Hasta La Ideas

News: entrepreneur Elon Musk has revealed designs for a supersonic Hyperloop transport system to link Los Angeles and San Francisco in just 30 minutes (+ slideshow).

Elon Musk, billionaire and founder of Paypal, electric-car firm Tesla Motors and space technology company SpaceX, has revealed designs for Hyperloop – a supersonic Jetsons-style transportation system for California. Travelling at over 700 mph, passengers would sit in a 1.35-metre-wide tube and be blasted through the 382-mile tunnel linking Los Angeles and San Francisco in just 30 minutes.

After months of speculation, Musk envisions using magnets and fans to shoot capsules that float on a cushion of air through a long tube. “Hyperloop is a new mode of transport that seeks to change this paradigm by being both fast and inexpensive for people and goods,” said Musk in the design study.

In the designs, passenger capsules that float on a cushion of air are transported at high speed through a low pressure tube, elevated over the land between the two cities. “The capsules are accelerated via a magnetic linear accelerator affixed at various stations on the low pressure tube with rotors contained in each capsule,” Musk said.

Passengers would not notice the speed and travel by Hyperloop would feel a lot like being in an aeroplane, Musk explains: “It should really feel just super smooth and quiet. And there’d never be any turbulence or anything.”

Well-known for electric cars, civilian space travel and a vision for interplanetary evolution and sending humans to Mars, the transportation tycoon says Hyperloop would be twice as fast as an aeroplane, cheaper than a bullet train and completely self-powered. It would be both weather and earthquake resistant.

“If we are to make a massive investment in a new transportation system, then the return should by rights be equally massive,” Musk said. “Compared to the alternatives, it should ideally be: safer, faster, lower-cost, more convenient, immune to weather, sustainably self-powering, resistant to earthquakes and not too disruptive to those along the route.”

Musk made the announcement via Twitter last night and a full 57 page pdf document detailing his ideas was published shortly after 9.30pm GMT. He held a 30 minute conference shortly after.

The designs for Hyperloop are open source and Musk has asked for feedback from others to advance the design and make it a reality.

The transportation tycoon first mentioned Hyperloop in July 2012 – leaving amateur designers, engineers and investors speculating ever since. Musk described Hyperloop as the “fifth mode of transportation” – the previous four being train, plane, automobile, and boat. “It’s not a vacuum tunnel, but a cross between Concorde, a rail-gun and air hockey table,” he said.

“The Hyperloop is something that would go effectively faster than the speed of sound. Conceivably you could live in San Fran and work in LA,” said Musk.

Musk has said his Hyperloop designs rival the “high-speed” train the US are proposing. “The $60 billion bullet train they’re proposing in California would be the slowest bullet train in the world at the highest cost per mile.” Musk said. “They’re going for records in all the wrong ways. The cost of the SF-LA Hyperloop would be in the $6 billion range.”

Watch a recording of Elon Musk talking about Hyperloop:

Musk’s ideas for futuristic transport don’t stop there. Speaking online during a Google “Hangout” event with Virgin Group CEO and founder of Virgin Galactic Richard Branson on Friday, Musk said he has another idea, to rival Concorde — a vertical lift-off supersonic electric passenger jet. He said that he envisaged journeys over 1000 miles long being done in aircraft that would travel faster than the speed of sound.

“If you fly high enough and have the right geometry of plane, you can make the sonic boom no louder than current planes,” he said.

Musk commented that vertical take-off and landings would mean passengers could land closer to a desired destination – eliminating the need for large airports and long runways. Too busy – with electric car innovations, hovering reusable rockets and passenger flights to Mars – to launch into the vertical jet business just yet, Musk did add: “If somebody doesn’t do [it] then maybe, at some point in the future, I will.”

Read more transportation features on Dezeen »
See our archive about transport and architecture in space »

Here is the full announcement from SpaceX/Elon Musk:

Hyperloop
August 12, 2013
By Elon Musk, Chairman, Product Architect, CEO

When the California “high speed” rail was approved, I was quite disappointed, as I know many others were too. How could it be that the home of Silicon Valley and JPL – doing incredible things like indexing all the world’s knowledge and putting rovers on Mars – would build a bullet train that is both one of the most expensive per mile and one of the slowest in the world? Note, I am hedging my statement slightly by saying “one of”. The head of the California high speed rail project called me to complain that it wasn’t the very slowest bullet train nor the very most expensive per mile.

