The dream of going wireless with a laptop or iPad becomes pretty meaningless when reality hits and you’re left with a battery drained to nothing. But Voltaic‘s new solar backpack brings things back into balance, giving you the option to recharge your laptop and other gadgets even if the sun isn’t shining! Incorporating a battery with a sewn in 10 watt monocrystal solar module, the setup has two power ports and four voltage settings connected to the 60 watt battery. The new backpack gives you the ability to recharge just about any portable device whenever you need to.
by Marc Carter
London designer Omer Sagiv created this solar-powered concept car that looks like it’s straight out of the latest sci-fi movie. The concept car is referred to as the SPV (Solar Power Vehicle) and Sagiv states that it’s made of aluminum with flexible thin modules fixed to it and that the shaft in the center of the SPV functions as an in-built cooling system. The aerodynamic shape of the concept allows it to collect energy in any sunny environment. Even better, the concept can also use the extra energy that it collects from its solar panels to power its owner’s house!
Designer Omer Sagiv’s futuristic Solar Powered Vehicle (SPV) is an ideal vehicle for long rides in deserts or other open lands. The SPV is a typical solar vehicle design. The aluminum structure mounts plenty of flexible thin film modules, which can generate much energy for long rides. In form, the SPV almost resembles Nuon solar car, developed by Delft University.
Last October, the SolarWorld GT solar-powered car set out from Darwin, Australia on a drive around the world. It has since driven 3,001 kilometers (1,865 miles) across Australia, logged 1,947 km (1,210 miles) crossing New Zealand and been shipped across the Pacific Ocean. This Friday, it will embark on the U.S. leg of its journey, as it sets out across America from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Estonian auto company Dartz Kombat is known for making the Prombron — basically a bulletproof Hummer on steriods – however they recently announced plans to go ‘green’ by launching a bulletproof all-electric roadster called the Jo-Mojo. Set to debut in Monaco at the Top Marques show in April, the vehicle will feature a solar roof and muscular chassis. Check out a video slideshow of of the Jo-Mojo and its chameleon paint job — it actually changes colors — after the jump.
A new efficiency record for organic photovoltaic cells has been reached by Heliatek, for the third time in a row. The German company created a cheap solar cell that can convert up to 9.8 percent of the incoming light into electricity.
Heliatek’s new solar cell is made from oligomers, and differs from polymer and dye-sensitized solar cells because the cells can be produced at low temperatures and uses the least amount of non-toxic materials.
PolyU’s department of electrical engineering, in collaboration with Green Power Industrial, has developed an air conditioning system for cars that utilizes a photovoltaic solar panel to power the air conditioning system when the engine is off.
The solar panel is made of a flexible material so that it can conform to the shape of the car roof, and it charges a battery which, in turn, powers the standalone air conditioning system.
As we know it
While the greatest drive of the eco-conscious generation is to use renewable sources of power, attempts are being made to replace every possible gadget run by non-renewable sources with green products that curb environmental pollution and reduce over brimming of the landfills. Berlin based eco-conscious engineer, Benjamin Beck has made a noteworthy move in this direction. He has developed a green battery pack that is run by solar energy as well as kinetic energy. All you need to do is to place the charged out battery pack in sun for a certain period of time on sunny days and the battery will juice up within no time. But in cloudy days it draws the charge from your movements, thereby converting kinetic energy into electrical energy and gets charged up again. It has been named by the designer as Scaraby Energy Backpack. This functional green gadget is portable and convenient to use.
The Autonomo is a fully autonomous vehicle concept designed by Charles Rattray. The design, inspired by biomimicry, sustainability, artificial intelligence and information technology, is created to address many of the growing transportation issues facing the world’s major cities today. This concept vehicle utilizes a drive-by-wire control system that replaces traditional mechanical components and harnesses developmental technology.
Rescue systems include all essential tools, equipment, machinery and anything that helps emergency personnel such as police, fire fighters, coast guards, military, etc. in emergency situations. These tools, that are included in the rescue system, are used as a part of safety measures in risky, emergency situations or for rescuing people who are in danger. No wonder that the best equipment of the latest technology are used for this purpose. But now that an effort to go-green is being made in every area and every invention, even rescue systems are being modeled in the same lines for future use. Here is a list of five such futuristic rescue systems that would help the environment gain its balance again: