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.

Lockheed Martin's Samarai monocopter - you won't believe how this thing flies

Lockheed Martin's Samarai monocopter - you won't believe how this thing flies: If you've ever watched a maple seed spiraling down from a branch, you may have marveled at how it looked like a tiny one-rotor-bladed helicopter. If you did, well, you weren't the only one.

Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa sets world auction record - US$16.4 million

Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa sets world auction record - US$16.4 million: The world record for a car sold at auction was smashed on Sunday when the Ferrari Testa Rossa prototype sold for US$16.4 million.

Tacit: Wrist-mounted sonar for the visually impaired

Tacit: Wrist-mounted sonar for the visually impaired: We've seen a number of devices - such as the UltraCane and EYE 21 system - that combine sonar and haptic or audio feedback to let the visually impaired "see" their surroundings through the senses of touch or hearing.

Sony to release 3D, high-def digital recording binoculars

Sony to release 3D, high-def digital recording binoculars: Over the years Sony has shown its ability as a genuine innovator in the digital imaging space - in the early days of Gizmag the (then) bleeding-edge, 5-megapixel Sony F707 digital camera was a treasured part of our kit - and its latest venture looks like it could be holding that line.

Boeing demonstrates swarm technology

Boeing demonstrates swarm technology: Individually, insects have proven a deep well of inspiration for robotics engineers looking to mimic designs refined over millions of years of evolution. Now Boeing has demonstrated swarm technology for reconnaissance missions using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that is similar to the way insects communicate and work together as an intelligent group.

Human-powered Gamera helicopter hovers its way into the record books

Human-powered Gamera helicopter hovers its way into the record books: A biology student has just hovered her way into the record books in a four-rotor, human-powered helicopter named after a giant flying turtle from Japanese kaiju movies. Gamera was built to try and claim the American Helicopter Society's Sikorsky Prize, that was set up in 1980 and has yet to be claimed.