Our primary focus is Project GreenSpeed, an effort to build a race car for entry in the annual International Formula-Hybrid competition sponsored by IEEE and SAE. For us, it is an opportunity to demonstrate the efficacy of non-traditional drive-systems for mobility engineering and get to drive fast at the same time.

More about UVM AERO: Green racing

Five ratchet-wielding years, one East German automobile, and several coats of bikini wax -- for Liz Cohen, it's been a long, sticky trip. The performance and documentary artist has built one of the most improbable custom cars in the country, and has the pictures to prove it.

Most recently on display at Arizona's Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, Cohen first threw her Bodywork project into gear by cutting a 1987 Trabant 601 Deluxe in half. Then she ditched its 26-horsepower, 2-stroke motor for a 305 small-block engine nine times more powerful and rebuilt the vehicle from the wheels up.

The result is a former-Communist lawnmower that becomes a 1973 Chevy El Camino muscle car at the flip of a few switches, "just like some kind of incredible Frankenstein," Cohen says.

Thanks to hydraulics, the Trabantamino grows 14 inches in height and 6 feet in length when it goes Camino. Coiled Teflon brake and fuel lines and dovetailing fiberglass side panels extend and contract as it changes shape. The specially built drive shaft telescopes four times, and still runs at full speed without vibrating. "It's this weird thing that doesn't fit in but figures out a way to get accepted," she says.

Which is an apt description of the artist's whole journey. When she began working at Scottsdale's Elwood Body Works, Cohen had little experience with tools and was entering the mostly male world of custom car builders and owners. But rather than try to pass as a dude, she buffed up her own body and became a bikini model.

What does the custom car scene think of Cohen and her wild ride? "Auto shop owners get so excited when I tell them about the project that they give me discounts and things for free," she says. But the real test comes this summer, when she'll pull the Trabantamino into lowrider competitions across the country, jump in front in a skimpy outfit, and see if her monster wins any prizes.

>> Liz Cohen: myspace.com/trabantamino

From the column Made on Earth - MAKE 14, page 21 - Eric Smillie.

1. The Buscycle

(image via Ecofriend)

2. Eindhoven University's human-powered bus (also see our previous coverage):

3. The Velodisco:

On one hand, these all look pretty inefficient. On another, shouldn't you have less wind, drivetrain, and surface resistance to overcome per person on a well-designed setup like this compared to single-person bicycles?

Carlos is a robotic everyman. He's not one of those fancy deep sea dwelling, swimming pool competing, publicity hogging, multiple kill, or planet exploring robots, just a regular robot doing his thing like us humans.

Carlos was a college kinetic sculpture project. I was interested in the concept of automating aspects of society that were considered not so "glamorous". Robotics are often used in environments which are considered dangerous to humans. Deep sea exploration, nuclear cleanup and volcanism are some of the "higher profile" adverse environments which robots are used. My question was, "What about other dangerous or hazardous areas?". For example, homeless people live in extremely dangerous environments. Shouldn't there be automated equipment used by this strata of society? So, for this project I chose to implement an automated walking, homeless shopping cart.

Check out some of the other projects at GizmoGarden!
Via Zoomdoggle

What do robots mean to you? Have you built a robot to solve a problem? Have you made plans for automating mechanisms? What have you done to create devices that move in response to sensor data? Add your photos and video to the Make Flickr pool, and bring on your comments!

(video found via G4TV)

Any guesses on what epoxy/resin they're using to hold the bamboo together?

Thanks to Ecofriend for finding some specs: "the 60-kg electric car can run for 30 miles on a single charge."

Couple this with your bamboo bike, and your only transportation problem will be outrunning hungry pandas!

There are many Instructables about changing your oil, but only one starts like this:

I learned to do oil changes in high school speech class. One of the boys worked in a garage. He gave a really great how-to demonstration/speech about changing oil. He gave another about rotating tires, but there isn't anything complicated about that. After each speech the teacher had the other students critique the performance. I didn't understand one of the speeches given by a boy who had polio or cerebral palsey. He thought I was unkind to his speech when I asked what it had been about, so he beat me up after class. My karate was not effective against polio-based techniques.

Check out the rest of Tim Anderson's oil-changing Instructable here. In addition to catching the rest of what happened with the "fight," pay attention to how Tim turns a mundane topic into an engaging Instructable!

CrashBonsai is the creation of John Rooney, an artist who is torn between the desire to create and destroy. Recently, he has been making bonsai plants, and combining them with model cars and trucks which he has creatively smashed and melted, to create "CrashBonsai," little living car crash sculptures.

via Zoomdoggle

My first car was a 72 Chevelle, just about exactly like the one above, except for the tail lights. In it, I learned the value of not braking in an icy parking lot with light poles. It wound up looking eerily similar to the photo at the top of this post, but mine was smashed on the passenger side front, and still driveable for about a year longer.

