Futuristic Concept: Ecco Camper, RV designed by NAU

NAU, the design studio comes up with a concept of Vehicle which can be used for stationary living. The zero-local-emission Ecco Camper concept has an expandable roof with solar panels for power supply and the vehicle can also be charged via a standard 240 V outlet.

The Body of the Ecco Camper is made of an aluminum and glass exterior. Due to it's teardrop shape, and low ground clearance, it has improved aerodynamics and can accommodate up to five passengers.

During stationary, the cap of the vehicle opens upwards to expand the interior space, whilst transparent panels create an observatory for star gazing at night. Foldable beds, toilet and private rear access complete this camping concept by providing all the necessary comforts for outdoor adventures.

Via: Gizmag

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New design unveiled for Terrafugia flying car

Terrafugia, a developer of flying cars, released a scale model and computer-generated mockups of its redesigned "Transition" vehicle on Monday that the company says bring it a step closer, engineering-wise, to a deliverable product late next year.

The design tweaks, Terrafugia explained, were based on the results of a successful test flight last year at Plattsburgh International Airport in New York. Some of the improvements include a touch-screen cockpit interface and better-optimized wings with a new folding mechanism that helps them retract for road driving. It'll still run on gas station fuel and be able to be driven at highway speed and hit 115 miles per hour in the air.

Founded by MIT-bred engineers in 2006, the company also got a big boost earlier this year when the Federal Aviation Administration granted Terrafugia, which means "escape from land" in Latin, a weight exemption that allows it to be 110 pounds heavier than the normal maximum for light sport aircraft, meaning that it'll be able to have road essentials installed on board like airbags and a structural cage.

These automotive-style crash safety features have been worked into the new design, which is currently being developed in full at Terrafugia's Woburn, Mass. headquarters. It's expected to cost slightly south of $200,000, but questions remain about the viability of a flying car on the roads and in the skies. For one, there are plenty of certification and safety hurdles that it'll have to surmount first.

""We're not going to have a flying car, as people think of it, for a while," Terrafugia Chief Operating Officer Anna Dietrich said in a Computerworld interview last year. "I would never say it's not going to happen, but today, the infrastructure is not there, nor is the training, nor are the avionics that would make the training unnecessary. What makes sense right now is a 'roadable' aircraft."

The Department of Defense's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) division has expressed desire for the existence of a flying car, but Terrafugia's Transition doesn't make the cut--it requires a runway to take off, something that the Pentagon has ruled out.

Src: cnet

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Connected Car of the future shown by Intel Researchers.

Now all the activities done by your car will be recorded.Intel researchers are developing a "black box" similar to those used for aviation to record vehicle telemetry and other data.

This is a futuristic concept which will police a lot in investigating accidents or help insurance companies determine fault. It could also be connected to the vehicle diagnostics and control center to help determine if the car a working improperly or if driver error is responsible a vehicle malfunction .

The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration is requiring automakers to equip all new vehicles with ERDs that record data before, during, and after a crash by 2013.

The vehicle's black box will also be able to send distress signals using a WiMax data connection if it detects impact, and other onboard cameras and sensors will be used in accident avoidance technology, similar to what Audi is researching. The box's WiMax connectivity opens the door to apps that let owners operate and secure vehicles remotely, and it may help to efficiently charge electric vehicles.

Src: [car-tech-blog]

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