Mercedes-Benz unveils fuel cell drive concept

Looking ahead to the future, the trainees of Daimler AG at the Sindelfingen Mercedes-Benz plant have built a Roadster with fuel cell drive, the company announced today.

For about a year, more than 150 trainees and dual education system students worked on the overall concept, development, assembly, and completion of the F-Cell Roadster. This project involved junior employees from the fields of automotive mechatronics, model building, electronics, coating technology, manufacturing mechanics, product design, and interior appointments. The project focused on ways to integrate alternative drive systems into training with hands-on experience.

The Roadster incorporates stylistic elements from every era of Mercedes-Benz's history, such as the carbon-fiber bucket seats with hand-stitched leather covers and the distinctively styled fiberglass front section, based on the component from the Formula 1 racing bodies, according to the company.

Via Crave CNET | Source: Daimler

Emo jacket for the movies (Emo boy not included)

This one's from a research team at Philips Electronics.

Designed to enhance the emotional experience of watching a movie, the Emo jacket comprises 64 independent actuators, arranged in 16 groups of four, across the arms and torso. Eight of these, spaced 15cm apart and located on each sleeve, can create the illusion of being tapped in several spots. A pair of AA-sized cells is sufficient to keep the jacket juiced for an hour, though the team should be looking at extending this since most movies run for about 2 hours on average.

Lest you are worried, the garment won't actually punch you in the stomach. Instead, it's meant to let you experience the emotional experience of the characters in the movie. This is done via signals encoded on the DVD, which are transmitted on-the-fly to the jacket. Now if you are wondering whether the jacket comes with matching pants, the answer is no. We can guess why, especially when things start vibrating down south.

Via Newlaunches

The technology of Battlestar Galactica

Unless you've been living under a rock for the past few months, you might have heard that Battlestar Galactica has just aired its final episode Friday night in the US.

Along with the Stargate TV series, the show brought the Sci Fi channel (soon to be simply SyFy) back from the brink of playing back old Twilight Zone reruns and in-house B-movies, and into the go-to place to see the latest special effects and watch an epic story that unfolded over four seasons.

As an homage to all the joy it's brought us over the years, we've put together a slideshow of some of the technology featured within its episodes. This list is not exhaustive. Some things we left out, like the faster-than-light drive, and artificial gravity because, hey, you can find that in most any other science fiction story set in outer space. We have, however included quite a few things that may spoil the show if you stopped watching it after the third season, so click ahead with caution.


Via Crave CNET

No X-ray vision needed to see through this wall

And today in news about concrete...

You may already have heard about Litracon, a see-through concrete developed by Hungarian architect Aron Losonczi. Filled with optical fibers that run from one end of a poured piece of concrete to the other, these prefabricated blocks and panels effectively transmit light from one side to the other.

The material can be used for artistic purposes, or in commercial or residential construction projects, where experts predict it could reduce heat loss in buildings. Needless to say, this stuff turns the traditional concept of cold, hard, gray concrete on its side.

Well, if you're interested in innovative building materials and you happen to be winding your way through New York City between now and April 25, you can view the see-through concrete as part of an exhibit at the American Institute of Architects' Center for Architecture. Previously, this eye-catching material has primarily been displayed in Europe.

The exhibit, called Make It Work: Engineering Possibilities, highlights inventive strategies for the built environment, and the ways in which multidisciplinary research and integrated practice take ideas from seed to blossom.

Via CNET Crave

Siemens onboard for high-speed trains in China

The Obama administration isn't the only one looking to high-speed rail lines.

German train producer Siemens has inked a US$1 billion contract to build 100 new high-speed trains for China, the company announced last Friday.

The company's Velaro train has a top speed of 218mph (350.84km/h). A typical train will have 16 cars and carry more than 1,000 passengers. With a total length of more than 1,300 feet (396.24m) , the new trains will be the world's longest single high-speed units in use, according to Siemens.

Japan and European countries such as France have had high-speed train systems for decades. But now the race to build such trains seems to have taken off in two of the leading world economies, the China and the U.S.
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