Stinger Concept Bike Combines A Scooter and A Motorbike

 Stinger is a concept bike which includes nearly every available ecological niche that a traditional bike generally lacks. The main difference between conventional high-emission bicycles and Stinger is, this bike is helping the environment by keeping it pollution-free by using fuel cells. Moreover, renewable resources were used to make the adaptive, versatile and eco-friendly bicycle which would be a true alternative to traditional ones. This bike is very much adaptive and robust just like an insect that can adapt the narrow space situations of metropolitan areas. Considering the functionality, stinger is neither a scooter nor a motorbike – it combines the assets of both.

Nimbell Electric City Tractor

 The Electric City Tractor project was all about designing a conceptual city tractor, which works entirely on electricity. A team of entrepreneurs at the Chalmers School of Entrepreneurship worked on the concept and developed it. Eventually, it was used by Nimbell Motors to get investors for their company. According to the team members, ensuring perfect balance between the eco friendliness of the tractor and its credibility was a tough task. After comprehensive user studies and complete understanding of ergonomics, a life size mock-up was built. The design team which in totality had eight members was bifurcated, with each team having four members each. The work load was evenly divided, with one team handling the interiors and the other being responsible for the exterior expressions.

 Every person who owns a farm knows the importance of using electric tractors. However, if you are going to buy a tractor, then initially you may be only concerned about the budget, the type of work you need to do with the tractor, how much land you need to work and in which months of the year you will be using your tractor. After being satisfied with all these parameters you really get concerned about how much energy-efficient and environmentally friendly your tractor is. But this mindset needs to be changed. As the time is progressing, so is the technology, making our machines more nature friendly. The Nimbell Electric City Tractor is certainly a step forward toward ensuring sustainable development, which is the need of the hour.

Alstom Loop Train-Tram By Alex Nadal

 An easy way to travel and connect oneself with the whole city is through trams. Small and convenient, a tram is like a bus on road. To make trips around the city easy, a new concept in trams called the Alstom Loop train-tram is here.

Designed by Alex Nadal, it consists of total three coaches. While two being adaptable and one fixed for seats, it looks extremely cute. With an open door distance of 140 cm, it allows freedom in movement for passengers. Muddling through any kind of movable inconvenience is the last coach, including wheels. With a flexibility to work as a short distance train and a tram, Loop is capable of adjusting under various situations.

Riparian Project By Adam Voorhees

 Historically, the static form language and program of a yacht has been at odds within the always dynamic context of its environment, a stagnant set of ideals bound up by history and tradition. Every yacht has been classified and segregated into specific and discrete categories based on its limitations. What if these limitations are removed and a yacht is created to perform optimally in all conditions in any location?

The Riparian project explores the potentials of adaptive and flexible systems to redefine the yacht and to provide the ultimate experience of living on the sea.

 The Riparian is a new moving landscape whose purpose is to create a provocative conversation between the user, the yacht, and the environment. These three interdependent and essential elements define a condition where the yacht must adapt and transform to reflect the dynamic context of its surroundings. A facilitator for enhancing possibilities rather than an object for consumption, the Riparian creates new opportunities for clients wanting their yacht to have more purpose in their search to participate in life.

 The focal point of the Riparian is the innovative superstructure which transforms continuously through a spectrum of positions, intelligently responding to environmental conditions and user inputs. These physical transformations use a Shape Memory Alloy (Nitinol) structural skeleton with specific active and passive nodes. The nodes control the shaping through large scale movements and fine tuning individual sections.

 The superstructure is able to change and reduce its aerodynamic profile to increase efficiency and reduce harmful live loads. Ventilation is performed by changing the physical shape of the superstructure to create high and low pressure zones with prevailing wind direction to encourage and direct ventilation. The volumes of the spaces contained within the superstructure can be changed for heating and cooling requirements, and natural light and views are controllable through adjusting the physical location of the skin or modulating the transparency of the surface.

Juxtaposing the dynamic statement of the superstructure, the form language of the hull and decks create an artificial landscape that undulates and flows along many levels. This reference to terra firma creates a sense of connection to the familiar while offering unique opportunities to circulate around the yacht.

Water plays an important role to reinforce the feeling of landscape and to further connect the users to the nautical environment. The pool on the aft deck and the reflection pond on the perimeter of the Venture deck level blur the distinction between the boundaries of the yacht and that of the sea. Six levels of living spaces are centered around freestanding and functional objects organized like a gallery exhibit. These spaces are purposefully ambiguous yet playful. Veiling the immediate understanding of the arrangement of the living spaces encourages the users to explore each area, heightening their awareness of it.

