No one dare say that man’s creativity has been dulled by the lure of easy living in
this post-industrial age. With ever-smarter computers and AI helping along the way, the
wild ideas of the past are becoming reality. Hello, I'm Glenn and let’s talk about innovation
in the area of transportation. I'll share some fantastic new products which demonstrate
the human spirit of innovative creativity.
Number Ten
Skai, developed by Alaka’i Technologies in Massachusetts, is a radical air mobility
system that may become the Uber of the sky. It is the first hydrogen-powered electric
vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) vehicle. They say they have a prototype five-seater
multi-copter taxi capable of a 400-mile range. Its air taxis will cost the same per mile
as taking an Uber, using a clean energy source. The air taxi can carry up to a thousand pounds
and travel at 118 miles per hour, with fly-by-light fiber Optics based controls for EMI and lightning
protection.
Number Nine
The radical-looking vehicle, the Eximus IV, developed by Dalarna University and Chalmers
Technical University in Sweden has delivered an energy efficiency world record. It won
the “Delsbo Electric 2019”, a competition where students build battery-powered rail
vehicles to compete in energy efficiency. The new world record for energy efficiency
means you can travel about 46 miles on the energy that’s contained in a teaspoon of
gasoline, and it’s likely the most energy-efficient transportation of a person ever. Eximus IV,
a person could travel the distance between Stockholm and Buenos Aires using less than
one liter of gasoline. The contest takes place on rails, to minimize rolling resistance,
and requires contestants to drive just over 2 miles carrying six passengers. Alarna University
has a unique take on the design process. Students must build a brand-new vehicle each year,
and they are only allowed to examine previous year’s vehicles after they have created
a concept of their own.
Number Eight
Say goodbye to the heavy bulky Lithium-Ion battery packs on Ebikes. Now a French Company,
Pragma Industries early this year showed the world's first commercial-grade electrically
assisted bike powered by OCS fuel cell technology at CES 2019. Inventors say the fuel cell and
hydrogen storage integrated inside the Alpha delivers an unrivaled range of 93 miles on
a single charge and can release its hydrogen in about 2 minutes. A new-and-improved Alpha
Bike was unveiled this past August at the G7 World Summit in Biarritz, France. The Alpha
provides constant range and performance in any weather condition. Pragma Industries along
with Ergosup and H2Tec Consortium showed the bike at CES 2019 and was an Innovation Awards
Honoree. It is some slick-looking Ebike, I want one!
I’m Allie and this is Mind’s Eye Trivia Time. By looking at just these images. Do
you know what this is, and where it’s from? Leave the correct answer or your best guess
in the comment section below.
Number Seven
Here’s a practical idea from Japan, equipping hybrid cars with solar panels! In July NEDO,
Sharp Corporation, and Toyota Motor Corporation announced a plan to begin public road trials
to assess improvements in cruising range and fuel efficiency of electrified vehicles equipped
with high-efficiency solar panels. The new Prius models will have solar panels built
by Sharp, thin films that are around 1-100th of an inch thick. While they won’t supply
all the car's energy, the solar panels could ease electric vehicles driving range anxiety,
and can charge while the car is being driven.
Number Six
Here’s putting the power where the watts are! The world's first full-size electric
port tugboat will soon be on duty at New Zealand's Ports of Auckland. The Damen RSD (or Reversed
Stern Drive) E-Tug has been purchased from the Damen Shipyards Group in the Netherlands.
The E-Tug will likely keep up with the port’s best diesel tug but will do so without the
harmful diesel smoke. The tug is expected to be delivered in 2021. The battery-electric
tug will be 81 feet long, able to move at nearly 15 miles per hour, have two azimuth
thrusters with 9.8 ft diameter props and will be able to move three to four ships per charge
of its 2,800 kWh batteries, or three to four hours of operation. A fast charge is expected
to take around two hours. The initial cost is reported to be roughly double that of a
diesel tug but will cost less to operate and maintain.
Number Five
Need your snow groomed in an earth-friendly way? Try the emission-free PistenBully 100-E
Snow Groomer. German-built PistenBully says its 100-E is the first fully-electric solution
for the snowy ski slopes. It has 2 rows of tracks powered by rows of hard rubber wheels.
The battery energy capacity is 106 kWh with a rated voltage of 400 Volts. After 6.5 hours,
the battery is charged, with an average driving time of 2.5 to 3 hours. The 100 E is undergoing
pre-production field-testing and seeking customer feedback before they develop a production vehicle.
Number Four
How would you like to meet one of these on your ride in the country? This is the T/Pod.
The Swedish startup company Einride says it’s the first truck designed for electric power
and autonomous driving, saying it is safe and cost-effective, making some transport
solutions obsolete. The vehicle doesn’t have a cab and is SAE level 4 self-driving
and can be remotely run by a human operator. It has self-awareness and uses cameras, radar,
and lidar to run safely. This big box can load 130 Euro Pallets and has a range of about
124 miles on a full charge. Its top speed is about 52 miles per hour. The company is
also working on the T/Log a similar truck but with a flatbed made for the logging industry.
They look like solid brutes to me!
Number Three
Another autonomous heavy-duty truck is here from a big name in heavy hauling, Volvo. This
is the Volvo Trucks “Vera”. It is sleek looking, almost sports-car-like, but with
enough guts to pull the largest trailers with ease, and with finesse. The Vera has the same
drivetrain and battery packs found in Volvo’s other e-trucks and is controlled and monitored
via a control center, making transportation safer, cleaner, and more efficient. Volvo
first assigned the Vera as part of an integrated solution to transport goods from a logistics
center to a port terminal in Gothenburg, Sweden, a collaboration between Volvo Trucks, and
ferry, and logistics company, DFDS.
Number Two
The king of electric vehicles is here. It’s the KUHN Schweiz AG - Construction machinery’s
EDumper. The world's largest electric vehicle is 110 tons heavy when fully loaded. The prototype
eDumper has a 600 kWh battery and has very efficient regenerative braking, saving 50,000
tons of fuel a year, according to the company. It’s being used at a mountainside quarry
in Biel, Switzerland, and is capable of delivering 60 tons of lime and marl. This thing is huge,
its drivers have to climb 9 stairs to get into the cab, with the tires more than 6 feet tall.
Number One
The ubiquitous ride-sharing company, UBER is hard at work planning what they envision
as the future of transportation, aerial ridesharing. In 2023, Uber plans to give riders the option
of an affordable shared flight. They hope to begin an aerial offering that’s safe,
quiet, and environmentally conscious, and that extends the reach of existing transportation
options. They want to extend their point to point transit options to include flight, using
a network of small electric VTOLs that can take off and land vertically. They want to
develop a network of Skyports to support an urban VTOL network which would be more cost-
and space-efficient, making use of repurposed decks of parking garages, existing helipads,
and unused land surrounding highway interchanges.
These are only 10 of the thousands of exciting and promising new projects and products being
developed by creative minds and forward-thinking companies around the world. What did you think
of this listing? Any standout for you? Let us know in the comments section and let us
know your favorites. Check the details of the items in the box below. Thanks so much
for watching today!
Hi everyone. If you enjoy this video, leave a comment about what you found the most interesting
and why. Also, to get notified when a new video is posted, hit the bell icon below,
right next to the subscribe button. Thank you for watching Mind’s Eye Design.