-----image( ”Pablo Valdivia Y Alvarado, a research affiliate in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, works in his lab on a robotic fish he created with Professor Kamal Youcef-Toumi. The robot is designed to more easily maneuver into areas where traditional underwater autonomous vehicles cannot go. Photo / Patrick Gillooly”) & text : MIT news,August 24, 2009発表より
・Robots swim with the fishes
" New robots mimic fish's swimming, could be used in underwater exploration
Borrowing from Mother Nature, a team of MIT researchers has built a school of swimming robo-fish that slip through the water just as gracefully as the real thing, if not quite as fast.
Mechanical engineers Kamal Youcef-Toumi and Pablo Valdivia Y Alvarado have designed the sleek robotic fish to more easily maneuver into areas where traditional underwater autonomous vehicles can't go. Fleets of the new robots could be used to inspect submerged structures such as boats and oil and gas pipes; patrol ports, lakes and rivers; and help detect environmental pollutants.
.......... "
アフリカなどで水の確保に苦労している人々のくらしについてのドキュメンタリーを何度か目にしたことがあります。昔は、水源はもっと近いところにあり村の暮らしを支えていたが、いつのころからか涸れてしまい、どんどん遠くの水源まで毎日水を汲みに行かなければならないという大変な暮らしの現実の物語でした。水を汲みに行くのは、子供や女性で、小さなポリタンクや空き瓶を手にもったり、バケツを頭にのせて運ばなければならない。大変な労働と暮らしです。子供たちで、せいぜい10リットル、大人の女性で頭の上で20リットル以上の水を運ぶことができるようです。
場所によっては、深い井戸を掘り水の確保には成功している地域もあるようですが、すべての村にいい井戸があるわけではないので、やはり水を運ぶ手段が必要です。水タンク自体をローラー状にし、運び手や紐をつけて子供たちにも運びやすくすることを考えた製品が複数でていましたので紹介します。Hippo Water RollerとQ Drumです。
Hippo Water Rollerは、ローラー部分に90リットルの水を入れることができ、そのローラーに水を満たし、倒して車とし、金属性の取手を取り付け押したり、リヤカーのように引いて運ぶことができます。UN World Food Programにも採用され、寄付などによってアフリカ各国に送られています。
慶応大学のスーパー電気自動車エリーカ、そして電気自動車用の蓄電池製造会社エリーパワーなどのプロジェクトを手がけてこられた慶應義塾大学環境情報学部の清水浩教授が、ついに電気自動車の普及型を提案、ライセンスするシムドライブ社を設立したそうです。
会社名は、SIM-Drive（Shimizu In wheel Motor-Drive、シムドライブ）で、2013年までに同社の開発したシステムを組み込んだ電気自動車を世に送り出すことを目指すということです。これまで培われた、評価の高い技術が、新たに生み出されるモーター、車台プラットフォームにどのように搭載されていくのか、楽しみなプロジェクトが始動しました。将来的な展望としては、年産10万台レベルで150万円の価格が実現するということのようです。
" First Electric Bike Made by Famed Orange County Choppers;Will Be Featured on Hit TV Show and Donated to Charity
.....
Orange County Choppers, a leading manufacturer of custom motorcycles, built the Siemens Smart Chopper over the course of a month. Siemens also developed a compatible Smart Grid-ready charger which communicates with the utility to enable charging when the electricity is most affordable.
The motorcycle features and design include:
First electric chopper by Orange County Choppers
Recycled materials
Advanced DC Motors Inc. Series Wound 8" motor
LED lighting by OSRAM SYLVANIA, a Siemens company
27 Peak horsepower and maximum speed of 100 MPH
Range of 60 miles on a single charge
On-board charger that can be plugged into any 110-volt outlet
.......... "
今回紹介するのは、海のエコシステムと人間の与える影響についての地図です。
米のNational Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS)が発表している海洋の環境に対して人間が与えるインパクトを視覚化した地図、A Global Map of Human Impacts to Marine Ecosystemsです。Google Earthに読みこむことができるKMLファイルもリリースしています。パソコンの中の、地球儀にこの地図を映し、眺めると、海洋と大気も含めた私たちの危機的な状況が見えてきます。地図の色の赤みが増している地域がインパクトの大きな地域です。
" The Public Bike System Company (PBSC) is pleased to announce it has been awarded two major contracts for its BIXI(tm) Public Bike System(tm), putting it at the forefront of the development of new bike share systems throughout the world.
The mayor of London early today announced the granting of a new contract by Transport of London (TfL) to the Serco Group plc (Serco), the international business services company, in association with BIXI, to create, set up and operate the London Cycle Hire Scheme (LCHS). Montreal's BIXI system will be adapted to the specific needs of the city of London and will boast 6,000 bikes, 400 stations and 10,000 docking points.
As well, BIXI has been granted the mandate to set up and operate a BIXI system in central Boston by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) as well as the right to negotiate to expand the system to neighbouring municipalities in collaboration with the MAPC. Central Boston will be served by a network that includes 2,500 bikes, 290 stations and 3,750 docking points, with the potential to expand to a 5,000-bike system.
.......... "
" Quantya Track has been created for off-road use in all possible terrains during the whole year. Track is suitabel for natural roads and easy and also difficult paths.His versatility allows a relaxing freetime tour as well as a more difficult drive as enduro.