Self-sufficiency of a yacht is inherently tied to its sustainability. A strong motivator for the design of the Riparian is a respect and concern for the environment. The yacht does not rely on fossil fuels, in turn reducing its carbon footprint by using only hydrogen and the sun for power generation. An advanced fuel cell system and photovoltaics embedded in the superstructure provides all the needed energy for propulsion and onboard systems.

All of the materials used regard sustainability, eco-friendliness, and longevity. The Riparian also complies to RINA Green star regulations, RINA Secure Yacht certification, and IMO Alternative Design initiatives. The Riparian erases the limited boundaries of traditional yacht design, representing a new direction of transformability and flexibility for the ultimate in sophistication.

Sunbeam Tiger Concept By Ryan Skelley

 With the advancements in the field of batteries and electric motors, new transportation concepts are popping up, promising high performance and stylish design. The new “Sunbeam Tiger Concept” is another concept that can answer the question raised on the performance and speed of electric cars as compared to other vehicles. The concept was designed as a part of final year project of Coventry University’s design course by Ryan Skelley. It’s a two-seater lightweight vehicle powered by a lithium-titanate battery pack. That means a zero emission engine with better performance

 If you remember, the Sunbeam Tiger holds the land speed record achieved in 1925. This new concept can be considered as a rebirth of its previous version. Theoretically, the vehicle can achieve a 0-60 mph speed in 2.3 seconds and can go up to an electronically limited 160mph top speed. Once the battery is fully charged, which will take 4 hours with an optional charger, the Sunbeam can take you up to 800 miles. It’s not at all a bad performance for an electric car.

A zero emission engine is not the only factor that makes this ride environmentally friendly, but even the materials used in construction also include eco-friendly material. Recycled aluminum makes the chassis that also features integrated rollover protection for the user. Body panels are made from hemp fiber and are eco-painted as well. Further, making it more ethical, the design incorporates an interior made from soy foam seats covered with natural bio-fabric.

Wait, it wasn’t the last eco-friendly feature; lastly we have tires made up of cornstarch and natural fiber for the brake pads. Honestly, if this concept ever hits the road, it will be a green landmark.

Voronoi Yacht By Hyun-Seok Kim

The designer of Voronoi yacht, which is 125 meter long, said that he tried to build an exclusive and enjoyable opulent yacht. He named this megayacht as Voronoi that originated from Voronoi pattern. This 20-meter beam max single hull megayacht will certainly satisfy guests while they are on board. The most striking feature of this yacht is that it is surrounded by voronoi structure plus indoor garden and alluring swimming pool being outfitted on the bridge deck. There is a main salon where everyone can relax and just hang around. Nonetheless, the yacht features a bar, galley, and a stage for playing music as well as dining room. According to the designer, this megayacht will make the most of your yachting experience.

Amantide Electric Trike

 The prime dependency for today’s transportation needs is on fossil fuels. These fossil fuels being non renewable in nature and contributors towards pollution, efforts should be made for increasing usage of alternative sources of energy. In the recent times, there have been quite some attempts towards developing two as well as four wheelers that run on electricity. The awareness towards these modes of transportation has also simultaneously increased.

 A recent invention that’s based on utilizing energy from electricity is the Amantide Electric Trike. This three wheeler mode of transportation designed by Florentin Hortopan has a revolutionary design. It has seating space for a single person, with one wheel to support on the backside, and two wheels on the front side, with leg rests attached to the extensions supporting these wheels.

 A handlebar attached near the base of the seat has an accelerator on the right hand side similar to a motorbike, whereas the braking mechanism for the trike is activated by pulling the entire handlebar towards the chest of the rider. Additionally, there is also a spring like suspension beneath the seat that acts as shock absorber for the jerks that might be encountered during riding the trike. The source of power, a rechargeable battery would also be located besides this spring suspension.

What makes this trike more desirable as well as (supposedly) theft proof, is the fact that post the ride, the user can fold it up and carry it with him to his next destination or store it inside his room/cubicle. No doubt, the trike looks elementary and maybe a tad funny, but there is no denying the fact that it is a safe and convenient alternative for commuting short distances and contributing a bit towards the environment.

