VIPA Autonomous Vehicle

The VIPA, one of the most futuristic vehicles displayed at the 2011 Challenge Bibendum, is nothing other than an elevator. The VIPA has been designed by Ligier and is a vehicle which can drive by itself even if no person is inside it. VIPA is originally a French acronym which stands for Autonomous Individual Passenger Vehicle.


The vehicle can go from a fixed point to another point which has been fed into it. All that a person needs to do is to drive the VIPA along that particular route using a keyboard and a joystick that plug into the vehicle when needed. The system records the entire route and the important landmarks, and thus, no one needs to be on board to get to that place. The VIPA would drive to that place on its own, thanks to its network of electronic eyes and two top-mounted cameras: one in front and the other at the rear to find the landmarks. The VIPA is also embedded with laser sensors to help it in driving.

Besides so many positive qualities, the VIPA also suffers some drawbacks. The suspension of the vehicle is almost non-existent. The VIPA has a top-speed of up to 20kmph, but interestingly enough, it can run continuously for eight hours i.e. 80kms on just 8.5kWh of energy in a full battery pack. The pack comprises of four lead acid gel batteries which take 4 hours to charge from a standard European outlet and 45 minutes if charged using the on-board DC fast charger. But if some sort of cooling or heating system is incorporated into it, then the power consumed would be increased considerably, which would ultimately result in the costing of the vehicle.



Source: EcoFriend.com

SKhy Hydrogen Powered Bus By Alain Monteiro

Alain Monteiro, Eco Bus, Future Bus, futuristic city bus, GPS, green vehicle, hydrogen, Hydrogen Engine, Hydrogen Powered Bus, Hydrogen Powered vehicle, Kinetic Energy, Skhy Bus, solar energy, Solar energy vehicle, Technology, Waste water

In a time, when our concerns regarding global warming and environmental pollutions are growing faster, would you like to ride an eco-friendly bus? Now, you may think that how can a bus be eco-friendly when it is considered to be one of the chief component engaged in polluting the environment. Don’t worry, your ride won’t be a preposterous attempt. Here are some reasons why you can depend upon the SKhy Bus.


SKhy Bus is a unique concept of combining nature and technology. The bus would be able to reduce the pollution level in our environment through its various lineaments. It will get its energy from the solar cells posed on the top of the bus. So it will not relinquish carbon monoxide or other toxic gases. The bus would also process wastewater to produce hydrogen.

The choice of wastewater would serve a dual purpose.
1. The presence of urea in wastewater would make it 300% more efficient than normal water in hydrogen production.
2. The clean water produced by the hydrogen engine would be recollected for other purposes.

Even when taking rest, the bus would spend its energy for producing oxygen.
Another great feature of the bus is that it will have large air intakes to filter CO2 from the atmosphere. The extracted CO2 can be made to work as a cooling system and as fire extinguisher inside the bus itself.
Alain Monteiro, the designer of the SKhy Bus exclaims,
This would help clean municipal wastewaters, release oxygen and capture CO2, just like a plant.
Inspired by the way plants create their own food, the bus would produce its own fuel out of solar energy. At the same time, the outside surface structure would help it to consume less fuel. Its aluminum structure, seats and other components would be easily recyclable. Even the brakes would be capable of converting waste energy.

The number of seats in the bus can vary from 72 to 128. These numbers would depend upon the needs in different cities. Furthermore, you will find important information about the city on the windows of the bus. The glasses of the windows will sense the heat radiation of the sun and will get darker or lighter as per requirement to keep the interior fresh.
With no driver inside, this futuristic city bus will be controlled via GPS and sensors.
Designer: Alain Monteiro
Source:  EcoFriend.com