They’ve installed a giant AR simulator which pits the pubic against the driving genius Ken Block. Users sit in the centre of a large yellow circle as a virtual Ford Fiesta Rally car donuts and twirls its way around them, leaving virtual smoke and skid marks around the user. Here’s a video of one attendee getting the Ken Block AR workout:

Every user will be automatically recorded during the experience with all videos posted to YouTube for the whole world to see. There’s a fair few videos up already with users generally displaying looks of amazement, excitement or fear – we guess it is quite realistic.

Augmented reality has come such a long way in such a short space of time. It was only a year ago that people where excited about card based information kiosks. Can you imagine if this sort of tech was put into retail stores? You’d be able to try on clothes virtually, see the options on your new virtual car or just have the time of your life with a virtual rally car.

Take a look at Ford’s dedicated page for more information on how to take part.

Edit: More information

This is currently on show at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS).

Ken Block Augmented Reality Stunts Put You In the Hot seat is a post from: Gadgets and gizmos

By using a system of resin spokes, the new airless tire from Bridgestone can provide the same shock absorption level as an inflated tire. What’s good about it is you don’t have to worry about changing a flat tire or monitoring air pressure ever again.

The idea behind the concept is similar to Michelin’s Tweel, which was introduced in 2006. It was even inspired by the wheels used by NASA’s Lunar Rover during the Apollo era. However, Bridgestone seems to have improved its design with the use of thermoplastic resin that forms the tire’s body, radiating from the inner hub to the outer rim an an angle of 45 degrees. This, when combined with a second set that runs to the opposite direction, provides added stability, strength and flexibility.

The company said that they used thermoplastic tires because it is easier to recycle, unlike the rubber used in traditional tires. Bridgestone also said that current airless tires are suitable for gold buggies and other vehicles with similar sizes. They are looking to develop the product further as soon as possible to bring the airless tires to the automotive tire market.

via: Wired

Bridgestone unveils airless tire concept is a post from: Gadgets and gizmos

“For 100 years, the Chevrolet brand has been focused on making advanced technology that improves customers’ lives accessible and affordable, and the Chevrolet EN-V will continue that tradition,” said Chris Perry, Chevrolet’s vice president for global and strategy, at an event celebrating the 100th anniversary of the company. “By 2030, more than 60 percent of the world’s 8 billion people will live in urban areas. The Chevrolet EN-V represents a possible solution for global customers living in markets where alternative transportation solutions are needed.”

The EN-V, which is powered by a lithium-ion battery, sports superior maneuverability and a small footprint. The vehicle can be charged from a normal wall outlet.

General Motors is not wasting time to begin building on its futuristic vehicles. Earlier this year, the company signed a memo of understanding with the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City Investment and Development Co. Ltd. (SSTEC) to integrate its next concept into the Eco-City’s power communications and infrastructures. The company will be looking locations around the world for its pilot programs.

The vehicle’s ability to communicate with infrastructure and other vehicles will help reduce traffic congestion and crashes in the future.

via: General Motors

GM to test the Chevrolet EN-V in major cities worldwide is a post from: Gadgets and gizmos

A group of engineers from the United Kingdom has set a new land speed record for a vehicle powered by gasification. The car, which is powered by coffee beans, is called the Coffee Car. It was created by the Teesdale Conservation Volunteers of Durham, England.

The previous world record, which was held by Americans called the “Beaver Energy,” was 47 mph. Beaver Energy is fueled by wooden pellets. Now, The Coffee car beat that record, making the car run as fast as 66.5 mph.

Gasification is done by introducing an amount of oxygen to any organic, carbon-based material (in this case, coffee beans), and by increasing its temperature to above 700 degrees Celsius, syngas (synthetic gas) is produced. Sythetic gas consists of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, methane and hydrogen, and can be burned using an internal combustion engine.