Have you created unconventional ornamental arrangement? Does the term Junk Yard mean the same to you as to most people? Add photos of your disaster recreations to the Make Flickr pool.

Seriously, what is not to love about this video? Proper accents, a remote control car crashing into a concrete barrier at highway speed, lots of camera angles, slow mo replays, picking through the wreckage in the post-crash analysis. And then they do it again to a second car!

From 70 miles an hour to naught in one second, energy to move tons of concrete...The steel cage has certainly done its' job really well, you can still see the original shape...Its only when you come round the front that you see that Massive Impact.

The Smart Car sure is tiny, but it has a surprising ability to handle the impact of crashes.

Cars have significantly different safety design aspects to alter the way they protect passengers in an acident. Th older cars of the 80's and before, were largely made of steel, and had rigid frames. Modern automotive design has many softer features intended to shift the energy of impact away from the passengers. It is much easier to find out how a car will perform in an accident than in the past.

How well would your car stand up in an accident? Has your vehicle been designed with shock absorbing crumple zones? Do you know how to drive for maximum safety? How about that remote control action? Have you ever rigged up a car to be controllable through radio or other systems? Add your photos to the Make Flickr pool, and comment in with your tales of success/failure and adventure!

The Otama is a decommissioned Australian RAN Oberon class submarine of 2030 tons displacement surfaced.Apart from the removal of classified communications and sensor equipment, OTAMA is in the same state that the crew left it, an operational Oberon class submarine, with a full outfit of spares and equipment.

The specs are quite nice (cheaper than a gas Lamborghini!):

Body: Fiberglass replica of a Diablo 6.0
Batteries: 50 ThunderSky LFP160's
Motor: Warp 11" DC brushed
Motor control: Zilla 2000amp
Battery electronics: Custom
Top speed: 100mph (calculated)
Range: 80-100 miles
Parts Cost: ~$45k
Finish date: ???

Check out Zach's site for more on this impressive build.

The "Speed Fit" is a human powered treadmill system that allows you to run on a stationary platform while your motion drives a small electric powered gear system below to actually propel you across a flat surface. This might be the 2000s version of the Flintstone's car although we wonder why they are not just running on the pavement itself?

More about Modifying a VW Beetle model

This tail-pipe hack is meant to make some noise every time the vehicle (in this case a motorcycle) spits out enough carbon monoxide that could be harmful to the environment. Since this might end up getting you into an accident, so we don't condone this type of modification, still it's kind of nice to hear the sound of trumpets rather than the usual gas guzzling motor sounds your bike normally spits out.

via Wrong Distance

I love GM, our Detroit automakers and the heritage of American made cars - but that doesn't mean they get a free pass... Here are my quick thoughts - I suppose what makes this sting the most is what GM was saying a few years ago.

While Toyota was introducing the Prius, 's Vice Chairman Bob Lutz was quoted as saying it was a publicity stunt and "it was kowtowing to the shrill screams of a handful of a nutty environmentalists living in California communes, or something like that."

Harsh!

During the same time - At GM he "introduced car buyers to the V-16 Cadillac Sixteen concept car, sporting a 14-litre engine (a typical four-cylinder engine is about two litres.) GM also introduced the new Camaro at around that time, and other muscle cars, all under the watchful eye of the Czar... (who also gave us the Dodge Viper in a previous life.)"

GM also owns Hummer, but they're trying to sell it off now - so far no buyers.

There was more... "DETROIT (Reuters) - General Motors Corp Vice Chairman Bob Lutz has defended remarks he made dismissing global warming as a "total crock of s---," saying his views had no bearing on GM's commitment to build environmentally friendly vehicles."

So here we are getting asked to bail them out, most of the people I know don't have the same sentimental thoughts towards GM as our parents and grandparents do.

We've all heard the famous 1953 quotation from the former General Motors president Charles E. Wilson — that what was good for our country was good for G.M.

I think it's extremely important to debate and research global warming but to not address the market with more fuel efficient cars that consumers want and to also taunt an entire state in the USA didn't really help in the past and I think it's still not helping in the current crisis. What good for GM *is* good for the USA - It's an odd place we're in right now, it took decades to get here and unfortunately it will take decades to get us out - can GM (and all of us) wait that long?

Mr. Lutz is now heading up the Chevy Volt launching in 2010 - I'm looking forward to it and I hope this is a new beginning for GM. I don't mean to single Bob out but he's the one that talks to all of us.

The Extended-Range Electric Vehicle that is redefining the automotive world is no longer just a rumor. In fact, its propulsion system is so revolutionary, it's unlike any other vehicle or electric car that's ever been introduced. And we're making this remarkable vision a reality, so that one day you'll have the freedom to drive gas-free.

