 |
Dictionary of Transportation Terms in Science Fiction
(Technovelgy items at top: skip
down to News)
Name |
Author (Publication Date) |
Aero Bus (Flying Bus) A flying bus. |
Rose Macaulay (1918) |
Aerocab A floating taxicab. |
Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins) (1929) |
Air Tunnel A means of sending trains through the air. |
Harl Vincent (1929) |
Aircab A flying autonomous taxi cab. |
Harl Vincent (1934) |
Air-Car - a flying taxi A personal flying car |
Harry Bates (1934) |
Air-Propelled Train - silent mass transit A silent means of mass transit. |
Ray Bradbury (1953) |
Air-Ship (VTOL Airship) A flying machine capable of vertical take-off and landing. |
George Griffith (1893) |
Air-Shoes Footgear provides the wearer with the ability to "walk" through the air, climbing as needed. |
Francis Flagg (1930) |
Air-Taxi - hail the skies A flying taxicab with autonomous features. |
Isaac Asimov (1988) |
Autobus Robot-guided public transportation. |
Stanley G. and Helen Weinbaum (1938) |
Autocab An fully automated taxi cab. |
Robert Heinlein (1951) |
Auto-Car A personal vehicle for indoor and outdoor use. |
David H. Keller (1928) |
Autofreighter An autonomous vessel carrying trade materials. |
Ray Naylor (2022) |
Automated Taxi A driverless taxicab. |
Alan Dean Foster (2006) |
Automatic Air Mail Plane A pilotless airplane for delivery of cargo. |
David H. Keller (1935) |
Automatic Pilot - a brief history A device to control the movement of aircraft using computer components. |
Frederik Pohl (w/CM Kornbluth) (1952) |
Autonomic Cab - all on its own An automated taxicab (without robotic driver). |
Philip K. Dick (1965) |
Autonomous Ship A sea-going vessel that can leave port, traverse vast distances, and then dock, entirely without human assistance. |
Miles J. Breuer (1930) |
Bat Wings - enable personal flight The dream of human-powered winged flight becomes a reality - in low gravity, of course. |
Larry Niven (1985) |
Beam Car A vehicle like an elevator car, but which travels on a radio and magnetic beam, from the surface of a planet up to a satellite. |
Harl Vincent (1934) |
Beetle - a balloon with a shell A hard-shelled dirigible. |
Larry Niven (w/S. Barnes) (2000) |
Boat-Tree A tree, the pods of which can be grown as boats. |
Jack Vance (1954) |
Bounce Tube - pneumatic tube system for people A people-sized pneumatic tube system used for short, quick trips in the vertical dimension. |
Robert Heinlein (1956) |
Bubble - undersea elevator An undersea elevator. |
Larry Niven (w/S. Barnes) (2000) |
Bubble Car - does it come in moiré? Self-steering, hovering, this is the car of the future. |
Larry Niven (1976) |
Chevaline - robotic horse An open robotic vehicle for one person, shaped like a horse. |
Neal Stephenson (1995) |
Conveyor Ribbon A moving sidewalk. |
Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat) (1931) |
Copter Harness A single person flying machine. |
Robert Heinlein (1954) |
Cybercab An autonomous taxi. |
Michael Swanwick (1987) |
Directed Cars in Tunnels Self-driving vehicles. |
Stanton A. Coblentz (1939) |
Directional Ticket - the ticket guides you A ticket that also has the property of glowing while you are going toward what you bought. |
Isaac Asimov (1951) |
Displacement Booth - instant transport via teleportation A teleportation portal. |
Larry Niven (1972) |
Dray-Fish - harness fish power Large fish trained to be harnessed to large houseboats. |
Jack Vance (1976) |
Driverless Taxi A taxi that does not require a driver. |
David H. Keller (1935) |
Dumbler Half-sentient spores of the whistle thistle. |
Brian Aldiss (1962) |
Express Dolphin A most agreeable means of locomotion under the waves. |
Emile Souvestre (1846) |