Autonomous Sailboat

 You must have heard of UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles), also called drones. But did you know that there are drone boats too? In fact, these autonomous sailing boats even have a world championship devoted exclusive to racing on the high seas. This year’s Microtransat Challenge — a transatlantic race — is planned to start between August 31st and September 30th 2011.

 These tiny ships have microprocessors to help with navigation but are propelled by the wind. The race takes between 40 and 60 days to complete. The boat, or call it a Ro-boat if you will, which crosses the Atlantic and reaches the finish line in the shortest time is the winner. To do this it has to battle a host of hostile conditions. These include facing storms, winds of over 50 knots, tropical storms and even hurricanes common in latitudes close to Ecuador.

The microprocessor has to decide the course of the boat based on wind speed, weather conditions, etc…all without any human intervention. Before leaving, each team must
choose a field of 50 kilometers in diameter along the fixed line.

Man sure has come a long time from rickety rafts and boats with oars which could barely cross rivers, leave aside oceans. Wonder what Columbus would have thought of tiny robotic boats making the same journey that he did in a fraction of his time and most importantly with much greater accuracy.

These tiny sail boats require a lot of time and research and very few actually manage to complete the journey. Last year, only the team from Aberystwyth University were able to launch during this time.

In order to avoid collision at sea, the boats are equipped with an AIS class B transponder. Additionally, for it’s remote tracking they have a satellite transponder. Tech that, Columbus.

Eco Slim Caramaran

 Here is a catamaran that is lighter than its counterparts and is powered by renewable energy. This catamaran built by boat-builder Drassanes Dalmau doesn’t demand a very powerful engine as in conventional boats. The credit of the design of propulsion system goes to the team of Jordi Llorca of Institute of Energy Technology, Prof Victor Fuses and Prof Ricard Bosch of the Department of Electrical Engineering and one PhD student.

One important innovation used in the propulsion system is its design that uses two electric motors connected to multiple energy sources: a diesel generator and a set of 90 lead batteries. This enables the boat to navigate for four hours continuously at six or seven knots. The batteries and the motor can be charged in an hour and half.

 This boat, ‘Eco Slim’ has a seating capacity of 150, its length and width is 24 m and 10.5 m respectively. It is intended mainly for tourism, unlike other boats meant for inland waterways.
Eco Slim can cruise at eight knots. It gets power by electricity generated by solar panels, wind turbines, batteries and diesel-engine thermal generators, which makes it environment friendly.

The hull of the boat is special because it uses vacuum infusion system. Drassanes Dalmau got it constructed with the help from Isonaval. The boat was built following the process used in manufacturing car bodywork. Under this, the port and starboard were joined together after being made separately. As a result, the weight gets reduced by 50 per cent as compared to the traditional models. Also, the hydrodynamic lines of the boat has helped in reducing the hydrodynamic resistance by 20 per cent, which actually makes a huge difference. These features have enabled the boat to work using less powerful engines.

Green Bug

Green plants specially trees give streets and roadsides a very fresh and relaxed sight. They not only provide shade but also filter air making it clean for living beings. But like anything else even trees need to be maintained. Lim Wan Xuan with her teammates Tang Xueling Jane, Dominic Poon Chit Hong, Joanne Teoh Ee Mei has designed Green Bug which will be of great help in terms of urban agriculture.

It will give every tree its own unique identity, as every tree will be clipped with a chip which will work in association with GIS system. This will act as an interconnected system facilitating a lot of tree maintenance processes. With the help of RFID and GIS systems, it will become easy to scrutinize and handle/cure trees. This cute and compact vehicle will give trees in Milan an all new life. The car is powered by an air engine as electricity is used to compress air in the air tanks. This makes sure that are no emissions from the vehicle.

It has a compact telescopic seat platform that makes good use of gyroscopic sensor technology along with vertical lift hydraulic technology. Trees can be pruned with the help of an innovative waterjet technology, to keep them in a healthy state. Charging the battery of Green Bug doesn’t come with any special instructions. It takes 3-4 hours to get fully charged with electricity or if you take the car till a fuel station, refueling will hardly consume 2-3 minutes of your life. A single charge will allow Green Bug to cover 200-300 km.

Making light work of it: The world's first solar power station that generates electricity at NIGHT

 It looks like a giant art project. But this symmetrical, circular pattern of mirrored panels is the world's first solar power station that generates electricity at night.



