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Archive: Transportation
September 5, 2008
Swimming Cities of Switchback Sea
Accomplished street artist Swoon has a new project sponsored by Deitch Studios in Long Island City, New York. Tim Yu at Cool Hunting writes:
With this latest work, Swoon highlights one of the most important issues of our generation, alternative energy. Each of the seven boats, which are crafted out of salvaged materials, are fueled on various alternative energy sources, including biodiesel, ethanol, hydrogen and solar power. The whole fleet will be welcomed at Deitch Studios in Long Island City, 7 September 2008, and opens to the public the same day. Be sure to get there early to witness the flotilla coming into bay, a vision that can only be brought to us by Swoon herself.
Swimming Cities of Switchback Sea Opening Reception
September 7, 2008, 6-9pm at Deitch Studios
4-40 44th Drive
Long Island City, NY 11101
Posted by Becky Stern |
Sep 5, 2008 12:00 PM
Arts, Green, Transportation |
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Austin Event: Weirdest Commute Contest
(Paul Sender's jet toilet, which would be my ideal winner)
Late notice, but today's weirdest commute contest is just waiting for a Maker to steal the show:
WEIRDEST COMMUTE CONTEST Combat climate change, and help kick off Commute Solutions Month at this lunchtime party featuring a contest for those who arrive in the strangest forms of transportation. One past winner rode a motorized bar stool. Think you can beat that? If so, you might win a pair of tickets to ACL [Austin City Limits Music Festival]. 11am-1pm. Republic Square, Fourth & Guadalupe. www.rcride.com.
If you enter something you've built, let me know!
Posted by Luke Iseman |
Sep 5, 2008 05:24 AM
Events, Green, Transportation |
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September 4, 2008
Wireless scooter lets you wardrive from the fast lane
This how-to shows building instructions for putting together a scooter that doubles as a roving wireless hotspot, GPS device, pirate radio station, and even has enough juice to amplify an electric guitar in order to play songs over the web. Lots of really nice build photos including laser cuts and pics of the motherboard at the link below.
Posted by Jonah Brucker-Cohen |
Sep 4, 2008 06:00 AM
Transportation, Wireless |
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Anti bump device for car doors keeps you scratch free
This "anti-bump" device for car doors was spotted in South Korea. This looks like a simple bit of foam attached to the outside panelling of this sedan. Although it's hard to tell how this is attached, we like the simplicity of this add-on as a nice way to keep your car door blemish free. Of course you could always mod your car door to dissapear in order to avoid scuffs.
Posted by Jonah Brucker-Cohen |
Sep 4, 2008 04:00 AM
DIY Projects, Transportation |
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September 3, 2008
Landspeeder replica is spot-on
Daniel Deutsch built this crazy-accurate replica of Luke Skywalker's beat-up XP-34 landspeeder -
We built this fiberglass replica landspeeder from the ground up on a custom aluminum chassis. The electric drive system is capable of a top speed around 25 mph. The speeder is the same size as the original, and can travel several miles on a single battery charge.Though you may not kick up much dust @ 25mph, you could still pull up to a drive-thru (or imperial checkpoint) with incomparable style. Click on for build photos and vehicular video action - Full Size Drivable Landspeeder and R2D2
More:
Homemade Star Wars Landspeeder you can drive
Posted by Collin Cunningham |
Sep 3, 2008 05:30 AM
Arts, Transportation |
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September 2, 2008
HOW TO - Kayak bike trailer
Instructables user hypokampito made this clever support for towing a kayak behind a bicycle.
Posted by Becky Stern |
Sep 2, 2008 09:00 PM
DIY Projects, Instructables, Transportation |
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August 25, 2008
DIY Skateboard
Letsevo has a nice write up on how-to make your own old school style skateboard. The website has a flickr photo set of the build and a PDF template to get you started in the right direction.
