Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Scarpar's high speed, all-terrain powerboard set to launch within months

Scarpar's high speed, all-terrain powerboard set to launch within months: Two years ago, we had a look at the Scarpar - a twin-tracked, high speed all terrain powerboard that seemed like a promising power toy.

Conductive nanocoatings for textiles could lead to thin, flexible electronics

Conductive nanocoatings for textiles could lead to thin, flexible electronics: Not long ago, we reported on a prototype thin, flexible smartphone known as the Paperphone. While it isn't actually made out of paper, the success of a research project at North Carolina State University indicates that phones in the future could be. Scientists there have been able to deposit conductive nanocoatings onto textiles, meaning that items such as pieces of paper or clothing could ultimately be used as electronic devices.

EDWARD - a diwheel student-built vehicle that really works

EDWARD - a diwheel student-built vehicle that really works: Designed and built by a team of students from Australia's University of Adelaide, EDWARD is a futuristic, purely electric dicycle - also known as a diwheel. Although it looks like transportation from the realm of science fiction, the vehicle is fully operational and can be controlled with surprising precision.

Australian built Hoverbike prepares for takeoff

Australian built Hoverbike prepares for takeoff: Adventurous motorcyclists might be familiar with the thrill of getting airborne at the top of a rise, but the Hoverbike is set to take catching some air to a whole new level. With a 1170 cc 4-stroke engine delivering 80 kW driving two ducted propellers, the inventor of the Hoverbike, Chris Malloy, says with its high thrust to weight ratio, the Hoverbike should be able to reach an estimated height of more than 10,000 feet and reach an indicated airspeed of 150 knots (278 km/h or 173 mph).

Mercedes-Benz SLK Roadster gets a diesel engine (and returns 56.5 mpg)

Mercedes-Benz SLK Roadster gets a diesel engine (and returns 56.5 mpg): It's a sign of the times - after 15 years of production of its retractable hardtop (vario-roof) convertible SLK series, Mercedes has given the compact roadster a diesel engine.

MIT microparticle-making technique opens up biomedical possibilities

MIT microparticle-making technique opens up biomedical possibilities: Whether you want to deliver medication to specific cells or create scaffolds for building artificial tissues, currently one of the best media for doing so are polymer microparticles filled with drugs or cells.