Chevy Volt is designed to move more than 75 percent of America's daily commuters without a single drop of gas.(2) That means for someone who drives less than 40 miles a day, Chevy Volt will use zero gasoline and produce zero emissions.

Unlike traditional electric cars, Chevy Volt has a revolutionary propulsion system that takes you beyond the power of the battery. It will use a lithium-ion battery with a gasoline-powered, range-extending engine that drives a generator to provide electric power when you drive beyond the 40-mile battery range.

Thoughts? Post up in the comments!

Of all the bizarre subsidiaries that big companies can find themselves with, Harmony Agricultural Products, founded and owned by Honda Motor, is one of the strangest. This small company near Marysville, Ohio produces soybeans for tofu. Soybeans? Honda couldn't brook the sight of the shipping containers that brought parts from Japan to its nearby auto factories returning empty. So Harmony now ships 33,000 pounds of soybeans to Japan. An inveterate tinkerer, Honda also set up a center nearby to develop better soybean varieties and improve agricultural processes.

This is from a company that sold 21 million internal combustion engines for cars, motorcycles, lawnmowers and boats last year. But there's nothing Honda (nyse: HMC - news - people ) hates more than waste, and there is nothing Honda likes more than an engineering problem. Indeed, how else to explain why Honda has studied the maddeningly evasive cockroach (for anticollision technology), decoded the rice genome (to increase crop yields and create more-productive crops for biofuels) and developed a robot that can get instructions by reading human brain waves (to learn how machines and humans can better coexist).



Longtime auto analyst John Casesa, who now runs a consulting company, says, "There's not a company on earth that better understands the culture of engineering."



The strategy has worked thus far. Honda has never had an unprofitable year. It has never had to lay off employees. In the fiscal year that ended in March, profit grew 12%, to $5.1 billion, on $84 billion in sales. In the U.S., which accounts for 43% of Honda's sales, vehicle sales are up 7% through July, even as the industry slipped 5%. The company sold more vehicles in July than one member of the old Big Three, the Chrysler Group.

Maybe you like Neil Young's music. You might have heard about his opinions, but how about his car? Neil got his hands on one of the heaviest production automobiles, a Lincoln Continental Mark IV convertible, and has set out to make it into a more earth friendly transportation alternative. The car will be entered into competition for the Automotive X Prize. It looks cool, too. Young has collaborated on the project with Johnathan Goodwin and HLine Conversion, who has been converting heavy vehicles like Hummers to hybrids that get incredibly good fuel economy on fuels like biodiesel.

Neil talked to Charlie Rose about the Link-Vollt, where he demonstrated that his knowledge of physics isn't quite as spot on as his ideals. He has been outspoken about the possible solutions for the US automobile industry. He has been covered in the New York Times. There is a lot of info out there, Engadget had a post a bit ago, and the project is getting some more attention now that the car is on the road at after 14 months of conversion.

What do you think will save the US auto industry? How can makers cause the industry to transform into a source of solutions to our economic and environmental challenges?

The "Unique Monster" is a strange car mod that puts monster truck tires onto the Smart car, which is known as one of the smallest, most fuel efficient cars around. We like how this maker decided to turn this unassuming car into a road warrior and hope they don't have any evil motives for this beast. Watch the video and you will understand its potential.

Smart Monster via Core77

The same day that Ford and General Motors announced catastrophic third-quarter losses, Dean Kamen was showing off his new electric car.

The prototype vehicle, a zippy two-seat hatchback designed with more than a passing resemblance to the Volkswagen Beetle, can go about 60 miles on a single charge of its lithium battery and with practically zero emissions.

The secret?

"It's the world's first Stirling hybrid electric car," its inventor said with a flourish.

Installed in the car's trunk compartment is a Stirling engine invented at DEKA, Kamen's technology company in the Manchester Millyard. It powers the features that would normally drain huge power from the battery, notably the defroster and heater.

That leaves the battery primarily for propulsion. "You're running a pure electric, which is enormously cheaper to operate and enormously more environmentally friendly," Kamen explained.

And if the battery does run low, the Stirling can recharge it, so you'll never get stranded, he said. That's why Kamen calls his Stirling engine "an insurance policy" for the electric car.

Kamen showed off his state registration for his new car, listed as a 2008 DEKA Revolt. "I'm a car manufacturer!" he grinned. "It's so exciting!"

More:

The Two-Can Stirling Engine- The Stirling engine has long captivated inventors and dreamers. Here are complete plans for building and operating a two-cylinder model that runs on almost any high-temperature heat source. MAKE 07 - page 90.

Dean Kamen: The Dean of Engineering. Wasting time is an unspeakable crime, says Segway inventor Dean Kamen. MAKE 04 - page 28.