The Gemasolar Power Plant near Seville in southern Spain consists of an incredible 2,650 panels spread across 185 hectares of rural land.



The mirrors - known as heliostats - focus 95 per cent of the sun's radiation onto a giant receiver at the centre of the plant.

Heat of up to 900C is used to warm molten salt tanks, which create steam to power the £260million station's turbines.

But, unlike all other solar power stations, the heat stored in these tanks can be released for up to 15 hours overnight, or during periods without sunlight.





The regular sunshine in southern Spain means the facility can therefore operate through most nights, guaranteeing electrical production for a minimum of 270 days per year, up to three times more than other renewable energies.

The project, a joint venture between Abu Dhabu energy company Masdar and Spanish engineering firm SENER called Torresol Energy, took two years to construct at a cost of £260million.



It is expected to produce 110 GWh/year - enough to power 25,000 homes in the Andalucia region.

FOTON 1

Flaunting its sleek and magnificent design is the new FOTON 1 Yacht. It is a kind of giant power yacht, which lets you have a comfortable cruise over the deep blue sea. With a horsepower of 8600 and with a top speed of 65 knots, one can comfortably enjoy the speed this yacht offers. The yacht has been designed using composite materials primarily carbon. Weighing about 80 tons, the mix of low saturated colors add up to the beauty of this boat. The design appears to be quite innovative with magnificent glass cabin. Speed characteristics of FOTON 1 make it exclusive in its class.

Sanca Genesis GT By Arifin Santosa

The age of supercars has dawned and each model that reaches the market brings with it a ‘wow’ factor. With power, speed and looks to kill, they come with a heavy price tag as well. For times immemorial now, Ferrari Enzo has been synonymous with Enzo based supercars, and designers now envisage the exclusive debutant, Genesis Sanca as nothing short of being the new age Ferari Enzo.

 The intricate handwork of three distinguished and highly experienced designers in the international automotive industry, Genesis Sanca is crafted to perfection with an impeccable blend of aesthetics, looks, performance, technology and safety.

 The brains behind this trend setter model have worked tirelessly and engineered this design to raise the bar for the standards in the sector; what else could one expect if above 19,000 man hours has led to such a master piece creation. A design primarily developed by Arifin Santosa, it was conceptualized way back in 2007.

In 2008, the first 1:4 layout of the Sanca was brought out. Consecutively, many tests and research processes were being conducted, rather rigorously for three years and only now, on April 14 it will be exhibited in the famous Top Marques Monaco.

If you are simply crazy about speed and performance and are willing to pay the price to flaunt some brilliance, then this car has plenty of things in store for you. Boasting of a chic and classy carbon monocoque frame and a Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 engine with a fabulous capacity 647 hp, this car looks sexy in its bold black exterior. Needless to say, its interiors are extremely flamboyant as well.

 It also has many other technically advanced features, like a six-speed Xtrac Synchromesh Transaxle gearbox, carbon ceramic breaks and many more. It weighs about 1350kg and measures 4.3 meters long, making it an ideal pick for a supercar fanatic.

 Developers of the Genesis Sanca say that the car can accelerate to above 100km per hour in 3.4 seconds and can reach a top speed of 330 km per hour. Quite undoubtedly, this new age technical genius has created a league for itself in the market.

Volkswagen Aqua concept hovers clean on fuel cells and electric motors

Transportation has transcended to a completely different domain in the last few decades. From wheels to supersonic flying machines, we have invented almost everything which seemed impossible a few decades ago. Following the legacy of innovations, reckoned automobile manufacturer Volkswagen has come up with The Volkswagen Aqua, a futuristic hovercraft. Designed by Chinese designer Yuhan Zhang, a graduate from Xihua University in Industrial Design, the concept is proposed to be manufactured from lightweight yet a very durable material. This hovercraft is meant for use in lakes, rivers, coastal water or even on snow.


The acclaimed CDN Car Design Awards China committee shortlisted this hovercraft under the “Chinese off-road Vehicle” category, which speaks itself about the utility of this vehicle. The concept is installed with two motors, the primary is powered by a hydrogen fuel cell and is used to drive the main fan which inflates the skirt around the vehicle and raises the Aqua just above the ground. On the other hand, the fans at the rear of the vehicle are powered by individual electric motors to provide forward thrust and directional control. Despite its extremely simple and clean design, this hovercraft dons a royal and luxurious look and can easily accommodate two people