|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A Kill Switch For Your Car?
'The car faltered as the external command came to brake...' - Keith Laumer, 1965.
(re: Keith Laumer, 1/1/2022 ) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Drone-Based Aerial Hammock
'The observation vehicle... was suspended by a pair of cables from the kite-copter.' - Jack Vance, 1952.
(re: Jack Vance, 12/13/2019 ) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dockworkers Protest Driverless Trucks
'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, 3/9/2019 ) |
Flying Car Concept By Kash Sirinanda
'Each one consists of a hub with many tiny spokes... On the end is a squat foot, rubber tread on the bottom...' - Neal Stephenson, 1992.
(re: Neal Stephenson, 3/7/2019 ) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Embark Autonomous Trucks Still Need Humans
'...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, 7/15/2018 ) |
Rolls Royce eVTOL Flying Car
'The cab came floating down out of the sky at the intersection.' - James Blish, 1955.
(re: James Blish, 7/7/2018 ) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cormorant Flying Car
'The cab came floating down out of the sky...' - James Blish, 1957.
(re: James Blish, 1/14/2017 ) |
|
Honda To Offer Car With Emotions
'All the doors in this spaceship have a cheerful and sunny disposition.' - Douglas Adams, 1979.
(re: Douglas Adams, 12/1/2016 ) |
The Point Of View Of An Autonomous Car
'It is safe to say that the new model almost revolutionized America in more ways than one...' - David H. Keller, 1935.
(re: David H. Keller, 11/27/2016 ) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mobility Scooters Go Offroad
'Noiselessly, on rubber-tired wheels, they journeyed down the long aisles...' - David H. Keller, 1928.
(re: David H. Keller, 7/12/2016 ) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Chris Brewer Speaks at Michigan Robotics
'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, 4/5/2016 ) |
Tesla Unveils Affordable Model 3 Electric Car
'They can therefore roam over the roads of the entire hemisphere [combining] the sensations of coasting with the interest of seeing the country well.'- John Jacob Astor IV, 1894.
(re: John Jacob Astor, 4/1/2016 ) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Lit Motors Self-Balancing Motorcycle
'He had never ridden any motorized device that lacked onboard steering and balance systems...'- Bruce Sterling, 1998.
(re: Bruce Sterling, 11/7/2014 ) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tesla's 100th Supercharger Station!
'Recharge the batteries, which can be done in almost every town and village..'- John Jacob Astor IV. 1894.
(re: John Jacob Astor IV, 5/23/2014 ) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The F-Bike Flies!
'The flycycles... a pair of four foot spheres joined by the constriction that held the saddle.'- Larry Niven, 1970.
(re: Larry Niven, 6/21/2013 ) |
Tesla's Supercharger Station Plan
'To recharge the batteries, which can be done in almost every town and village...'- John Jacob Astor IV, 1894.
(re: John Jacob Astor IV, 5/31/2013 ) |
|
|
|
Tesla Model S Declared Car Of The Year By Motor Trend
'They can therefore roam over the roads of the entire hemisphere [combining] the sensations of coasting with the interest of seeing the country well.'- John Jacob Astor IV, 1894.
(re: John Jacob Astor IV, 11/13/2012 ) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Buy Martin Jetpack This Fall
Ah, how long we've been waiting for a usable jetpack. Remember those sf ideas of yesteryear?
(re: John W. Campbell, 3/11/2010 ) |
|
|
Parajet SkyCar Adventure
Unlike most flying cars, you can actually place an order for one of these right now.
(re: Jack Vance, 12/23/2009 ) |
|
|
iPhone App To Drive Your Car
Watch movie then and German engineering now videos of this iPhone app that lets you drive your car by remote control.
(re: Various, 10/31/2009 ) |
|
Autonomous Valet Parking By Volkswagen
Imagine leaving your car at the curb of the restaurant, pushing the 'park' button and just walking in for dinner. Watch the video.
(re: Robert Heinlein, 10/26/2009 ) |
|
In-Road Electric Vehicle Charger
Intriguing patent surfaces (with video) for an in-road electric vehicle charging system; you can move on or off the charging strip at will.
(re: Hugo Gernsback, 10/11/2009 ) |
|
|
|
Life-Size Tachikoma Robot Vehicle
This is a pretty nice implementation of the Tachikoma tank, even if it doesn't climb buildings or turn invisible.
(re: Various, 8/15/2009 ) |
|
|
Ripsaw MS1 Like Laumer's Bolo
This unmanned tank can do speedy maneuvers and zip along at up to sixty mph. It's not autonomous - yet.
(re: Keith Laumer, 5/13/2009 ) |
Electric Cars To Make Noise By Law?
A quarter-century ago, an SF writer thought that it might be cool to give silent cars real engine sounds. Now, you might be forced to - and no way to turn it off.
(re: Robert Heinlein, 5/12/2009 ) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
'Mycodiesel' From Patagonian Tree Fungus
Interesting find in the rainforests of Patagonia; the only organism that produces ready-to-use fuel. Put a fungus in your tank.
(re: Neal Stephenson, 11/10/2008 ) |
Hover Chair Like Star Wars Landspeeder
Keith Dixon makes himself a hover chair - it's like floating on a cloud. For $9,600 I was hoping to go find some droids...
