Concept Cars 50 Years Into The Future

Slick futuristic car design from Mazda, Nissan, Toyota & Honda. The brief was to imagine vehicle design 50 years into the future.

Mazda Motonari RX

"In Mazda’s vision of the late 2050s, advances in molecular engineering have rendered metal-based manufacturing obsolete. The rise of ubiquitous computing and artificial intelligence drastically accelerates the automotive production cycle. Cars are cheap, lightweight (around 200 lbs, or less than 100 kg), and equipped with intelligent crash avoidance systems that eliminate traffic accidents."

Toyota Biomobile Mecha

"Toyota’s Biomobile Mecha, a shape-shifting vehicle with nano-laser wheels, can read and adapt to changes in the environment and travel vertical pathways by means of biomimetic feet with powerful suction. In addition, the Biomobile Mecha is powered by pollution. A special skin derives energy from harmful substances in the air, so the vehicle never runs out of fuel (as long as the future skies remain polluted) and restores balance to the environment while it goes."

Nissan OneOne

"Billed as the ultimate pet, the Nissan OneOne (pronounced “wan-wan,” the Japanese sound for a barking dog) is a friendly, helpful member of the family of the future. Able to operate autonomously without a driver, the GPS-guided vehicle can help out by picking up the dry cleaning, fetching the groceries, and taking the kids to school. The vehicle can also assume various positions depending on the driving environment. It reclines to achieve greater speed, and it stands up to increase visibility and squeeze into tight spaces.

Honda 124

"The solar-hybrid powered Honda 124 (One to the Power of Four) is an energy-efficient, modular vehicle that can separate into four different fully functional units, each uniquely suited for specific driving conditions. A combination of robotics, artificial intelligence and molecular engineering (which enables the body panels to be reshaped according to use) allow each module to instinctively reconfigure itself and operate as a fully functional unit. Two of the modules are suitable for short-distance inner-city driving, while the other two are ideal for longer distances at higher speeds."

See more details and lots more pics from Pink Tentacle.

Argus II Artificial Eye

The Argus II is a minuscule artificial eye that attaches to the retina via 60 electrodes. Stephen Rose, chief research officer at the Foundation Fighting Blindness, says it has “great potential for giving vision to people with the most advanced retinal disease.” With the second phase of human trials underway, expect production models this year.

Next step: Cyborgs.

[VIA]

Robot Penguins

The graceful robotic penguins in the video above were unveiled by German engineering firm Festo this week.
Using their flippers, the mechanical penguins can paddle through water just like real ones, while larger helium-filled designs can "swim" through the air. The penguins are on show at the Hannover Messe Trade Exhibition in Germany.
Each penguin carries 3D sonar developed by EvoLogics in Berlin, Germany, which is used to monitor its surroundings and avoid collisions with walls or other penguins.

Read the full article HERE.

Supersoldier Exoskeleton HULC

Lockheed is pleased to announce the unveiling of its newly-acquired powered exoskeleton intended to confer superhuman strength and endurance upon US soldiers, called HULC (Human Universal Load Carrier). Its almost like a budget version of the robot suit from Aliens.


4Lb of lithium polymer batteries will run the exoskeleton for an hour walking at 3mph, according to Lockheed. Speed marching at up to 7mph reduces this somewhat; a battery-draining "burst" at 10mph is the maximum speed.
The user can hump 200lb with relative ease while marching in a HULC, however, well in excess of even the heaviest combat loads normally carried by modern infantry. There'd be scope to carry a few spare batteries. Even if the machine runs out of juice, Lockheed claims that its reinforcement and shock absorption still helps with load carrying rather than hindering.
There are various optional extras, too. The HULC can be fitted with armour plating, heating or cooling systems, sensors and "other custom attachments".

AND.....remote-controlled gun mounts weighing as little as 55lb are available, able to handle various kinds of normally tripod- or bipod-mounted heavy weapons.