The Coffee Car shows that green energy can be used to power vehicles, and it aims to show people that a car’s performance using renewable energy is impressive. The Coffee Car has an engine that looks like the one from the Delorean, which is not a bad thing. In BBC’s video, they did not mention if the exhaust fumes smelled like a cup of brewed coffee .

via: The BBC

UK-made coffee-powered car beats the world record is a post from: Gadgets and gizmos

Now, researchers at Toyohashi University of Technology and Toyota Central Research and Development Labs have come up with the first mid-drive charging system for electric vehicles in the world. The idea is based on a similar mechanism that enables trains to run under overhead wires.

The system involves electrified metal plates that are buried under city roads that “up-convert” energy through a radio frequency to a steel belt placed inside a car’s tires. It also converts up-energy to a plate that sits above the tire.

At the moment, the system’s testing has only involved low voltages, but the researchers said that it could enable electric vehicles to weigh lesser than they are today. With the system in place, electric cars will need smaller battery packs if they are going to travel to and from electrified roads.

The current Chevrolet Volt’s battery weighs a massive 435 pounds, and a lighter battery is the smart way to go. While the idea is great, installing electrified metal plates in roads can be very costly and time consuming.

via: Ubergizmo

Researchers study the possibility of EV-charging roads is a post from: Gadgets and gizmos

It is surprising to see them look way into the future, as other research vehicles looked ahead one vehicle generation, which is usually seven to eight years. The new concept, which was presented on the 2011 Frankfurt Moto show, has a newly developed hydrogen fuel cell system, range of 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) and gesture controls. The company said that the F 125! looks forward more than two car generations, to year 2025 and beyond.

The F 125! is a four-seater, emission-free luxury car with a bodyshell that retains the style of recent saloons of Mercedes. Its bodyshell, which is constructed from a mix of carbon fiber, fiber-reinforced plastics, aluminum and high-strength steel alloys, is equipped with gull-wing doors for more safety, reduced weight and optimal access.

The F 125! does not use gasoline for power. The concept uses a mix of a new version of Meredes’ F-Cell system and lithium-sulphur batteries. With the aim to make hydrogen-fuelled vehicles that could achieve ranges comparable to today’s diesel models with no reduction in space occupied, the concept features a hydrogen tank that is fully integrated into its bodyshell.

“The structural integrated hydrogen composite unit of the F 125! represents a real technological revolution, as it allows the hydrogen tank to be fully integrated into the bodyshell structure for the first time,” says Prof. Dr. Thomas Weber, a member of Daimler AG’s Board of Management. “In the future, vehicles with emission-free fuel cell drive systems could achieve the operating ranges of current diesel models with no loss of interior space.”

What do you think of this futuristic vehicle concept?

via: Diseno Art

The Mercedes-Benz F 125!: a fuel-cell hybrid from 2025 is a post from: Gadgets and gizmos

Snugg is now offering a headrest mount holder that is designed to work with their iPad 2 case and flip stand. The Snugg iPad 2 cover is made of polyurethane faux leather that has white stitching on the sides. The front and back of the cover are stiffened to provide extra protection for your device and for better support when it is used as a stand. The case’s interior is lined with a velvety fabric in order to prevent unnecessary scratches to the tablet’s body.

You can slide your iPad 2 into the frame and secure it with a velco strap. The Snugg case is 9.5-inches long, 7.5-inches wide and 0.75-inches thick, and it weighs just around 9.4 ounces.

It also comes with a car headrest mount that will provide an all-in-one mounting solutions for those who travel with their favorite tablet. Perfect for long trips, the Snugg iPad Car Headrest Mount will keep your children occupied and entertained so that you can focus on the ride. You don’t need to remove the device from the case before using the headrest mount. Two small U-shaped clips at the bottom will grip the device and hold it in place – it is pretty secure, even on slippery leather seats.

The Snugg iPad 2 case is available on Amazon for £29.99 and the Snug iPad 2 Car Headrest Mount Holder is available for £19.99.