The underlying motive for a statewide mass transit system is a good one. It would be great to have an alternative to flying or driving, but obviously only if it is actually better than flying or driving. The train in question would be both slower, more expensive to operate (if unsubsidised) and less safe by two orders of magnitude than flying, so why would anyone use it?

If we are to make a massive investment in a new transportation system, then the return should by rights be equally massive. Compared to the alternatives, it should ideally be:

• Safer
• Faster
• Lower cost
• More convenient
• Immune to weather
• Sustainably self-powering
• Resistant to Earthquakes
• Not disruptive to those along the route

Is there truly a new mode of transport – a fifth mode after planes, trains, cars and boats – that meets those criteria and is practical to implement? Many ideas for a system with most of those properties have been proposed and should be acknowledged, reaching as far back as Robert Goddard’s to proposals in recent decades by the Rand Corporation and ET3.

Unfortunately, none of these have panned out. As things stand today, there is not even a short distance demonstration system operating in test pilot mode anywhere in the world, let alone something that is robust enough for public transit. They all possess, it would seem, one or more fatal flaws that prevent them from coming to fruition.

Constraining the Problem

The Hyperloop (or something similar) is, in my opinion, the right solution for the specific case of high traffic city pairs that are less than about 1500 km or 900 miles apart. Around that inflection point, I suspect that supersonic air travel ends up being faster and cheaper. With a high enough altitude and the right geometry, the sonic boom noise on the ground would be no louder than current airliners, so that isn’t a showstopper. Also, a quiet supersonic plane immediately solves every long distance city pair without the need for a vast new worldwide infrastructure.

However, for a sub several hundred mile journey, having a supersonic plane is rather pointless, as you would spend almost all your time slowly ascending and descending and very little time at cruise speed. In order to go fast, you need to be at high altitude where the air density drops exponentially, as air at sea level becomes as thick as molasses (not literally, but you get the picture) as you approach sonic velocity.

Continue Reading: Hyperloop-Alpha.pdf

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supersonic transport system appeared first on Dezeen.

German car brand BMW has launched its first fully electric production car called the BMW i3 (+ slideshow).

The first car launched under the company’s BMW i sub-brand, the BMW i3 is the production model of a concept car originally presented at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2011.

See our story about the BMW i3 and i8 concept cars »

The four-seater, five-door city car has retained much of the styling of the original concept car, including a black band running from the bonnet, across the roof and down the back of the car and blue highlights around the distinctive BMW front grille.

It features a 170bhp all-electric motor powered by a lithium-ion rechargeable battery and can travel 130 to 160 kilometres on a single charge.

Top speed is 150 kilometres per hour and the car can accelerate from 0-100 kilometres per hour in 7.2 seconds.

The battery can be charged from a domestic plug socket in around 8 to 10 hours, or in 3-4 hours from a public charging station.

BMW also offers a home charging station called BMW i Wallbox Pure, which can match the charging rate of public charging stations.

The car’s onboard navigation system, which features a mobile data connection as standard, displays available charging stations within the car’s current range in real-time.

A second version of the car features a tiny additional 650cc petrol engine, which powers a generator to recharge the battery while the car is on the move.

Called the BMW i3 Range Extender, this version of the car can travel up to 300 kilometres on a single charge, almost twice as far as the all-electric car.

BMW also offers an additional annual subscription service called BMW Access, which allows BMW i3 owners to hire petrol-engined BMWs for one-off long-distance trips.

See all our stories about BMW »

Here’s some more information from BMW:

The BMW i3

The world, and with it the sphere of personal mobility, is in a state of ecological, economic and social upheaval. Global developments such as climate change, dwindling resources and increasing urbanisation call for fresh solutions. BMW i is finding those solutions. The brand stands for visionary vehicle concepts, inspiring design and a new understanding of premium that is strongly defined by sustainability.