Farcaster - step through to another planet A portal for traveling between distant stars; inexpensive, instantaneous travel to remote worlds. |
Dan Simmons (1989) |
Flex-Wheels Special wheels designed for getting around on the Moon. |
Arthur C. Clarke (1968) |
Flycycle - if a Harley could fly Combination flying motorcycle, kitchen and autodoc. |
Larry Niven (1970) |
Go-Buggy A ground-only vehicle. |
Frank Herbert (1972) |
Gravitic Repulsion Elevator - going up The elevator was of the new sort that ran by gravitic repulsion. |
Isaac Asimov (1951) |
Gravity Train An underground railway system that utilizes gravity for acceleration. |
John Varley (1977) |
Gravity Web - keep gravity to a minimum Device for limiting the extent to which a person is subject to gravitational attraction. |
Frank Herbert (1969) |
Gravity-assisted Subway - the shortest possible distance The fastest way between continents (that does not entail leaving the ground). |
Larry Niven (1976) |
Gyrocab - first use A flying taxi. |
Jerry Shelton (1947) |
Gyrocar Monorail A self-balancing vehicle. |
Malcolm Jameson (1944) |
Hawking Mat - okay, it's a flying carpet About two meters long and one meter wide, made of shielded monofilaments, with a bright textile design - okay, it's a flying carpet. |
Dan Simmons (1989) |
Helicab - first use A taxi cab that flies using helicopter rotors. |
John Weston (1950) |
Hushicopter A nearly-silent helicopter. |
Isaac Asimov (1987) |
Individual Flyer Personal antigravity and wing unit. |
Royal W. Heckman (1938) |
Instantaneous Kodaks (Traffic Control) Use of cameras to help police officers enforce speed limits. |
John Jacob Astor IV (1894) |
Inter-Vehicle Communication The ability to talk car-to-car directly. |
Philip K. Dick (1965) |
Interway - computer-controlled highway Computer-controlled highway. |
Paul Black (2003) |
JAL Shuttle Shuttle capable of attaining low earth orbit. |
William Gibson (1984) |
Jaunte Stage - a little space to teleport A cleared space that existed to serve the needs of people who would jaunte (teleport) into that space. |
Alfred Bester (1956) |
Jiffi-scuttler A device providing near instantaneous travel between two points. |
Philip K. Dick (1954) |
Jump Harness - rocket pack A device small enough to be worn as a backpack, that gave booster power for jumping. |
Robert Heinlein (1961) |
Jumpdoor - entrance to the rabbit hole The entrance to an energy passage providing instantaneous transportation between points across the galaxy. |
Frank Herbert (1969) |
Levitators Allows free flight in the interior volume of a vast sphere in space. |
Harl Vincent (1934) |
Lift Chair A single occupant lifted by great birds. |
Jack Vance (1967) |
MagnaPoon - as in harpoon To hitch a ride from a faster vehicle while riding a skateboard (from harpoon). |
Neal Stephenson (1992) |
Magnetic Elevator - no watches allowed A device that uses very powerful electromagnets for propulsion. |
Edgar Rice Burroughs (1918) |
Magnetic Grapple-Beams Short range magnetic field to guide flying cars and park them properly. |
Philip K. Dick (1955) |
Magnetic Railroads A scheme for powering railroads using enormous electromagnets. |
John Jacob Astor IV (1894) |
Millipede Train - lotsa little legs A train that is able to move without tracks or other supports. |
Greg Bear (1985) |
| Arthur C. Clarke (1968) | |
Monocab A single compartment monorail car. |
Arthur C. Clarke (1955) |
Monoline - overland sailing A wind-driven overland transport. |
Jack Vance (1952) |
Motorized Combat Boots - quick in a crowd Russian army-surplus self-propelled footgear. |
Charles Stross (2005) |
Moving Roadway - like a baggage conveyor A roadway that is in motion, with seats and kiosks, that goes around curves. |