I just finished out my latest project. A contribution for the DIY (Do it yorself) community. Since I love skateboards I just couldn't start anywhere else. Inspired by the amount of waste produced by the growth of consumerism in Europe, specially here in Frankfurt, seen through the weekly dispose of old stuff in the middle of the streets. I wanted to show one way of rethinking the use of old materials in the example of a DIY skateboard.
Read more about Making your own skateboard [Headphonaught's Nanolog]
More:
How to: Build a skateboard half-pipe in 11 hours
Posted by Marc de Vinck |
Aug 25, 2008 02:00 AM
DIY Projects, Toys and Games, Transportation |
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August 22, 2008
Cardboard car improvements make it more aerodynamic
This cardboard addition to a car is one of a series of such mods that attempt to add some sports car detailing and maybe aerodynamic molding to an average car. Just don't get caught in a rainstorm with these or you might be kind of soggy.
Florian Jennett, via Art in the Digital World
Posted by Jonah Brucker-Cohen |
Aug 22, 2008 04:00 AM
Arts, Transportation |
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August 20, 2008
New York's Pedicab Wars
As I wrestle to get my home-built pedicab legal for passengers in my fair metropolis of Austin, Texas (more on that in a later post), this article reminds me that I could have it significantly worse.
My favorite part:
Council Speaker Christine Quinn makes a face. "No way. I would never get into one of those things," she says. Any problems with the law can be fixed when it comes up for renewal in two years, she suggests. As for the pedicabs' environmental benefits, she is skeptical. "Human-powered vehicles are never going to be the answer."
For now at least, Austin seems to have it a bit better. Here's hoping it lasts long enough for me to get my DIY creation street legal!
Posted by Luke Iseman |
Aug 20, 2008 08:49 PM
Bicycles, Green, Transportation |
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August 19, 2008
World's fastest office chair seized
Anyone know more about this? via /.
German police have confiscated what may be the world's fastest office chair. Police say officers happened on the contraption - the work of two inventive 17-year-olds - in the western town of Gross-Zimmern on Saturday. The pair had added a lawnmower engine, bicycle brakes and a metal frame to the revolving chair - making into a go-kart-like vehicle.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Aug 19, 2008 11:20 AM
Transportation |
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Blimpin' ain't easy
Blimpin' Ain't Easy: Crossing the English Channel in a Pedal-Powered Airship*... Thanks Sam!
You know it's hard up here for a blimp. Or so says Stephane Rousson, a 39-year-old Frenchman who's hoping to cross the English Channel in a homemade, pedal-powered airship. As a child, he was captivated by the Gossamer Albatross, the first entirely human-powered craft to fly the turbulent stretch from England to France. Hoping to repeat that 1979 feat, Rousson acquired Zeppy, a crank-driven zeppelin. Built originally by Jean Marc Geiser and his son Luc back in 1984, the craft's forward momentum and steering come from a pair of 10-foot movable propellers, churned by a recumbent bike hanging from the ship's belly; Rousson modified the chassis to improve its stability and power. He has logged more than 30 hours of flight time, including a four-hour hop around the coastal town of Toulon. But so far, no English Channel. The problem: Breezes over 5 mph bat the blimp around like a cat playing with a moth. Also, the heat of the sun raises the temperature of the helium in the Zeppy, which could cause it to explode. With the channel typically experiencing only three windless days a year, Rousson will have to time his five-hour, 34-mile flight perfectly. He plans to try again in September. Here's hoping the attempt doesn't go down like a lead balloon.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Aug 19, 2008 08:00 AM
Transportation |
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DIY Lamborghini
Unfortunately there isn't any information on the maker of this car, but the pictures are cool. If anyone knows more about this build, please post it in the comments and I will update the entry. If you can't afford a Lambo, make it!
Checkout the rest of the photo set
Update:
Apparently the car, called the "Woodighini" was made by a 33 year old Canadian named "Woody". You can read more about the project on the AutoBlog website. Also, there is a great interview that can be found on the Motor Foot Blog. A big Thank You goes to JohnW for sending in the links!