Have you tried the Snugg mount, let us know what you think of it below.

Snugg iPad 2 case with headrest mount protects your iPad 2 is a post from: Gadgets and gizmos

The car maker said that lasers are the “next logical step” in the evolution of a vehicle’s headlights. According to BMW’s press release, the company believes that laser technology could bring in “entirely new light functions for even more safety and comfort and at the same time contribute significantly through its higher degree of efficiency towards a saving in energy and fuel respectively.”

The company aims to not just improve the safety of vehicle owners, but also to decrease energy consumption, as the new laser lights will have a 70 percent more efficient lumens-from-watt conversion.

The car manufacturer also plans to eliminate the dangers of beaming lasers into the eyes of other car owners by converting the light inside the housing. The raw laser light will be filtered through a fluorescent phosphor material, which will take blue laser and change it into a safer white light.

“The intensity of laser light poses no possible risks to humans, animals or wildlife when used in car lighting,” explains BMW. “Amongst other things, this is because the light is not emitted directly, but is first converted into a form that is suitable for use in road traffic. The resulting light is very bright and white. It is also very pleasant to the eye and has a very low energy consumption.”

BMW said that we are still a few years away from producing laser headlight technology. Reports say that the first vehicle that will use the laser headlights will be the i8 concept car.

via: MSN

BMW now developing laser headlights is a post from: Gadgets and gizmos

The deal, which is a first-of-its-kind, pairs an automotive maker and electronics giant to design and engineer vehicles. LG will be covering half the cost of creating a future line of hybrid and electric vehicles. After that, they will become General Motors’ supplier on things that they create together.

LG Chem now supplies lithium-ion batteries for the Chevrolet Volt and Opel Ampera. The new deal will broaden LG’s role, from climate-control to on-board battery chargers. It is also possible that LG will manufacture in-vehicle entertainment systems.

General Motors hopes that its deal with LG will help it push past its competitors to develop electric and hybrid vehicles. Future demand for these vehicles is unpredictable as it depends on the prices of fuel, changing consumer trends and development costs.

“We don’t know how big this market is going to be,” said Steven Girsky, General Motors’ vice chairman. “This is a way to go at it in an efficient way that doesn’t risk the company.”

It is not surprising that LG and General Motors come together as Toyota and Ford have announced their partnership in a technology development program that aims to launch a new rear-wheel-drive hybrid car that will appear in SUVs and light-duty trucks.

Apart from the Opel Ampera and Chevrolet Volt, General Motors also has the Cadillac ELR, which relies on the Volt’s extended-range electric powertrain.

via: Cnet

GM partners with LG to create new line of electric vehicles is a post from: Gadgets and gizmos

The Cadillac ELR is a plug-in hybrid car that uses technology that is similar to the Chevrolet Volt that was released last year.

“The concept generated instant enthusiasm,” said Don Butler, vice president of Cadillac marketing, in a statement. “Like other milestone Cadillac models of the past, the ELR will offer something not otherwise present ? the combination of electric propulsion with striking design and the fun of luxury coupe driving.”

No price, specs and performance details have been released by the company yet, but previous reports said that it will be launched by the end of 2013 as a 2014 model.

Like the Chevrolet Volt, the Cadillac ELR Coupe is powered by an electric motor. A T-shaped 16 kwh lithium ion battery packed between the seats provides 64 kilometers of electric range, then a four-cylinder gasoline engine turns on to run a generator that will provide electricity for another 480 kilometers or more. The Cadillac ELR uses the same powertrain used in the Chevrolet Volt.

Electric vehicles take several hours to charge and require drivers to change their driving habits to conserve power. However, extended-range cars do not have to be plugged in, but if users can choose to do so to save on fuel costs.

Cadillac will also unveil another concept car at an event before the Pebble beach Concours d’Elegance.

via: Tech Crunch

GM unveils the Cadillac ELR Coup extended-range EV is a post from: Gadgets and gizmos