H.G. Wells (1899) |
Nautilus - Captain Nemo's ride The wondrous submarine of Captain Nemo; the instrument of his escape from humanity and his revenge upon it. |
Jules Verne (1875) |
O-220 Ultralight zeppelin |
Edgar Rice Burroughs (1929) |
Passenger-Carrying Mortar A unique way of crossing a river, without a boat or a bridge. |
Emile Souvestre (1846) |
Pedomotive - power stilts A kind of stilt-like leg extenders; take longer strides, get there faster. Extreme sports gear. |
Neal Stephenson (1995) |
People-Mover A fixed mode of transporting people outside; and, they get to sit down. |
Rudy Rucker (1988) |
Pneumatic Tube Station Passengers are sealed into a narrow cylinder that is shot through a pressurized tube to their destination. |
Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat) (1931) |
Pocket-Wings Individual powered flight. |
Clement Fezandie (1921) |
Position Locator Display Screen shows the position of hundreds of aircraft; |
Ed Earl Repp (1929) |
Power-Wagon - legless beast of burden Wagon powered by muscular creature from Etamin 9; uses carbohydrate syrup for fuel. |
Jack Vance (1967) |
Prism Window - better plane window A device for getting a better view of the ground from inside an airplane. |
Frederik Pohl (w/CM Kornbluth) (1952) |
Public Vehicle Tube Underground transportation tubes. |
Jack Vance (1954) |
Ramsbotham Gate - wormhole A means of getting from point A to point B without traversing the space in-between. |
Robert Heinlein (1955) |
Rapid-Transit Hover Blimp Public transportation for a paranoid age. |
Philip K. Dick (1969) |
Remote Control Taxicab A cab that is piloted by a remote operator. |
Philip K. Dick (1957) |
Rescue Nets Nets raised around the circumference of a vast air transport. |
Ed Earl Repp (1929) |
Ring Road - mag-lev old-style A magnetically levitated train. |
Robert Heinlein (1953) |
Robot Taxi A taxicab with a robotic driver. |
Philip K. Dick (1955) |
Robotic Horse - Faithful Cybernetic Companion - magical A robot that is specifically designed to closely resemble a horse. |
Christopher Stasheff (1969) |
Rolling Road - public transport A set of fast-moving strips to move people over distances. |
Robert Heinlein (1940) |
Salamander - it was a pleasure to burn Name given to the fire trucks of the future, which carry kerosene rather than water, and are used to burn houses. |
Ray Bradbury (1953) |
Sand Ship A wind-powered vehicle in the desert. |
Ray Bradbury (1950) |
Seeder Ramship A spacecraft designed to travel from one star system to another , terrafoming worlds for use. |
Larry Niven (1991) |
Single Vehicle Tunnel A small diameter tunnel that accepts a single vehicle to a single destination. |
Isaac Asimov (1951) |
Skyhook - unique lifter Part dirigible, part plane. |
Jerry Pournelle (1976) |
Slidewalk - conveyor for people A moving sidewalk; a conveyor belt for people. |
Fritz Leiber (1944) |
Smart Bike A motorcycle with sophisticated systems for steering and balance. |
Bruce Sterling (1998) |
Smart Lanes - my way IS the highway Roadways that monitored, directed and controlled traffic. |
Bart Kosko (1987) |
Smartcab An automated taxicab, fully self-driving, that can be summoned from a portable device. |
Bruce Bethke (1983) |
Smartwheels - variable length spokes Special "wheels" that are actually sets of spokes that telescope to be as long as they need to be for a smooth ride. |
Neal Stephenson (1992) |
Space Elevator (Orbital Tower) - best novel reference A physical link between a point on the surface of the Earth and a satellite in geosynchronous orbit. |
Arthur C. Clarke (1978) |
Speed Belt (Ribbon Conveyor) A great moving belt carrying people between cities. |