(re: George Lucas, 10/30/2008 ) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pribot Robotic Prius Tours 'Frisco
New entry in self-driving sweepstakes comes not from a huge team but from one very determined engineer; you may recall his self-driving motorcycle from four years ago.
(re: Robert Heinlein, 9/17/2008 ) |
Jetpack From New Zealand Takes Off
Pretty nifty DIY jetpack from New Zealander Glenn Martin; includes better video than that provided by the New York Times.
(re: Robert Heinlein, 7/29/2008 ) |
|
Robot Teddy Bear Chats With Drunk Drivers
If you think that getting into an argument with your car over drinking and driving is a bit surreal, you're right. But, bear knows best.
(re: Philip K. Dick, 6/18/2008 ) |
Gina Cloth-Covered Car From BMW
Watch the video to see how much this prototype car acts like a mammal with skin; I think we need to talk about exactly what sfnal properties the skin should have.
(re: Neal Stephenson, 6/14/2008 ) |
|
Self-Repairing Aircraft Mimic Borg Cubes
It may be possible for aircraft to repair structural damage in flight - kind of like a Borg cube, but with no offers to assimilate passengers. Yet.
(re: Raymond Z. Gallun, 5/19/2008 ) |
Pinta The Robot Sailboat
'How was the ship piloted? Who was watching the course?' - Miles J. Breuer, 1930.
(re: Miles J. Breuer, 5/13/2008 ) |
Audi Snook One-Wheel Concept Gyrocar Updated
Updated with RAH tumblebug picture from June, 1940 Astounding! If you're wondering how much fun it will be to drive, read what Piers Anthony and Robert Margroff wrote forty years earlier.
(re: Anthony/w R. Margroff, 4/17/2008 ) |
Rocket Racing League Almost Podracing
Take a look at these two videos, and tell me if you think that this exhibition event taking place this summer looks like a good step towards podracing.
(re: George Lucas, 4/16/2008 ) |
|
DARPA Vulture Five Year Flying Wing
DARPA sets yet another ambitious goal; I don't understand why nobody remembers the amazing prototype aircraft that reached 100,000 feet on solar power alone a few years ago.
(re: E.E. 'Doc' Smith, 3/4/2008 ) |
|
|
|
|
GM Betting On Driverless Cars
When GM says it thinks that autonomous vehicles will be commercially available in ten years, you're starting to get mainstream.
(re: Robert Heinlein, 1/9/2008 ) |
|
|
|
|
|
Volitan Solar 'Sail' Yacht
The Volitan looks good in this conceptual video; I like the idea of a boat powered by sun and sail only.
(re: Jules Verne, 11/27/2007 ) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
MiniC.A.T Urban Air Car
This remarkable car is on the verge of mass production in India; it runs entirely on air.
(re: , 3/20/2007 ) |
|
|
|
|
|
First Jetpowered Flying Man
Apparently, the first successful jet-pack; it looks pretty good on YouTube.
(re: Robert Heinlein, 12/25/2006 ) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CLEVER Car One Meter Wide
The CLEVER car is a zippy little prototype vehicle just one meter wide
(re: Frank Herbert, 4/25/2006 ) |
Eunicycle Single-Wheel Gyro-Stabilized Scooter
Dr. Trevor Blackwell has constructed a self-balancing, powered unicycle he calls the Eunicycle. It's pretty close to what Robert Heinlein had in mind in 1940 in The Roads Must Roll.
(re: Robert Heinlein, 1/31/2005 ) |
Mac Mini and KITT The Knight Rider
the 6.5"x2" Apple Mac Mini is just the right size to fit into a car stereo single-DIN compartment. Let the Mac Mini custom auto conversions begin!
(re: Neal Stephenson, 1/13/2005 ) |
Ornithopters In Fact And Fiction
An ornithopter (a flapping wing aircraft) under development at the University of Toronto's Institute for Aerospace Studies may yet make Leonardo da Vinci's dream a reality. Frank Herbert fully visualized them in Dune.
(re: Frank Herbert, 12/2/2004 ) |
Animaris Rhinoceros Transport
The Animaris Rhinoceros Transport is - well, I don't know what it is. It stands about 4.7 meters tall, and is constructed with a steel skeleton covered with a polyester skin.
(re: George Lucas, 9/29/2004 ) |
|
|
VolksVegan - Biodiesel Powered Vehicles
The VolksVegan biodiesel is a great little car; any diesel vehicle can be converted to run on vegetable oil. Rudolph Diesel would have approved!
(re: William Gibson, 4/12/2004 ) |
Skyray Human Glider Flight
Tired of dawdling along at one hundred and twenty miles an hour, a typical terminal velocity for human-shaped skydivers? Can you go faster? and farther?
(re: Robert Heinlein, 12/17/2003 ) |
EMBRIO Embodies The Tumblebug
Bombardier recently came up with a new concept vehicle that "promises a whole new experience on the road." The EMBRIO would be a single-wheeled vehicle that used gyroscopes and sensors to maintain proper attitude.
(re: Robert Heinlein, 11/30/2003 ) |