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Archive for the ‘transportation’ category: Page 220

Jul 5, 2021

Inside the Impossible Dream of the Nuclear-Powered 1958 Ford Nucleon

Posted by in categories: engineering, nuclear energy, transportation

In 1958, Ford showed the world a car like it had never seen before, one powered by a small nuclear reactor. The Ford Nucleon, as it was christened, was envisioned as a car capable of driving more than 5000 miles between fueling stops, appealing to a postwar fixation with convenience that has dominated American consumerism since. Like some other midcentury nuclear fantasies, though, the Nucleon never came to fruition, in part due to engineering problems we still struggle with to this day.

Before we examine why the Nucleon could never be, let’s get a better grasp of the car itself, starting with its utterly comical dimensions. Ford’s press materials envisaged the Nucleon stretching 200.3 inches long and 77.4 wide, making it as long as the new Ford Maverick compact pickup, but slightly wider. Its roof was said to measure just 41.4 inches high, making it less than an inch taller than the legendarily low-slung Ford GT40.

Jul 5, 2021

Deep sea robots will let us find millions of shipwrecks, says man who discovered Titanic

Posted by in categories: robotics/AI, transportation

A revolutionary new class of amphibious vehicle will transform the search for lost vessels on the ocean floor, says marine archaeologist Dr Robert Ballard.

Jul 4, 2021

This VTOL Aircraft Flies Without Any Blades!

Posted by in categories: futurism, transportation

The J-2000 VTOL flying vehicle doesn’t use any blades, instead it uses a quiet “fluidic propulsion system,” the future of flying vehicles.

Jul 3, 2021

Hyundai’s experimental hydrogen-powered trucks are America-bound

Posted by in category: transportation

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Hyundai’s fleet of hydrogen-powered truck prototypes reached a significant milestone in Europe in June 2021. With a successful testing phase comes a tremendous amount of data, and the information gathered during 11 months of real-world evaluation across the pond will ultimately help the firm design a truck sized for American roads.

Real-world users have collectively put 1 million kilometers (about 621400 miles) on the 46 trucks that Hyundai built for testing purposes, meaning each rig has covered an average of around 13500 miles. They’re in the hands of 25 different companies operating in Switzerland, including some in the logistics, distribution, and supermarket sectors. So far, users have been pleased: They praised the Xcient truck’s long driving range and short refueling times, attributes that a comparable electric model wouldn’t be able to offer. Specific figures weren’t released.

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Jul 2, 2021

Cars Insider on Snapchat

Posted by in categories: computing, transportation

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Transportation Insider posted an episode of Cars Insider.

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Jul 1, 2021

The dipolar express: An electromagnetically driven train

Posted by in category: transportation

Flying train Circa 2015.

Jul 1, 2021

Amazon plans to build delivery robot tech in Finland

Posted by in categories: robotics/AI, transportation

Amazon announced Thursday that it plans to develop new technology for its autonomous delivery vehicles in Helsinki, Finland.

The Seattle-headquartered tech giant said in a blog post that it is setting up a new “Development Center” to support Amazon Scout, which is a fully electric autonomous delivery robot that is being tested in four U.S. locations.

Two dozen engineers will be based at the Amazon Scout Development Center in Helsinki initially, the company said, adding that they will be focused on research and development.

Jun 30, 2021

Flying car completes test flight between airports

Posted by in categories: energy, transportation

The vehicle runs on regular fuel and can travel up to 1000km while airborne, its creator says.

Jun 30, 2021

Dell’s versatile UltraSharp 4K webcam uses AI to keep you in the frame

Posted by in categories: robotics/AI, transportation

It costs $199.99 and includes a monitor and tripod mount.


Dell has launched a high-end UltraSharp webcam that costs $199.99 and is available now worldwide. Its cylindrical design is reminiscent of Apple’s old but iconic iSight external webcam, but its features are aimed to compete with Logitech’s Brio and other modern 4K-ready webcams. In addition, it aims to serve as a more affordable and easier-to-set up alternative to mounting a DSLR camera behind your monitor.

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Jun 29, 2021

Railroads To Pour Cold Renewable Energy Water On Koch Industries

Posted by in categories: business, chemistry, energy, sustainability, transportation

The US power grid needs all of support it can get. Sad that some would stand in the way of progress.


There is no love lost between the notorious Koch brothers and the nation’s railroad industry, and the relationship is about to get a lot unlovelier. A massive new, first-of-its-kind renewable energy transmission line is taking shape in the Midwest, which will cut into the Koch family’s fossil energy business. It has a good chance of succeeding where others have stalled, because it will bury the cables under existing rights-of-way using railroad rights-of-way and avoid stirring up the kind of opposition faced by conventional above-ground lines.

The Koch brothers and their family-owned company, Koch Industries, have earned a reputation for attempting to throttle the nation’s renewable energy sector. That makes sense, considering that the diversified, multinational firm owns thousands of miles of oil, gas, and chemical pipelines criss-crossing the US (and sometimes breaking down) in addition to other major operations that depend on rail and highway infrastructure.

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