In the BMW i3 – the first series-produced model by BMW i – zero-emission mobility in a premium car package proves to be a recipe for pure driving pleasure. The first BMW Group model running on electric power alone offers customers totally new and groundbreaking ways to experience driving pleasure, sustainability and connectivity on city roads.

The visionary design of the BMW i3 showcases both BMW’s customary sporting capability and the efficiency of a four-seater with authentic clarity. Its innovative vehicle concept, including a passenger compartment made from carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP), combines lightness, stability and safety with extraordinary spaciousness.

Meanwhile, the driver assistance systems and mobility services from BMW Connected Drive and the 360° ELECTRIC services – all developed specially for BMW i – turn zero-emission urban mobility into a compelling everyday driving experience.

The electric motor powering the BMW i3 generates a maximum output of 125 kW/170 hp and peak torque of 250 Newton metres (184 lb-ft). Its instantaneous power flows to the rear wheels via a single-speed transmission. The motor sources its energy from lithium-ion storage cells integrated into the car’s underfloor section.

The significantly lower centre of gravity of the i3 – the result of the low, central placement of the battery units – and even weight distribution make an additional contribution to the car’s agile handling.

The battery gives the car a range in everyday conditions of 130 – 160 kilometres (81 – 99 miles) when fully charged from a conventional domestic power socket, BMW i Wallbox or public charging station.

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by BMW appeared first on Dezeen.

Car brand MINI has previewed design ideas ahead of the launch of its new model later this year, including Union Jack door pockets and a disco floor (+ movie).

Presented at the brand’s headquarters in Munich last week, MINI‘s Vision concept design incorporates a Driving Experience Control switch would allow the driver to change the lighting, colours and atmosphere inside the car from calm to energetic with the touch of a button.

Coloured lights in the footwells could be activated to flash in a series of patterns to create a “MINI Disco”.

Criss-crossing stretchy straps in the shape of the British flag would form pockets inside the doors.

Smartphone holders, a storage box, cup holder or small safe could be clicked onto the floating centre console and removed when required.

Dark blue fabric would cover the lounge seats and the same colour is used throughout the interior, accented with orange.

References to the classic Mini that would be visible externally include the rounded forms of the chassis and a hexagonal grille, which integrates the bumper and auxiliary lights.

The bodywork would be built from a lightweight composite material made from pressed fibres and finished in a new gold-tinted orange paint.

Elements of this concept design will be incorporated in the new MINI to be unveiled towards the end of the year.

MINI head of design Anders Warming spoke to Dezeen about the future of car design and the possibility of driverless vehicles at the launch of the brand’s Paceman model last year.

We’re currently on a year-long expedition with MINI, visiting the best international design events as part of our Dezeen and MINI World Tour – see all our coverage so far from Design Indaba, Milan design week, New York design week and DMY Berlin. Next stop: London!

See more car design »
See more design by MINI »
See more transport design »

Read on for more information from MINI:

MINI Vision. An exclusive look at MINI design of tomorrow.

At today’s MINI Design@Home event Anders Warming, Head of MINI Design, previews a sampling of visionary design and innovative ideas. The MINI Vision, for example, showcases various elements of future MINI design. Here, MINI has developed a vehicle design laced with new creative impulses that advance the cause of premium quality in the compact class.

In customary MINI fashion, the MINI Vision seizes the limelight with creativity, individuality and a generous helping of versatility. Interactive gadgets such as the Driving Experience Control switch offer a glimpse of the future. This particular feature allows the whole of the car’s interior to be transformed into a variety of different colour and experience worlds in the blink of an eye.

The presentation of the MINI Vision is based around a virtual 3D hologram. This form of expression provides a window into how the MINI designers go about their business. Complementing their familiar toolset of sketches and 1:1 clay models, virtual reality allows them to test and fine-tune creative ideas quickly and under realistic conditions.

The exterior: a perfect balance between old and new.

The design of the MINI Vision reaches pointedly into the brand’s past and combines the underlying features and values of MINI with future-focused aesthetic and technical innovations. The hexagonal radiator grille is inspired by the classic Mini, for example, and the MINI Vision integrates both the bumper and auxiliary lights into the grille.