Nat Schachner (1932) |
Speedcap - late? Go ballistic! Short for speed capsule (?); sometimes, going ballistic is the fastest way to get there. |
John Varley (1983) |
Stage Balloon A regular means of conveyance, like a train or carriage. |
Jane Webb Loudon (1828) |
Star Machine - explore the stars A device that serves as a boost to psychokinetic powers of mind, enabling paranormals to send their awareness to distant planets. |
Clifford Simak (1961) |
Stationary Sidewalk A sidewalk that is fixed permanently in one location; not a sliding walkway. |
Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat) (1931) |
Stepping Discs - open teleportation pads Open air teleportation pads. |
Larry Niven (1970) |
Sub-Atlantic Tube - undersea tunnel A tunnel under the ocean; the shortest distance between the two points. |
Hugo Gernsback (1911) |
Submarine Tube A means of transport between Europe and North America via underwater tubes. |
Michel Verne (1895) |
Tele-Motor-Coasters - power skates Powered skates for personal transportation. |
Hugo Gernsback (1911) |
'Thopter - wing-beat plane Describes any plane capable of wing-beat flight in the manner of birds. |
Frank Herbert (1965) |
Time Dingbat - time machine welfare Nickname for a time machine; used for a kind of WPA-like program for the past. |
Alfred Bester (1974) |
Traffic Lane Discharger A device that electrically shocked vehicles whose drivers attempted to evade traffic control devices. |
Alan Dean Foster (2006) |
Transmat - instant transport A teleportation device. |
Robert Silverberg (1970) |
Transo - teleportation Teleportation of objects and personnel, used as the basis for "Trading Post" stores across the planet. |
Clifford Simak (1961) |
Trans-Oceanic Rocket Also, a rocket-plane. |
Stanley G. Weinbaum (1935) |
Trip-Box A teleportation device. |
Roger Zelazny (1982) |
Tubecar A pneumatic tube that carries people. |
Leo Zagat (1948) |
Tumblebug - a gyro-stabilized monocycle A monocycle; a motorcycle that balances on a single wheel. |
Robert Heinlein (1940) |
Underground MagLev Train Magnetic levitation train that travels through a tunnel; a vacuum reduces drag. |
Larry Niven (w/S. Barnes) (1981) |
Vacutubes A system of public transportation that used partially evacuated tubes and capsules big enough for passengers. |
Robert Heinlein (1956) |
Vacuum Cylinder Traveling first class, but like mail, in a tube system. |
Ray Cummings (1932) |
Vehicle Energy Reclamation Reclaiming the energy gained by climbing a hill on the way back down. |
John Jacob Astor IV (1894) |
Vibra-Transmitter (Teleportation) An early use of the notion of matter transmission. |
Frank K. Kelly (1933) |
Vortal Tube An energy passage providing instantaneous transportation between points across the galaxy |
Frank Herbert (1969) |
Way Station - galactic station master A device used to transport individuals across the galaxy. |
Clifford Simak (1963) |
Related Science Fiction in the News
Tesla Electric 'Giga Train' Operational In Germany '...the cars are wedge-shaped at both ends.' - John Jacob Astor IV, 1894. (re: John Jacob Astor IV, 8/21/2024 ) |
San Francisco Autobus 'THE autobus turned silently down the wide street...' - Stanley G. and Helen Weinbaum, 1938. (re: Stanley G. and Helen Weinbaum, 11/3/2023 ) |
Volvo's Autonomous Truck 'They were automatic trucks such as are used for making deliveries...' - Miles J. Breuer, 1932. (re: Miles J. Breuer, 2/19/2023 ) |
Eviation Alice Electric Plane First Flight 'A white electric plane approached at great speed...' - Charles Cloukey, 1930. (re: Charles Cloukey, 1/15/2023 ) |
Robotaxi By Cruise Premieres in Austin, Texas '... he settled back in a robotaxi and the brilliant lights of the streets flashed past.' - Joe Gibson, 1953. (re: Joe Gibson, 12/23/2022 ) |
