Category: Transportation

Dubai is on the brink of revolutionizing public transportation with its cutting-edge driverless Railpods, reminiscent of futuristic concepts from “The Jetsons.” Developed by the city’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), these innovative rail systems offer a glimpse into the future of urban mobility and could soon extend to cities worldwide.

The Railpods, resembling miniature monorail cars, traverse tracks elevated above the ground. The RTA is working on two versions of the project: the Floc Duo Rail system, featuring two tracks akin to traditional trains, and a solar-powered variant utilizing a bridge to harness solar energy for the pods’ operation.

V-Space, a pioneering startup, has successfully crafted Korea’s inaugural Urban Air Transportation (UAM) solution, the V-Space eVTOL (Electric Vertical Take Off and Landing) vehicle. This all-electric quad-copter design, capable of transporting individuals or payloads up to 120 Kg, combines innovation and practicality for urban mobility.

The standard eVTOL model, aptly named V-Space, embodies its vertical takeoff and landing capability, resembling a drone-like small helicopter with a seat designed for one person. Operating over a 40-mile distance at a maximum speed of 60 Mph, the eVTOL offers a swift alternative, especially during emergencies where traffic congestion is a critical concern.

Urban air mobility (UAM) offers more than just novel ways to transport goods; it presents entirely new avenues for sustainable mobility solutions. In the Fraunhofer ALBACOPTER Lighthouse Project, six Fraunhofer institutes have united to address the technical and societal challenges linked with UAM. Spearheaded by the Fraunhofer Institute for Transportation and Infrastructure Systems IVI, researchers have developed an aircraft inspired by the albatross, designed for remarkably efficient gliding. This innovation and other highlights will be showcased at the joint Fraunhofer booth (D11, Hall B1) during the IAA MOBILITY trade show in Munich from September 5 to 8, 2023.

UAM entails stringent requirements for aircraft and system technology, particularly the need for safe, quiet VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) systems that deliver powerful propulsion performance during hovering.

A remarkable milestone in green transportation has been achieved with the introduction of North America’s first hydrogen-powered train. The groundbreaking project, which commenced earlier this month, aims to demonstrate the viability of hydrogen as a clean alternative to diesel fuel on railways where traditional electrification methods are challenging.

The train, named M4 (Multi-Modal Mobility Morphobot), has been developed by French company Alstom and is currently operating on a captivating two-and-a-half-hour journey through central Quebec. The demonstration showcases how electricity stored as hydrogen can effectively replace diesel, offering a greener solution for rail travel. With up to 120 passengers on board, the tourist train runs from Quebec City’s Montmorency Falls to Baie-Saint-Paul along the Train de Charlevoix route on Wednesdays through Sundays until September 30.

Cruise ships have long been criticized for their detrimental environmental impact, with a single vessel emitting emissions equivalent to thousands of cars. Recognizing the urgent need for change, Norwegian cruise liner company Hurtigruten is taking a proactive approach to address the ecological emergencies facing the planet. Today, the company revealed the initial designs for a zero-emission cruise ship set to launch by the end of the decade, marking a significant step forward in sustainable maritime travel.

First introduced as “Sea Zero” in March 2022, the concept ship presented by Hurtigruten Norway showcases a revolutionary design. The vessel features three autonomous, retractable sail wing rigs reaching a height of 50 meters, housing approximately 1,500 square meters of solar panels. In addition to the sail wings, the ship will be powered by multiple 60-megawatt batteries, which recharge while in port, along with wind technology. The vessel’s advanced features include AI maneuvering capabilities, retractable thrusters, contra-rotating propellers, advanced hull coatings, and proactive hull cleaning technology.

The Parallel Systems self-driving train prototype looks like its waiting to go for a walk.

By Owen Bellwood

It’s a tough time to be a trucker. If you aren’t caught for days alone on the road, then you’re left with few benefits and low wages. It’s no wonder, then, that the U.S. is currently facing a shortage of long-haul truckers. But now, one firm thinks its self-driving freight trains could be here to save the day. Whether or not it actually works, though, will remain to be seen.

In order to try to combat the shortage of truckers around the world, a group of ex-SpaceX engineers has founded Parallel Systems. The firm is currently developing fleets of small, autonomous trains that could transport freight across the US.

The company has raised $US49.55 ($69) million in funding to develop its swarm of miniature trains. The autonomous crafts travel in pairs to carry shipping containers across the country.

The company says it hopes the autonomous trains will be able to alleviate the strains places on long-haul truckers as its devices can transport large loads between cities or other transit hubs. Once at their final destinations, the loads can be transferred to trucks, where freight drivers will complete the last mile of the journey.

This way, the firm says truck drivers will be able to retain their jobs while working closer to home.

Airseas, the maritime project of Airbus, used its aeronautical expertise to develop a state-of-the-art sailing system for commercial ships, which combines the traditional principles of sailing with the most advanced autonomous technology. 

by Otilia Drăgan

Today’s shipping industry has the immense opportunity to leverage both the benefits of wind power as a source of clean energy and the benefits of the latest technology. In 2013, Vincent Bernatets from Airbus decided to implement the company’s expertise in the maritime sector. This is how Airseas was born, the company that created Seawing, a revolutionary system that combines automated flight control features from the aerospace industry with kite technology.

Airseas has big plans for Seawing, set to become the most competitive shipping propulsion system based on renewable energy. The startup hopes to implement it on 10% of the global fleet over the next decade.

Bullet trains in China can run as fast as 350 kilometres per hour and Chinese researchers want them to take the top speed of 450km/h.

HONG KONG: China wants even faster bullet trains, and a team of scientists in the southwest of the country have suggested a way to do it: add wings.

Their study found that adding five pairs of small wings on each train carriage would generate additional lift and reduce the weight of the train by nearly a third, taking the top speed to 450 kilometres per hour.

The research is part of a project launched by Beijing earlier this year named CR450, which aims to develop a new generation of high-speed trains that can travel at that speed.

China’s high-speed rail network is currently the fastest in the world – its existing bullet trains can run at 350km/h. The CR450 project aims to have trains that run nearly 30% faster, meaning it would take only about three hours to travel from Beijing to Shanghai, or just five hours from Beijing to Guangzhou.