The traditional and unmistakable rounded MINI forms are reflected in the exterior through elements such as the elliptical full-LED headlights. Their outer ring emits a consistent light and fulfils a daytime driving light function.

Among the stand-out signature features of the MINI brand are the clear separation of the roof, glasshouse and body. The chrome strip wrapped around the top of the body, the distinctive side indicator element and the black band framing the lower edge of the car are all hallmark MINI styling elements.

The MINI Vision presents these three defining design elements as a flowing, interconnected unit – conjured from innovative and lightweight “organo metal”.

This extremely mouldable but also very strong material is produced by pressing various fibres into a composite. Organo sheets have a unique texture comparable to that of fabrics.

Alongside lightweight construction techniques, aerodynamics also play a frontline role in the conceptual ideas behind the MINI Vision. The car’s body includes an aerodynamic air intake and outlet around each front wheel arch, airflow-optimised wheel rims and exterior mirrors, and an integral, air-channelling roof spoiler.

At the rear, muscular shoulders lend the MINI Vision extremely sporty and compact proportions. The finely drawn and clearly defined edging in the car’s bodywork is central to the exterior design language of the MINI Vision and underlines the concept’s precision and sporting intent.

The interior: originality and creativity packed into a very small space.

The interior of the MINI Vision stands out with its individual style, variability, functionality and aesthetic appeal. The fundamental idea behind the MINI brand – of providing maximum comfort within minimal exterior dimensions – filters through every detail of the interior.

A transparent and open cockpit, sweeping doors and a “floating” centre console allow the driver and passengers to experience the sensation of a wide open space coupled with the benefits of a space-saving small car. Lounge seats featuring dynamic piping add the finishing touch to the unique interior ambience.

The creative design solutions have been brought together with established pillars of MINI design. For example, the elastic fabric straps on the insides of the doors – arranged like the stripes of the Union Jack flag – are a nod to the brand’s British heritage. However, the stretchable straps have a functional as well as stylistic role: these flexible retaining devices are designed to hold a magazine, mobile phone or drinks bottle within easy reach.

The fresh layer of variability added by the MINI click system offers additional scope for customising the interior. Smartphone holders, a storage box, cup holder or small safe can be attached and removed in a single movement as and when required.

The interior of the MINI Vision as a whole can also be adapted to a variety of interaction requirements with similar flexibility and immediacy. The Driving Experience Control switch allows the driver to choose between a pure and focused or fully-interconnected mode. The two modes are expressed in different colours using calm, clear light and dynamic, energy-charged shades. Another highlight of the fully-interconnected mode is the “MINI Disco” floor. Here, an expressive interplay of colours, light and forms transforms the footwells as the MINI Vision appears to come vibrantly to life. As well as turning the ambient colour scheme of the interior on its head, the Driving Experience Control switch also changes the face of the familiar MINI circular central display. Depending on their selection, drivers will be met by either a classic, analogue-style view or an impressive 3D look, which gives the full suite of display elements an unaccustomed depth.

Colours and materials: structures form characters.

The Glamorous Gold paint finish – a shimmering gold-tinged orange tone – has never been seen before in the history of MINI design. And the use of organo metal creates an intriguing contrast to this gleaming metallic shade. The organo metal adds highlights not only to the outside of the car, but also to the interior, its unique structure lending the MINI Vision a cutting-edge character.

A tough, dark-blue fabric recalling the properties of a high-quality suit is employed for the seats and sections of interior trim. The seamless transitions of the various materials between the interior and exterior bring consistency to the MINI Vision despite the use of different materials and textures.

Its unbeatable scope for personalisation and an extremely sporty and precise design make the MINI Vision the perfect partner for the road, tailored to the needs and preferences of the individual driver. This design vision demonstrates that MINI will continue to use intelligent variability, imagination-capturing technology and a compact sporting presence to deliver unrivalled driving fun over the years to come.

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MINI appeared first on Dezeen.

News: a human-powered helicopter by Canadian startup AeroVelo has become the first winner of a 33-year-old aviation prize, after hovering for 64 seconds and reaching an altitude of 3.3 metres.

AeroVelo co-founders Todd Reichert and Cameron Robertson raised over $34,000 last year via a Kickstarter campaign to build Atlas, a quad-roter helicopter that would be powered by a single person riding a bike.

