My search for the self driving car_E01

I’ve being following the development of self driving cars from early stages (see:Inside the google self driving car). Getting the vibe from the media, one could think they are readily available for anyone to use.

In summer 2016, I’ve set on a quest to find the self driving car. On my way I came across and interviewed the first Tesla S owner in Berlin. I visited Drive now headquarters, and took their brand new fully electric BMW I3 for a thrilling test drive.

Join me for a glimpse at the future of transportation.

Riding the Shanghai MAGLEV

MAGLEV´s are amazing! it will always remain a mystery to me why these systems are not yet widespread, considering their many advantages and overall futuristic essence.

I was lucky to pay a visit to the Shanghai MAGLEV,  riding it several times to get a better feel of this wonderful technology. Here are some of my photos and remarks:

The technology was developed for over 30 years by a German joint venture going under the name “Transrapid”. The Shanghai MAGLEV started operating in 2004 and was the only installation the company ever made not including test tracks. Transpired was dissolved in 2010.

The Shanghai machine is an engineering marvel. With a top speed of 431 Km/h the riding quality remains very smooth, and the overall experience is thrilling. The most exiting part is when the two trains running opposite direction pass by each other! its phenomenal !

 

Next time your in Shanghai don’t forget to ride the ancestor of future trains.

Visit to Shanghai´s spiral escalator

A lot has been written about the Shanghai spiral escalator, here are my 50 cents…

As the first of its kind, this escalator arrangement is breath taking, it is a remarkable feature in the overall design of the mall.

 

It is arrange in two coulombs of six 160 Deg. spiral machines, all leading upwards. There are two additional coulombs of strait escalators behind the spiral ones leading costumers downward, and an impressive bank of glass elevators. Totaling 24 escalators and 6 elevators servicing the main atrium.

Typically to shopping centers, the escalators moves slowly, and the riding experience is not as thrilling as one might expect.

All in all the spatial experience is great and the design of both the escalators and elevator is highly luxurious, details are well thought and executed, particularly the elevator’s curved corners glass car.

Once again, well done! Shanghai rocks!

 

Mitsubishi Strikes again

An impressive revival of the Mitsubishi spiral escalator product was announced last month in a Shanghai shopping mall. This impressive 12 machine setup stands as the largest spiral escalator arrangement in the world to date.

like so many other things coming from China, it lacks some innovation but it is multiplied to the extent of being amazing. It made its viral way throughout the Internet, witch was probably the main advertisement goal for this incentive.  The mall architects created a magnificently disorienting riding experience where riders get off the escalator opposite to the direction they board it, they have to walk around the whole atrium to find the escalator going the other direction (this is good for shopping mall owners, not for transportation) but what can you say? this is truly astonishing.

To bad they used a 30 years old machine design, that sold approximately 110 machine worldwide so far. Mitsubishi sales persons describes it as state of the art wonder, when in fact all engineers involved in its development are all retired or dead (I bet they’d like to see this one… )

We at Helixator hope this kind of projects will raise the awareness and fuel the development of new technologies, where spiral and helical escalators will be a part of our daily 21st century lives.  Well done China!

Helixator prototype underway

Helixator’s CTO – Michel David, have presented the background study for the Helixator technology development at the design modelling symposium Berlin, where it was warmly accepted by attending academia engineers and architects.

” There is a general agreement that such technologies are an important key for successful urbanization and stronger urban economies. The company is proud to stand in the forefront of contemporary escalator technology” said Michel.

The company currently plans to build a fully operational prototype leading the technology to the next milestone on the way to full realization.

PROTOTYPING HELIXATOR – Engineering a myth

Lecture at the Design Modelling Symposium Berlin (DMSB) 2013, Universität der Künste (UDK) Berlin, Germany.  Monday, 30 September, 14:00 

Helical Escalators and Moving Walkways

Read full paper as presented by Michel David at ELEVCON 2010, The conference of the International association of elevator engineers (IAEE), Lucerne, Switzerland.

Download 3D PDF here (or click image)

Riding Heathrow’s PRT

Personal Rapid Transit systems have been built around the world since the early 1960’s. In their essence they are designed to solve complex local transportation problems. Many PRT’s system designs exist, and differ in all major subsystems including car designs, rails structures and drive systems. A successful design brings many advantages on the aspects of environment, safety and contribution to local economy.

In my last visit to London I’ve had the opportunity to ride Heathrow’s PRT system. The system brings passengers from the airport’s terminal 5 to a business parking. Built by British “Ultra”, The system comprises of 22 battery powered cars, driving on 3.8 km of elevated guideways.

On December 2012 the 500,000 passenger rode the system in just 18 month of operation and it is considered to be a great successes by both Ultra and the airport’s operator.

The riding experience is very good, and I’ve enjoyed enormously the automated driverless feel. I didn’t wait at all ,and could enjoy several rides sitting by myself in the car. The cars external and interior designs are settle and comfortable, the stations are well designed and are easy to understand and use, however the track structure lacks the futuristic edge such system deserves.

Inside the Google self driving car (video)

This video is a part of an ongoing search for new and exiting technologies for the transportation systems of the future. It was taken at Singularity University campus (NASA Ames) during the graduate summer program (GSP) 2012.

 

“The Flying Car is near”

“The Idea of a Flying car is not new; ever since we have developed airplanes and cars, people tried to combine them into one coherent vehicle that will take us from place to place”.

Watch the “Flying Car is near” presentation as presented by Michel David at Singularity university, August 16 2012

Presentation slides in PDF format : The-Flying-car-is-near_Michel-David_003

For more information about the Flying Car research, please check out: http://thecriticaltechnologist.wordpress.com/flying-car/                                                                 or contact : Michel.david@helixator.com