Aéroplume Blimp For One Reflects 150 Years You could rent it yourself, but only in 2022 Paris. (re: Albert Robida, 10/13/2022 ) |
Shift Moonwalkers Help You Walk Faster? How About Tractor Treads! '...a man could sleep — if he could sleep in an erect position — while the little tractors on his boots carried him on and on.' - Raymond Z. Gallun, 1938. (re: Raymond Z. Gallun, 10/11/2022 ) |
CopterPack Is Robert Heinlein's 1954 Copter Harness '...a single flyer, hopping free in a copter harness.' - Robert Heinlein, 1954. (re: Robert Heinlein, 5/27/2021 ) |
Las Vegas Tunnels To Have Autonomous Teslas '...just a steady velvety whirr as the taxi sped along.' - Isaac Asimov, 1951 (re: Isaac Asimov, 1/15/2021 ) |
First Boring Passenger Station In Las Vegas '...just a steady velvety whirr as the taxi sped along.' - Isaac Asimov, 1951 (re: Isaac Asimov, 11/29/2020 ) |
Tesla's 20,000 Superchargers ''To recharge the batteries, which can be done in almost every town and village...' - John Jacob Astor IV, 1894. (re: John Jacob Astor IV, 10/27/2020 ) |
Gyroscopic Median-Straddling Mass Transit Vehicles 'It was among these leviathans that the little gyrocar was daring to thrust its puny self...' - Kenneth Brown, 1911. (re: Kenneth Brown, 9/21/2020 ) |
AutoX Sets Up Asia's Largest Robotaxi Center 'The robot cab seemed to know where it was going and, no doubt, the master machine from which it received its signals knew.' - Robert Heinlein, 1951. (re: Robert Heinlein, 4/23/2020 ) |
Einride Remote Operator Controls Multiple Vehicles '...some bored drone pusher in a remote driving centre has got your life - and half a dozen other lives - in his hands.' - Charles Stross, 2007. (re: Charles Stross, 4/5/2020 ) |
Hardt Hyperloop Fast Transit In A Can '...my method will draw the cars forward by an inductive action that is capable of providing tremendous speeds.' - Harl Vincent, 1929. (re: Harl Vincent, 4/1/2020 ) |
Drone Swarm Lifts Truck - Not! 'It was now the season that these Birds were wont to take their flight away...' - Francis Godwin, 1638. (re: Francis Godwin, 3/27/2020 ) |
Electric Unicycle Is A Tumblebug 'A tumblebug does not give a man dignity, since it is about the size and shape of a kitchen stool, gyro-stabilized on a single wheel.' (re: Robert Heinlein, 3/19/2020 ) |
No Autonomous Trucks? Wait, What? '...it resembled conventional human-operated transportation vehicles, but with one exception -- there was no driver's cabin.' - Philip K. Dick, 1955. (re: Philip K. Dick, 3/3/2020 ) |
Elon Musk's Traffic Tunnel Challenge Is Boring 'The car vibrated... threading the maze of local tubes.' - Jack Vance, 1954. (re: Jack Vance, 12/21/2019 ) |
HVSD, Kitty Hawk's Electric Plane Very quiet commuter plane offers VTOL service. (re: John W. Campbell, 11/17/2019 ) |
Skai Air Taxi Costs The Same As Uber 'The air-taxi found its way past and around other ground-cars...' Isaac Asimov, 1988. (re: Isaac Asimov, 5/25/2019 ) |
Asimov and Musk - Boring Company Tunnel vs. Street Race 'There was almost no sound, just a steady velvety whirr as the taxi sped along.' - Isaac Asimov, 1951. (re: Isaac Asimov, 5/13/2019 ) |
Lilium Electric Air Taxi Prototype 'The air-taxi found its way past and around other ground-cars...' - Isaac Asimov, 1988 (re: Isaac Asimov, 5/7/2019 ) |
Arizona Luddites Attack Self-Driving Vehicles 'Trucks don't drive by themselves...' Or do they? (re: Various, 12/29/2018 ) |
Volvo's Self-Driving Mining Trucks 'A procession of automatic ore carts was racing over the bleak slag' - Philip K. Dick, 1955 (re: Philip K. Dick, 11/27/2018 ) |