[VIA]

Amazing Bionic buildings

Anti-Smog Building, Paris. This is one of the projects from Vincent Callebaut, a young French architect who is making some serious waves in the world of bionic architecture. It’s a mixed-use building, erected over abandoned railroad tracks in ParisParis and turn it into useful recycled energy resources. A natural lagoon, as well as a rooftop view of Paris are both bonuses that make people want to spend time in this eco-friendly building. and is designed using green technologies that actually suck the smog from the streets of Paris.

The Ascent at Roebling Bridge, Cincinnati, USA. This building was constructed by Daniel Libeskind, an architect best known for winning the Masterplan competition to rebuild the World Trade Center in New York City. This building isn’t of quite such historic importance, but it reflects the architect’s goals in relation to bionic architecture. The sloping crescent roof takes design cues from the natural environment and also offer residents of the building an uncluttered view of the city. The natural tones of the building were specifically chosen to reflect the earth and sky of the area.

Bionic Tower, Shanghai. The plans for this building started in 1997. Notwithstanding this, it took some time to overcome the challenges faced by technology with early bionic architecture. In essence, this tower is intended to be a vertical city; an eco-city in which all of the needs of the people could be met by the building itself. Shanghai has been the city most interested in taking on this project, yet it isn’t clear whether it will ever move out of just the concept phase.

[VIA]

Worlds First Truly Bionic Hand

Developed in Scotland, the i-Limb is the worlds first truly bionic hand. Watch the video and see this amazing piece of technology in action!

[VIA]

1 step closer to the T1000 & Dkodas "Twisted Ad of the Future"

New World Associates (left-hand image); Biomechatronics Development Laboratory, Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (right-hand image); Otto Bock Healthcare Products; Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory

Ok...so it's not quite the "Terminator" just yet...but we all remember that amazing scene in T2 when Arnie peels back the skin on his forearm revealing an intricate network of robotic electronics right?? ... well read on!...

This bionic arm really does take a step closer to integrating man and machine. Using sensors implanted in the shoulder muscle which process electric signals from the brain into mind-controlled limb movement, this arm will enable the user the best capabilities offered by a prosthetic limb yet.



Rajeev Doshi/Medi-Mation; New World Associates; Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory

The technology boasts an immense improvement in joint manipulation and user-controlled motion, with fingers which can grip firmly, touch delicately, and sense temperature. Linked directly to the brain, the user can manipulate the arm (and its' appendages) with the same subconscious effort required by regular organic limb movement.


New World Associates; Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory

The challenge of brain-regulated artificial limb manipulation is diminishing, however there still remains the issue of fitting the electronics and robotics into the space and shape of a realistic looking prosthetic arm. Work is underway to shrink the size of components and decrease the weight of the limb so as to make it as near to the real thing as possible.


Otto Bock Healthcare Products; Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory


Original post by Bjorn Carey and Michael Belfiore on www.popsci.com



DKODAS "TWISTED AD OF THE FUTURE":

"Pimp" your Bionics!

Here at BlingoniX we offer a pimping range of prosthetic limb upgrade services.

Boost it with a fully integrated media centre, sporting a sub-cutaneous flat screen display and sensor-transmitted audio.

Download movies and music, browse the web and compose emails using voice recognition software and wireless web connection.

With a memory upgrade of 2 terabytes you really should make use of the HI-Def pin-size camera located in the palm of your (bionic) hand to record home movies.

Why not show your movies to your friends? With the Mini-Pro HI-Def projector located just above your palm camera you can display your movies, or your downloads, anywhere you like!!

Fed up of your credit cards? Install a fingertip Chip-and-Pin panel and you can leave your wallet at home!

Ladies?!!! Tired of nail polish remover? Upgrade with our Nail-Tron package and you can have whatever colour or design you like whenever you want it. Using bionic pigment chromatophor controls, you can pick any colour in any tone! You can even upload a design to your on-board memory drive and the Nail-Tron processor will format it to fit your nail! Got 5 kids? Why not put their pictures on your nails to show your friends?


Other Upgrade services include:

Self-Defense Pro Package

Sun-sensitive Tanning

Home automation control

Wrist-Integrated Telephonics



Wanna hear more about "BlingoniX"? Leave a comment!