On 13 June 2013 at 12:43 EDT, the team delivered the record-breaking flight at an indoor soccer stadium in Toronto. This was the very first time a human-powered craft has reached the stringent requirements of aviation pioneer Igor I. Sikorsky’s Human Powered Helicopter Competition, originally established in 1980.

To qualify for the prize the aircraft had to hover within a 10 metre-square area for 60 seconds and rise to an altitude of three metres.

American Helicopter Society (AHS) and Sikorsky Aircraft announced last week that AeroVelo had successfully met the requirements and won the $250,000 Sikorsky’s Prize. “It’s been 33.3 years in the making. Today is the day,” tweeted Sikorsky Aircraft.

Here’s footage of that record-breaking flight:

Constructed of very light carbon tubes Atlas weighs only 55kg, but spans 50 metres (162 feet). It has four rotating blades and a pedal bicycle at its centre.

“In 18 months, this passionate team went from preliminary design to achieving what many considered impossible; taking down one of the most daunting aviation feats of the past century,” the AeroVelo team said on its web page.

The $250,000 prize has remained unclaimed since its inception, despite over 20 human-powered crafts built to attempt the challenge. “When Sikorsky increased the prize to a quarter-million dollars in May 2009, many people were skeptical and felt the challenge was impossible,” said Mark Miller, Sikorsky’s vice president of research and engineering.

“This is an incredible accomplishment,” said Mike Hirschberg, executive director of AHS International. “For a third of a century, the AHS Sikorsky Prize has eluded the best minds and technology available. The technological and theoretical advancements achieved in pursuit of our challenge have been astounding,” he adds.

Other record-breaking transport projects unveiled recently include a solar-powered family car and a flying car capable of vertical takeoff and landing. See more transport on Dezeen »

Here’s more information from AeroVelo:

Canadian built Human-­Powered Helicopter wins elusive $250,000 Prize

AeroVelo, a Toronto based engineering team has won the AHS Igor I. Sikorsky Human Powered Helicopter Challenge and its $250,000 prize. On Thursday, June 13, 2013, Atlas, their human-powered helicopter, completed a record-­breaking flight lasting 64 seconds and reaching a height of 3.3 metres.

Conceived by Todd Reichert and Cameron Robertson, along with the AeroVelo team, Atlas spans an incredible 46.9 metres (154 feet) rotor tip to rotor tip, while weighing only 55kgs (122lbs). The record-­‐breaking flight was piloted by Reichert, a cyclist and speed skater who has been working with high-­performance coaches to develop the power and endurance necessary for a prize-winning flight. According to Reichert “Lifting off and floating above the ground is an incredible feeling, but it’s certainly no easy task. The sheer power required, combined with the high level of mental and physical control, has made this a worthy athletic challenge.”

In addition to Reichert as Chief Aerodynamicist and pilot, and Robertson as Chief Structural Engineer, the team is made up of volunteers as well as engineering students who are part of an experiential learning program at AeroVelo. This unique program uses human-‐powered vehicles as a design, innovation and learning platform. “Engineering for a human-­engine fosters creativity and ingenuity thus providing an eye-­opening experience to our students, and inspiring youth and the general public. Team members will go out into industry and society knowing how to do more with less, ready to solve the formidable challenges facing our generation” said Reichert.

The $250,000 AHS Igor I. Sikorsky Human Powered Helicopter Challenge was established in 1980, and requires a human-­‐powered helicopter to have a total flight time of more than 60 seconds, reach a height of over 3 metres during the flight, and stay within a 10 metre by 10 metre box. Since its inception a third of a century ago, dozens of international teams have taken on the challenge, yet the prize has remained elusive.

This is not the first time that Reichert and Robertson have achieved a significant aeronautical milestone; in 2010 they became the first team to successfully build and fly a human-­‐powered ornithopter (flapping wing aircraft), named Snowbird, while U of T Engineering students. According to Robertson “Our experience with the Snowbird helped develop the innovative approach and techniques critical for attacking this challenge, and endowed us with the persistence required to overcome many setbacks large and small.”