Musk Declares Tesla Supercharger Capacity Will Double By Next Year 'Recharge the batteries... in almost every town and village...'- John Jacob Astor IV, 1894. (re: John Jacob Astor IV, 11/20/2018 ) |
Ford's Autonomous Cabs 'Transportation As A Service' 'He was glad to crawl into his autocab and close the cover.' - Robert Heinlein, 1951. (re: Robert Heinlein, 11/18/2018 ) |
World's First Autonomous Tram In Germany What's it like for autonomous trams when they're turned off at night? (re: Isaac Asimov, 9/11/2018 ) |
UberAIR Asks For Skytaxi Landing Prototypes I'd rather just call one to my front yard, please. (re: Various, 5/5/2018 ) |
Is Teleportation A Death Sentence? 'A long trail of dead, he thought, left across the stars...' - Clifford Simak, 1963. (re: Clifford Simak, 3/20/2018 ) |
Musk Tweets A Boring Tunnel Pic 'We hit the sub-basement and went at once to the express tubes...' - Robert Heinlein, 1956. (re: Robert Heinlein, 10/26/2017 ) |
Tesla Electric Automatobus Prototype Spotted? Those buses need to feed on something. (re: Isaac Asimov, 10/23/2017 ) |
easyJet Short-Haul Electric Jets Have a little faith, will you? They're working on it. (re: John W. Campbell, 9/24/2017 ) |
Hyperloop One Video Shows It Works! 'Complete evacuation of the interior of the tubes [and] a wave that provides the new propulsive energy for the cars...' Hard Vincent, 1929. (re: Harl Vincent, 7/10/2017 ) |
Flexup Tire Design Good For Tumblebugs 'Each spoke telescopes into five sections.'- Neal Stephenson, 1992. (re: Neal Stephenson, 7/5/2017 ) |
Amazing Tesla Autopilot Video 'As the beautiful old car cruised in almost perfect silence under the guidance of its automatic controls...' - Arthur C. Clarke, 1976. (re: Arthur C. Clarke, 4/8/2017 ) |
Mercedes-Benz Autonomous Taxi Fleet In 3 Years '... the taxi utilized sophisticated electronic sensors to perceive its surroundings.' - Allan Dean Foster, 2006. (re: Alan Dean Foster, 4/1/2017 ) |
President Trump's Wall As Otra Nation Hyperloop '...an hollow tube must be constructed the whole distance... as to admit a four wheeled carriage...'- George Medhurst, 1812. (re: Harl Vincent, 3/25/2017 ) |
Flying In An Ironman Suit Just ask WWTSD? That's 'What Would Tony Stark Do...' (re: Various, 3/17/2017 ) |
Griff 300 Octocopter Carries You And Friend 'The cab came floating down out of the sky...' - James Blish, 1957. (re: James Blish, 12/24/2016 ) |
British Airways To Offer An Ingestible Sensor To Passengers The modern way to get feedback from passengers. (re: Various, 11/22/2016 ) |
Vahana, The Airbus Flying Taxi 'The cab came floating down out of the sky at the intersection.' (re: James Blish, 10/20/2016 ) |
Hi-Yo Modobag! Away! 'A tumblebug does not give a man dignity...' - Robert Heinlein, 1941. (re: Robert Heinlein, 9/11/2016 ) |
Fleets Of Ford Autonomous Cars In 5 Years 'He urgently addressed the vehicle's AI."Can't we go any faster?' - Allan Dean Foster, 2006. (re: Allan Dean Foster, 8/12/2016 ) |
No Human Drivers By 2040 - Israel 'It's been a criminal offense... to drive manually on a public highway.' - Arthur C. Clarke, 1976. (re: Isaac Asimov, 6/25/2016 ) |
Human-Carrying Drone Taxi 184 Approved For Test Flights 'The cab was an egg-shaped bubble...' - James Blish, 1957. (re: James Blish, 6/2/2016 ) |
Solowheel Xtreme Heinlein Tumblebug Video 'The cadets 'stood to horse' alongside their poised tumblebugs...' - Robert Heinlein, 1940. (re: Robert Heinlein, 11/21/2015 ) |
WEpod Driverless Vehicle On The Netherlands Roads 'The car moved smoothly away. Mirelly-Lyra half relaxed; she was not steering.' - Larry Niven, 1978. (re: Larry Niven, 9/18/2015 ) |
Airbus E-Fan All-Electric Plane Now Ready I couldn't believe it, either. An amazing technical feat. (re: John W. Campbell, 6/14/2015 ) |
