Rinspeed builds a car of bamboo

The BamBoo uses bamboo fibers in the construction of some interior components.

(Credit: Rinspeed)

At next year's Geneva auto show, tuner and concept builder Rinspeed will show off an environmentally friendly concept car designed to evoke bronzed bodies soaking up the sun at St. Tropez. Although Rinspeed highlights bamboo in the car's name, only interior components are made from bamboo fibers, with a more conventional metal shell for the body.

The BamBoo comes with a foldable two-wheel electric bike.

(Credit: Rinspeed)

In the past, Rinspeed has given us such wild concepts as the submersible sQuba and the iChange. In comparison, the BamBoo seems less ambitious, and even Rinspeed describes it as a "grown-up golf cart." Bamboo has become a favorite material for green construction because it replenishes itself quickly.

An electric powertrain propels the car, although Rinspeed offers no specifications for it. The press release also mentions an included two-wheel electric vehicle for that last mile. Think parking the BamBoo, then scooting around the narrow streets of a European town.

The 2011 Geneva auto show takes place from March 3 through March 13.-cnet.com

Radar Shoes Could Help Locate Users Where Satellite Signals Won't Go

The rise of readily available GPS-enabled devices was supposed to make losing one’s way a relic of a bygone era. But while GPS has undoubtedly changed the way we get around, it’s still imperfect – anywhere the satellite signal can’t reach might as well not be on the digital map because we can’t locate ourselves there. But researchers at NC State and Carnegie Mellon Universities may just have a solution. All they need to do is put radar in your shoe.

Thus far, the most common fix for GPS dead zones is to employ some kind of inertial measurement unit (IMU) that uses measures your speed and direction and figures your position relative to your last known GPS location. But IMUs can be faulty. Even a tiny error in measuring speed or direction will accumulate over time, so the longer you are without GPS the more inaccurate the IMU estimation. This can lead to serious problems if, say, you are trying to find your way out of a subterranean cave or a Wal Mart.

These IMU errors are usually the result of misreading when the subject is standing still. The person may stop, but the IMU may think the person has taken a few more steps, or is even still moving slowly. So the NC State – CMU team devised a means for IMUs to better calculate when a person is standing still: a radar embedded in the heel of the shoe.

The shoe radar works by tracking the distance between the foot and the ground. If that distance doesn’t change for a given period of time, the system knows the foot is firmly planted and tells the IMU as much. By improving the IMUs understanding of when a person is at a complete standstill, the shoe radar can drastically reduce those accumulation errors.

Installing radar in every pair of shoes you own would probably be a bit over the top. But for people who spend a lot of time underground, especially in dangerous situations – miners come to mind, as do construction workers and engineers working on tunnels and large infrastructure projects – technology that can accurately locate you in a pinch seems like it would be a pretty wise investment.-popsci.com

AC Schnitzer Mini E Polizei

Every year BMW tuner Ac Schnitzer reveals a tuned Police car based on one of the Bavarian company’s productions, as their contribution to VDAT’s TUNE IT! SAFE! initiative. This year it’s the electric Mini which received the Cop Car treatment. The 204-hp MINI E in Police livery sporting AC’s tuning package was presented for the first time at the Essen Motor Show 2010.

The car gets AC Schnitzer’s racing suspension, and the front and rear skirts and bonnet vents, as well as “MI 2″ (7.5J x 18″) alloy wheels and high performance brake system from AC Schnitzer with 4-pot fixed calipers on the front axle.

The “Police Look” is provided by the latest signalling system from Hella on the roof, and the blue paintwork by AC Schnitzer in conjunction with special stickering from Foliatec.

The TUNE IT! SAFE! initiative by the Verband Deutscher Automobil Tuner e.V. (VDAT) supported by the Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Development, shows that the yearning for individualisation can continue to be met in the future.-motorward.com

The all new 2012 BMW 1-Series

The new generation 1-Series from BMW is supposed to be revealed in January 2011 at the Detroit Auto Show. There is however very less probability of a car remaining secret that long in the automotive industry. An image of the car has been revealed on the internet. The 1-series would be launched in both coupe and the convertible model and that is exactly what the picture also reveals. More details for sure would be out soon.
The future M Version of the car is also going to be based on the 1-Series. So it is best that one learns more about this car before getting interested in the future M version. BMW is expected to keep the 1-Series and the future M version nearly same as far as their looks and interior are concerned. There would be changes in all probability only in the engine performance to cater for better fuel efficiency.-speedlux.com

Proton's electric car showcased at 'green' conference

Malaysia's first electric car is taking shape with the completion of the prototype of the vehicle based on the latest Proton Saga model.

The prototype, unveiled for the first time today, was built in collaboration between Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) and Proton, the national car maker.

Proton Group Managing Director Datuk Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir said the prototype has given them confidence in making better electric vehicles and hoped that it could be a mass production soon.

"The first stage of validating the product from end-to-end is completed, it gives us a lot of confidence, the system will work as a car.

"And I think the next stage will be pre-testing by the people, and put a better volume of the product, and finally at the end of the day, we are going for mass production," he told reporters on the sidelines of the International Conference on Sustainable Mobility 2010 here today.

The three-day conference starting today and organised by the SAE international Malaysia Section and UTM aims to provide opportunities for participants to exchange ideas, findings, promote knowledge-sharing and cooperate in the field of sustainable mobility.

UTM Vice-Chancellor Prof Datuk Ir Dr Zaini Ujang said the prototype has been under research and development for the past 11 months and the modification was started by converting a petrol-based Saga model to a fully electric-powered car.

"Upon completion, the car can travel as far as 160 kilometres using a 15 kilowatt battery and will take up seven to eight hours to re-charge conventionally," he said.

He said the car was suitable for urban and short-distance travelling and it was environment-friendly as it does not release sound or smoke.-mmail.com.my