This delightfully crazy bugger built a mini-sub 1/10th replica of Captain Nemo's Nautilus from Disney's film version of Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, along with replicas of diving suits and undersea rifles from the film.

Disney Nautilus homebuilt submarine [via Boing Boing]

For this weekend's Steam Powered: The California Steampunk Convention, the band Abney Park and Airship Ventures have teamed up to offer dirigible rides to conference-goers (for $785 a ticket). Airship Ventures just brought one of their Zeppelin NTs over from Germany and it will be moored at Moffett Field. MAKE contributor Todd Lappin was lucky enough to get a ride on the ship and posted a flight report on Telstar Logistics:

Operated by a startup called Airship Ventures, the Zeppelin NT will be based out of Moffett Field, Calfornia -- a fitting home, as Moffett was built by the US Navy during the 1920s to serve as a base for military dirigibles.

The new Zeppelins are filled with the inert helium instead of highly flammable hydrogen, they're only about one-quarter the size of the old giants, and they're equipped with modern technology and avionics. Power is delivered by three Lycoming engines that put out around 200 horsepower each, and the airship frame is constructed from a combination of of aluminum and carbon fiber.

Flight Report: Aloft in a Zeppelin Airship
Up Ship! (Airship Ventures' blog, with a travelogue of their transatlantic and cross-country trip)

Toyota recently unveiled this jazzy-looking station wagon at the New York auto show. The station wagon (bottom photo) opens into a roomy camper (top). Toyota calls this 186-inch-long car the RV-2. It seats four, and stores in any garage. But the clamshell canopy can be unfolded anytime you’re parked, and there’s enough room for the passengers to eat and sleep inside. Beds, table, and chairs store neatly inside when not in use. Unfortunately, there are no definite plans to produce this unique RV, but it’s interesting to see auto manufacturers cooking up some attractive new ideas.

Singer-songwriter Josh Pyke rode this rather nifty guitar-boat into Australia's Sydney Harbor as part of a shoot for an upcoming music video. The giant-sized floating six-string is a replica of the musician's instrument of choice - a Maton brand acoustic.

No details on the construction, but I'm guessing Pyke's a big Roger Waters fan … err … Billy Ocean? - Rockin' the boat

This "Noriko-San" sleep mask was developed for "drowsy train commuters" afraid of sleeping past their stop and consists of a scrolling LED display that communicates the wearer's destination to other passengers in the train. Of course, this relies on other people actually caring enough to wake you up in time, which its developer, Pyocotan, found not to be the case when other passengers felt more uncomfortable with the mask than helpful. Not to be outdone, he believes that if the mask is widespread enough, that it may eventually gain more acceptance from people. The cost of the mask was around $200 USD to develop so it would probably have to come down in price as well.

via Pink Tentacle

Here's yet another cool electric motorcycle mod. This time it is based around a recycled 1986 Kawasaki Ninja ZX 900 where the only working components of the original bike were the tires, frame, and suspension. The bike was retrofitted with a 72 volt drive train powered by 6 batteries and a photovoltaic array. Check out the link below for all the details on this impressive build.

Electric Motorcycle Conversion via InHabitat

This amazing Bat-mobile car mod by Mark Shields was built using high density foam, glossy black paint, fiberglass, and a vintage 1978 corvette. The result is a replica of the Bat-mobile from the 1989 film by Tim Burton.

'78 Corvette Turned into a DIY Batmobile by Mark Shields

French/Swiss artist Guillaume Reymon who created the amazing human "Pong", "Space Invaders", "Tetris", and "Pole Position" animations in large auditoriums with hundreds of people participating, has taken his craft to the streets with his latest take on "Transformers". The piece brings together many diferent vehicles in perfect choreography to create a giant robot when seen from above. Check out the video below to see how it was built.

Transformers, via Neatorama

Here's an update on the Escape from Berkeley, the non-petroleum road race from Berkeley to Vegas:

An interesting adventure had by all racers yesterday as we had to navigate around Tioga pass which had been temporarily closed (opening mid day yesterday, such is life). Some chose to go south over the 178 some chose to go north and try their luck with Ebbetts pass. At the end of the day we lost two more and had a surprise change in the ranks, with the Prisoners of Petroleum coming in First.

We followed the Neverwas crew with Judge Michael Michael North to go over one of the Northern passes. We even found Ol' Beth, in Angels Camp to show Kristie's Flyer what she could grow up to be some day. Going over Ebetts pass proved to be quite a challenge and Home School Heros and Kristie's Flyer stayed the night in Lee Vining planning to catch up with us later today.

Vegas is our destination today. We will update with highlights from the awards ceremony.

BTW: You can see a list of the competitors here.

More:

Escape from Berkeley