perform any repair on your bike, buy a tube or patch kit, pump up your tires for free, and make simple adjustments using supplied tools.

The installation benefits from a bike-centric vending machine where users can use cash or credit card to purchase basic bike parts such as, bike tubes and tire patch kits, and other bike accessories like lights, water bottles and tools. The kiosk also offers healthy snacks and thirst-quenching beverages. It is a great concept of self-service bike repair kiosks for the cycling community .

+ Bike Fixtation

The New Jensen Interceptor Iconic Car

Shan Tara — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 14:39:42 +0000

A new version of the Jensen Interceptor sports car is to be built in Coventry, the former home of British car manufacturing. A team of Coventry-based designers have completed the design of the new Interceptor for the Jensen brand owners, Healey Sports Cars Switzerland Ltd. On the picture above you can see how a modern interpretation of the elegant GT will look when it gets its public unveiling in late 2012, before going on sale in 2014.

CPP Global Holdings will be using Jaguar’s former Browns Lane site to engineer, develop and build the vehicle.The Interceptor was originally built between 1966 and 1976.

‘Velo Safe’ by Cycle Works Ltd

Hans — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 13:44:47 +0000

This ‘Velo Safe’ has been created for those who value their bike as much as those who like to keep their nice car constantly glittering.

Created by UK based Cycle Works Ltd this ‘Velo Safe’ is versatile and space-efficient bicycle locker that can be arranged in different layouts (including circles, semi-circles and back to back in a line). It has been specifically designed to fit sites that cannot accommodate bigger lockers, or that require flexibility with the layout.

Exoconcept Launches Carbon Fiber Jet Ski

Ian — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 10:39:26 +0000

This carbon fiber jet ski is a technologically advanced water toy as it runs with the help of high capacity batteries that are absolutely eco-friendly.
It weighs less than 50kg with batteries included.

The vehicle has zero emissions and is made of superlight materials to extend its charge and offer what Exoconcept calls “breathtaking accelerations. The Exoconcept EXO will be powered by a 7 Kwh motor, with quick-charge batteries and a silent water jet propulsion system.Lie on your front with your body partially in the water and go. It will be available from the mid of next year (2012) and will be displayed at the upcoming Cannes Boat Show 2011.

+Exoconcept

Citroen Tubik Concept

Ian — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 10:24:35 +0000

Citroen has developed Tubik, a high-tech executive shuttle based on one key idea: travel should be fun.It’s inspired by the Type H, Citroen’s famous corrugated van – same piggy nose, similar all-round squareness. Citroen says the Citroen Tubik Concept was designed as a modern take on early Citroen vans of the 1930s and 1940s, showcasing similar design traits to the Citroen TUB and in particular, the Type H, with its extended nose. Citroen says the new MPV was created as an executive shuttle with an emphasis on being comfortable and fun.

Floating Home in Copenhagen by Jesper Dirk Andersen

Hans — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 13:46:02 +0000

Jesper Dirk Andersen, the owner and directing manager of Dirkmarine lives on on a wooden and concrete boat in Copenhagen harbor with his family.Living on the water is popular in Denmark even though as in many other places it can be hard to find mooring.The interior of the houseboat is typically Scandinavian: white, wooden and harmony with the nature>The view is part of the decor.

The house has mahogany for the superstructure and ope plan upper floor and a terrace.Concrete is used for the hulls because it doesn’t require any maintenance.