In this case however is requested ability of the pilot and physical fitness.
EVO1 Track 2009 Frs.13'265.--Ponds 7'665.00
.....
Maximum speed 70 Km/h approx.
.....
Voltage: 48 V
.....
Motor: Axial Gap D.C brush
.....
Max power: 12 kW
Max torque: 31.5 Nm
Transmission: First belt Second chain
.....
Weight: 93 kg
.....
Rim: Front 19"
Rear 18"
.......... "
" Quantya Strada has been derived from model Track and been licensed TUV for road-use.
This model can be used on roads of normal traffic as it has illumination and signal installation which allows admission.
In Switzerland this model can be used already at the age of 16. "
" The world’s ocean surface temperature was the warmest on record for June, breaking the previous high mark set in 2005, according to a preliminary analysis by NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C. Additionally, the combined average global land and ocean surface temperature for June was second-warmest on record. The global records began in 1880. "
プレスリリース / General Motors,2009-08-11
・Chevrolet Volt Expects 230 mpg in City Driving
-----image上[”Pre-Production Volt Loaded With 16 kWh Lithium Ion Battery”; A pre-production Chevrolet Volt is loaded with its 16kwh lithium ion battery at General Motor's Pre-Production Operations facility in Warren,Michigan,Wednesday,August 5,2009.About 80 Volts will be hand-built at PRO.Once built, the vehicles undergo a series of road, craxh and other engineering validation tests in preparetion for the launch of the extended-range electric vehicle nest year.(Photo by Jeffrey Sauger for General Motors)] : 同リリースより-----image下[”Chevrolet Volt Announcement(Photo by Steve Fecht for General Motors)”]-----
" ・First mass-produced vehicle to claim more than 100 mpg composite fuel economy
・Tentative EPA methodology results show 25 kilowatt hours/100 miles electrical efficiency in city cycle
・Plugging in daily is key to high-mileage performance
The Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric vehicle is expected to achieve city fuel economy of at least 230 miles per gallon, based on development testing using a draft EPA federal fuel economy methodology for labeling for plug-in electric vehicles.
The Volt, which is scheduled to start production in late 2010 as a 2011 model, is expected to travel up to 40 miles on electricity from a single battery charge and be able to extend its overall range to more than 300 miles with its flex fuel-powered engine-generator.
”From the data we've seen, many Chevy Volt drivers may be able to be in pure electric mode on a daily basis without having to use any gas," said GM Chief Executive Officer Fritz Henderson. "EPA labels are a yardstick for customers to compare the fuel efficiency of vehicles. So, a vehicle like the Volt that achieves a composite triple-digit fuel economy is a game-changer.”
According to U.S. Department of Transportation data, nearly eight of 10 Americans commute fewer than 40 miles a day http://tinyurl.com/U-S-DOTStudy .
”The key to high-mileage performance is for a Volt driver to plug into the electric grid at least once each day,”Henderson said.
Volt drivers' actual gas-free mileage will vary depending on how far they travel and other factors, such as how much cargo or how many passengers they carry and how much the air conditioner or other accessories are used. Based on the results of unofficial development testing of pre-production prototypes, the Volt has achieved 40 miles of electric-only, petroleum-free driving in both EPA city and highway test cycles.
Under the new methodology being developed, EPA weights plug-in electric vehicles as traveling more city miles than highway miles on only electricity. The EPA methodology uses kilowatt hours per 100 miles traveled to define the electrical efficiency of plug-ins. Applying EPA's methodology, GM expects the Volt to consume as little as 25 kilowatt hours per 100 miles in city driving. At the U.S. average cost of electricity (approximately 11 cents per kWh), a typical Volt driver would pay about $2.75 for electricity to travel 100 miles, or less than 3 cents per mile.
The Chevrolet Volt uses grid electricity as its primary source of energy to propel the car. There are two modes of operation: Electric and Extended-Range. In electric mode, the Volt will not use gasoline or produce tailpipe emissions when driving. During this primary mode of operation, the Volt is powered by electrical energy stored in its 16 kWh lithium-ion battery pack.
When the battery reaches a minimum state of charge, the Volt automatically switches to Extended-Range mode. In this secondary mode of operation, an engine-generator produces electricity to power the vehicle. The energy stored in the battery supplements the engine-generator when additional power is needed during heavy accelerations or on steep inclines.
”The 230 city mpg number is a great indication of the capabilities of the Volt's electric propulsion system and its ability to displace gasoline," said Frank Weber, global vehicle line executive for the Volt. "Actual testing with production vehicles will occur next year closer to vehicle launch. However, we are very encouraged by this development, and we also think that it is important to continue to share our findings in real time, as we have with other aspects of the Volt's development.” "
" Zero DS Specsより
..........
Top Speed 55mph (90 kph)
.....
Type Patent-pending lithium ion array
Capacity 4 kWh (58volts @ 70Ah)
Range Up to 50 miles (80 km)*
Recharge time Less than 4 hours
Input Standard 110V or 220V
.....
Weight
Frame 29 pounds (13.2 kg)
Power Pack 80 pounds (36.3 kg)
Total weight 270 pounds (122.5 kg)
......... -----image : Galleryより "
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