Self-Driving Truck Corridor From Manitoba To Mexico? This might be the safer idea... (re: Miles J. Breuer, 5/23/2015 ) |
Rollkers Walking Skates 'Each had three small, rubber-covered wheels, one in front and two in the rear.'- Hugo Gernsback, 1911. (re: Hugo Gernsback, 3/19/2015 ) |
Fix Michigan Roads, Or Get Hovercars? 'Dead for many years was the old concept of smooth, hard-surfaced, almost polished highways...'- Clifford Simak, 1961. (re: Clifford Simak, 3/17/2015 ) |
Hyperloop Track Starts Next Year All aboard! This is not just a test track, or a scale model. This is the real deal. (re: Harl Vincent, 2/27/2015 ) |
Ninebot One Self-Balancing Wheel 'It had been a long time since the Chief Engineer had ridden one of these silly-looking little vehicles...'- Robert Heinlein, 1941 (re: Robert Heinlein, 12/10/2014 ) |
Calling Google's RoboTaxi 'The taxi utilized sophisticated electronic sensors to perceive its surroundings...'- Allan Dean Foster, 2006. (re: Allan Dean Foster, 8/23/2013 ) |
Hyperloop Transport Proposed By Tesla's Elon Musk '...an hollow tube must be constructed the whole distance... of such dimensions as to admit a four wheeled carriage...'- George Medhurst, 1812. (re: Harl Vincent, 7/12/2013 ) |
Evacuated Tube Transport Idea Is 200 Years Old This Year! Take a look at the financial calculations behind this idea; one-tenth the cost of high-speed rail! (re: Robert Heinlein, 4/3/2012 ) |
myTaxi iPhone App May Transform Taxi Business Let's start combining these modern developments to get the services we want. (re: Various, 3/11/2012 ) |
'Loogie Gun' Deployed On Pennsylvania Turnpike Ever been stuck on the highway? (re: Neal Stephenson, 11/23/2011 ) |
VoltAir Electric Aircraft Concept An electric powered aircraft might be quieter and more comfortable. (re: John W. Campbell, 7/21/2011 ) |
Solowheel Self-Balancing Unicycle I'm not sure if this is the future of transportation, but you can carry it easier than a Segway. (re: Robert Heinlein, 2/16/2011 ) |
Could Blimps Replace Planes For Cargo? SF writers haven't given up on dirigibles, neither should we. (re: Jerry Pournelle, 7/1/2010 ) |
Electric Jet Planes With Superconducting Generators A recent study blames 15-20% of arctic melting on high altitude emissions from jet planes. Could electric jet planes work? (re: John W. Campbell, 12/26/2009 ) |
Robotic Roller Skate Micro-Mobility Personal transportation for each foot is an idea that just won't go away; take a look at the prototypes in this short video. (re: Hugo Gernsback, 12/2/2009 ) |
SkyTran's Sky Pod MagLev Taxis Speaking as someone who spent about 6,000 hours commuting to work in a car and steering it down the same road over and over, I'd rather just ride, thanks. When do I get my Sky Pods? (re: Larry Niven, 10/13/2009 ) |
ULTra Personal Pod Driverless Taxis Here! This driverless taxi apparently lacks a depressed robotic driver; it drives itself. (re: James Blish, 8/19/2009 ) |
Rebuild Highways - Or Think Differently It turns out that Larry Niven had an interesting idea for what to do with highways in our modern age. (re: Larry Niven, 1/25/2009 ) |
Laser Aircraft Refueling: Power Transfer Beams? Patent application provides hope that there will be air travel after the age of oil. (re: Gene Roddenberry, 12/9/2008 ) |
What Should A Hybrid Sound Like? If a car could make any sound, what sound should it make? (re: Robert Heinlein, 8/13/2008 ) |
Skyhook Jess Heavy Lifter Like Pournelle's Skyhook Interesting aircraft combines elements of a blimp and a helicopter for transporting heavy equipment and materials where there are no roads. Pournelle fans are already familiar with the idea and the name. (re: Jerry Pournelle, 7/9/2008 ) |
