The minute we gazed upon this $180 E-flite Blade mSR RTF Electric Mini Helicopter, we wanted one. It's about the same size as those nearly-impossible-to-steer styrofoam model choppers, but its accurate controls set it a world apart. It weighs less than an ounce, and its 4-channel 5-in-1 control unit gives you the ultimate micro-flying experience.
There's nothing to assemble on the Blade mSR RTF (the RTF means ready to fly), and E-flite includes two batteries so you can fly twice as long. The company touts the micro-copter's unique rotor head design, providing 'the perfect balance between the speed and agility of a single rotor heli and the reassuring stability of coaxial rotor heli.'
It's hard to believe how sophisticated these little helicopters have gotten. With a little practice, you could probably fly it upside down. Just thank your lucky stars you're not a miniature human being sitting inside. [DVICE]
Build an aluminum electric bike with euro-fighter and Formula One parts, power its 1300-watt motor with lithium-ion batteries, and you have Grace in motion. The company is calling Grace "the world's first and finest E-Motorbike," and while we beg to differ with that slogan — we've ridden a few profoundly exciting electric bikes ourselves — we have to admire the stylish build and cool power of this conveyance that looks like it came from the next century. And this is beyond just a bicycle — it's almost fast enough to be called a motorcycle.
Because this is all very high-tech and handmade in the company's Hanover, Germany shop, you'll have to plunk down €5877 ($8742) for the privilege of gracing yourself with this electro-bike when it ships in January. But then, the company claims that Grace is somehow 'really cheap compared to a car.' Maybe they have a point. If your commute is moderate, that might be true, with Grace's 18 to 31-mile range (depending on your weight), 40mph top speed, and one-hour battery recharge time. If it just went a bit faster and lasted a little longer, we'd call it amazing.
One must be careful when re-inventing industrial design that has been around for a long, long time. Chances are, it was like that for a reason. The Node Outlet, for instance, looks cool at first, but upon reflection has some serious and dangerous problems. I don’t see any similarly obvious issues with this pull-out plug, but hello, I’m a blogger. What the hell do I know? I suppose the major challenge with something like this is making sure there’s no current interference. Or… resistance… polarization. Never mind, I give up. Can you guys think of any reasons why this shouldn’t work? More info and pictures at Art Lebedev’s site. [CrunchGear]
The annual Tokyo Motor Show in Japan is once again playing host to a number of cool concept vehicles, one of the most interesting being the new EC-f scooter from Yamaha. The electric-powered vehicle is designed to serve as a commuter bike for city dwellers hoping to make their drive to work a bit greener (ecologically and literally).
Constructed using lightweight aluminum, the scooter runs on a lithium-ion battery and can easily be plugged into a normal electrical socket for recharging. No word on a release date for this concept, but the design alone is enough to generate excitement for its upcoming release.
What makes the e2 even more attractive is that it will take just 30 minutes to power up to a full electric charge. According to the company the car will be able to hit 60 miles per hour in just 4 seconds. The era of eco-macho is upon us, now it's all just a waiting game.
What's cooler than a hover-capable, electric-powered, super-quiet personal VTOL (vertical takeoff and landing) aircraft? If you answered 'absolutely nothing,' do read on, because NASA is preparing to oblige you. The space agency's Puffin aircraft design will be officially unveiled tomorrow, showing just how far personal, electrically propelled flight could change the ways we live and get around.
The Puffin is something of a personal V-22 Osprey, complete with vertical-takeoff and landing capability (but minus the squad of Marines). But rather than tilting the rotors forward for horizontal flight, the whole craft — cockpit and all — pitches forward, meaning the pilot flies from a prone position. During takeoff and landing the tail splits into four legs that serve as landing gear, and flaps on the wings deploy to keep the aircraft stable as it lifts and descends.
Don't let the cuddly name fool you; as far as specs are concerned the Puffin is no slouch. Its 12-feet height and 13.5-feet wingspan mean it's big, but of manageable stature. In theory it can cruise at 150 miles per hour and sprint at more like 300 miles per hour. Since the craft is electrically propelled it doesn't need air intake, so thinning air is not a limitation, meaning it can reach — again, in theory — 30,000 feet before limitations on battery power force it to descend (clearly the pilot would need a pressurized cabin or oxygen tanks at that altitude, but we're just talking raw physical capability here).
The Puffin's range would be the most limiting characteristic, at just 50 miles, but that's simply a matter of battery density. Batteries are growing more dense by the day, so in coming years that range could be drastically improved.
Of course, the Puffin is so far just a cool digital rendering in a NASA-branded video, but let's not forget exactly who put men on the moon before we call the concept unfeasible. The coolest thing about the Puffin design is that it shows just how electric flight could revolutionize personal transportation. Aside from the military applications (super-stealthy troop insertions with very low thermal signatures?) the quiet, uncomplicated, low-powered electric lift — just 60 horsepower gets pilot and craft airborne — shows how a world in which everyday folks get around modern cities via personal aircraft may not be as sci-fi as was once thought.
[Gizmodo via Scientific American] Popular Science is your wormhole to the future. Reporting on what's new and what's next in science and technology, we deliver the future now.