The project is funded by donors in both the academic and corporate communities, including significant contributions from the University of Toronto, U of T Engineering, Bombardier, Pratt & Whitney Canada, Cervelo Cycles, CSR Inc, Kenneth Molson Foundation, the FAI, Bell Helicopter and Cassidy’s Transfer & Storage Ltd.

Looking to the future, AeroVelo hopes to tackle the 2 remaining human-­‐powered aircraft challenges, which have yet to be won; the Kremer Marathon Competition and the Kremer Sporting Aircraft Competition. In addition, they have their sights set on the World Human-‐Powered Speed Challenge, where streamlined bicycles, reaching speeds over 130 km/hr, compete for the title of world’s fastest human.

AeroVelo is an elite design and innovation lab, focused on high-­profile thought-­provoking engineering projects.

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33-year-old aviation prize appeared first on Dezeen.

We spotted this stair-negotiating skateboard at ShowRCA 2012 and the accompanying movie became one of our most watched. One year on, its designer Po-Chih Lai has made a new film, updated the design and launched it on Kickstarter (+ movie).

The Stair-Rover features an eight-wheel mechanism that allows it to ride up curbs and descend flights of steps.

Po-Chih Lai‘s original model featured a maple deck, customised aluminium trucks, and flexible V-frames that connected over the ends of the board.

Since the initial design, the frames have been shifted beneath the board and connected by a plastic chassis to allow a full longboard deck to sit on top.

Lai has also created an upgraded Pro version that sports a fibreglass deck and black components.

This new movie shows longboarders navigating urban obstacles around London, at locations including the Emirates Stadium, the Royal Albert Hall and the Millenium Bridge.

Lai designed the prototype for the board while studying at the Royal College of Art and we first published the project last year as part of our 2012 graduate show coverage.

He recently launched the design on the crowd-funding website Kickstarter so backers can pre-order their own board, and the project is around halfway toward it’s £50,000 target.

If the product makes it into production, both the Stair-Rover and Stair-Rover Pro will be available.

We’ve featured a few skate parks on Dezeen in the past, including one that covers every surface inside and out of a Californian house and another in a former peanut factory in Calais.

See more design for skateboarding »
See more architecture and design movies »

Read on for more information sent by the designer:

Stair-Rover launches innovative longboard – creators target £50,000 investment

The creators of Stair-Rover have launched a Kickstarter project that hopes to raise the £50,000 investment needed to manufacture the first run of boards. The longboard features a distinctive eight-wheeled design with a unique mechanism that allows it to scuttle crab-like down flights of stairs.

Beginning life as inventor PoChih Lai’s final year project at the Royal College of Art, the Stair-Rover has evolved through no fewer than fourteen different prototypes and is now ready for manufacture. The Stair-Rover team hope that the new sport will combine aspects of longboarding and surfing, and prompt riders to look at their cities in a new way.

The Kickstarter project offers rewards to backer for investments of £8 – £600, including branded stickers and clothing and limited edition Stair-Rovers. Both the standard Stair-Rover and the upgraded Stair-Rover Pro are available via the Kickstarter project. The Kickstarter campaign will run until 31st July 2013.

“Stair-Rover really isn’t like anything we’ve seen before,” says PoChih Lai. “It’s about daring people to explore their cities in a brand new way. Stair-Rover is very distinctive looking, but people that have tried it tell us it feels natural – on flat ground, it performs a lot like a conventional longboard. The real difference is the amount of freedom you have on the Stair-Rover. And I, for one, can’t wait to see what our community of riders can do with that freedom.”

Stair-Rover has attracted the attention of skateboarders and longboarders alike, as well as that of design-aware individuals and publications. Stair-Rover videos have attracted over 500,000 views online and received coverage from CNET, Fast Company and the Huffington Post among others. Renowned TV shows like The Gadget Show, Discovery Daily Planet and Manoto 1 have also featured the Stair-Rover’s evolution.

The Stair-Rover Kickstarter project will only be funded if at least £50,000 is invested by 31st July, 2013. Please support the project at Kickstarter.

To find out more about Stair-Rover, or to see videos of it in action, please visit www.stair-rover.com.

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Po-Chih Lai update appeared first on Dezeen.