Never-Stop Rail Transit System Proposed Take a look at this approach to a well-known problem; sf writers have their own ideas. (re: Robert Heinlein, 6/19/2008 ) |
Autonomous Docking Laser-Guided Robotic Wheelchair This is a very useful device and it turns out to be even more difficult on Earth. (re: Various, 5/4/2008 ) |
Ticketime Concept Timepiece Ticket Neat concept reminds me of the master, Isaac Asimov, who also wanted to improve tickets. (re: Isaac Asimov, 4/30/2008 ) |
Russians Plan Railroad Gandydancer Robots Russian robots speak of a future worker's paradise - in which the dangerous jobs would be performed by robots. (re: Various, 12/21/2007 ) |
Heinlein Controlways Predicted By Kiwi Profs Professors seem to be channeling RAH on this one. (re: Robert Heinlein, 8/28/2007 ) |
Russian Power Boots Can Use Biofuels These Power Boots are dangerously cool, in fact and in fiction. (re: Charles Stross, 9/15/2006 ) |
ULTra PRT (Personal Rapid Transit) Planned For London The ULTra is back in the news, this time at Heathrow airport. (re: James Blish, 9/9/2006 ) |
Dynalifter Prototype Ready For Flight Amateur aircraft builders create the prototype for giant heavy lifter airships. (re: Jerry Pournelle, 1/5/2006 ) |
Self-Steering Buses In Cambridge Self-steering cars and buses are coming! (re: Isaac Asimov, 1/3/2006 ) |
DARPA's Walrus and Griffith's War-Balloons Not your great-grandfather's airship, the Walrus will be able to lift a fighting force. (re: George Griffith, 9/7/2005 ) |
World's Fastest Elevator Now In World's Tallest Building - Going Up? Toshiba Elevator and Building Systems Corp announced the installation of the world's fastest passenger elevator just exactly where it is needed - in Taipei 101, the world's tallest building. The elevator runs at a top speed of 1,010 meters per minute (re: Isaac Asimov, 12/18/2004 ) |
Stealth Now Old Hat - USAF Looks Into Teleportation Lest you think that our friends at DARPA are the only ones interested in science-fictional possibilities, the USAF recently took delivery on a new study regarding the military potential of teleportation. (re: Frank Herbert, 11/1/2004 ) |
Motosk8 - Next Best Thing To Tele-Motor-Coasters Motosk8 is a very special kind of personal transportation, designed by extreme sports enthusiast Tim Gendle. (re: Hugo Gernsback, 9/30/2004 ) |
ULTra - driverless automatic taxi The ULTra, an automated, driverless taxi system, offers a small private car (up to four passengers) that goes straight to the destination set by the user. (re: Larry Niven, 4/14/2004 ) |
AirScooter II Ultralight: Heinlein's Copter Harness? In 1954, Robert Heinlein described a "copter harness" - you will soon be able to buy the AirScooter II, an easy-to-fly ultralight aircraft that comes pretty close. (re: Robert Heinlein, 4/7/2004 ) |
Poweriser: Extreme Sports Gear from The Diamond Age In The Diamond Age, author Neal Stephenson creates a vivid picture of a future Shanghai. The novel mixes "futuristic" devices based on nanotechnology with simpler mechanical devices that are almost Victorian in their simplicity... Imagine my surpri (re: Neal Stephenson, 3/11/2004 ) |
Ghostrider Robot: Sterling's Smart Motorcycle? The Ghostrider Robot (aka Dexterit), an entrant to the upcoming "Grand Challenge" race sponsored by DARPA, is an autonomous self-balancing robotic motorcycle.< (re: Bruce Sterling, 3/9/2004 ) |
First Flight of a Laser Powered Airplane Today, NASA tested a laser-powered airplane: a 312-gram (11-ounce), 1.5-meter (five-foot) wingspan plane. A laser beam struck the photovoltaic cells that powered the tiny motor that turned its propeller. (re: Larry Niven, 10/11/2003 ) |
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