Posted by Marc de Vinck |
Aug 19, 2008 01:00 AM
DIY Projects, Transportation |
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August 16, 2008
Yellow Bike Project's Bike-Powered Move
If you need an excuse to switch to biking as your primary means of transportation, check out this video from Austin's Yellow Bike Project, as they move 4500 square feet of bike parts from one shop to another. Particularly amazing starting at 3:30:
Doesn't your commute seem a bit mild in comparison?
Posted by Luke Iseman |
Aug 16, 2008 06:59 PM
Bicycles, Green, Transportation |
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XR3: 225 mpg hybrid car kit
I can't say that I am a big fan of the looks of this car, but the 225 miles per gallon is hard to beat. The car has an electric rear drive system with a Kubota diesel system when the lithium batteries run out. Apparently you will be able to purchase an XR3 kit soon. There are a lot more pictures on the website, including the build process.
Read more about the XR3 hybrid car kit
Posted by Marc de Vinck |
Aug 16, 2008 01:45 PM
DIY Projects, Green, Transportation |
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August 14, 2008
Land yacht race
From the Core77 blog:
The AEOLUS race, to be held in the Netherlands later this month, pits competing single-person land yachts against each other, with the requirement that they sail directly into the wind. The vehicles are therefore quite different from the sail-powered craft of old, using wind turbines to harvest energy and translate it into torque on the ground. A group of students at Stuttgart University called Team Inventus have been documenting their 9-month process of building such a craft (pictured above), and it's quite a thing of beauty. Featuring a 2m wind turbine and carbon-fiber construction, the craft weighs in at less than 100kg, and the videos are fascinating, if a bit over-produced.
Posted by Becky Stern |
Aug 14, 2008 09:00 PM
Arts, DIY Projects, Green, Transportation |
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August 7, 2008
Build a blind spot detection system for your car
When you are driving, you've probably had a few mishaps with the "blindspot" where you barely avoid hitting someone when changing lanes. This maker decided that this was an easy problem to fix so they created a custom BlindSpot Detection System using an ATmega169 and a high intensity infrared light to detect approaching cars. Does it work? Well he says you probably shouldn't rely on it over your instincts, but at least it's a step in the right direction.
In-Vehicle Blind Spot Detection System
Posted by Jonah Brucker-Cohen |
Aug 7, 2008 06:00 AM
Electronics, Transportation |
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August 6, 2008
DIY Batman Tumbler
Bob Dullam made his own Batman tumbler vehicle - you can check out the progress on Superherohype but the photos are now down, so visit DeviceDaily and Gizmodo.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Aug 6, 2008 11:20 AM
DIY Projects, Made On Earth, Transportation |
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August 5, 2008
World's lowest camper van - built in 3 days
Meep meep!
An automotive mechanic has driven into the record books - by building the world's lowest van. Andy Saunders converted a 7ft 8ins high VW Camper into a 3.3ft high version - in just three days. The 1980 Type 25 camper had 70,000 miles on the clock when Saunders and three friends transformed it. The steering had to be lowered and moved to a central position and all the systems altered to make it work. There are two seats behind the driving position, it is fully road worthy and Saunders believes it could get into car parks by driving under the barrier. Although it is possible to sleep in the back, the height of the roof could cause claustrophobia. With a top speed of 80mph the bizarre camper turns heads when Saunders drives it around his home town of Poole in Dorset. Saunders, 45, who bought the van for £1,000, said: "The challenge was to build the world's lowest van in just three days.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Aug 5, 2008 10:00 AM
Transportation |
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August 1, 2008
Custom aluminum skateboards
Corbusboards makes these skateboards cut from aluminum in killer designs. With all the cutouts, they supposedly weigh about the same as a longboard, and aren't meant to hang on the wall. Try not to catch anyone in the ankles with the fish skeleton one! Via Core77.
Posted by Becky Stern |
Aug 1, 2008 11:00 AM
Transportation |
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July 30, 2008
Odd bike...
A MAKE reader sent this in, anyone know what's going on?
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Jul 30, 2008 08:00 AM
Bicycles, Transportation |
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