Paolo Robuffo Giordano and his colleagues at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, in Tübingen, Germany have developed a giant robotic arm that is basically a full motion F1 race car simulator. Subjects sit in a cabin on a robotic arm about 2 meters off the ground and drive a Ferrari F2007 car around a projected F1 track with force-feedback steering wheel and pedals. The robot arm is a Robocoaster, a modified six-axis Kuka KR 500 that can lift up to 500 kg. It’s usually found in amusement parks and normally does not allow users any control. Giordano and his collaborators want to use it to study how we perceive motion. “A motion simulation system is a fundamental tool to understand how humans experience the sensation of motion.” “By running suitable experiments, one can gain better insights into the cognitive processes of the human brain.” Video after the break. via BLDGBLOG and IEEE Spectrum
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There are some fascinating design shifts happening at Mercedes-Benz, from the design studio in Sindelfingen to Como to Tokyo to Carlsbad, the hunt is on for “Perfect Aesthetics” and in doing so, they are aggressively pushing their designs to be more fresh, young, emotional, and sexy. A big part of this is the fight to create more artistic explorations through sculpture to push abstract concepts. The idea of art being key to Mercedes-Benz design strategies as well as a beautiful way to tease designs earlier in the year is intriguing. Here are some studies from Karim Habib’s team exploring lightweight forms to play with strength, perspective, and transparency, the results resemble polygons, honeycombs, string art, and woven chaos. via notcot
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Tiger-Stone is a Dutch made paving machine that uses gravity and an electric motor to print stone and brick roads. It’s a six meter wide machine that is capable of laying 300 square meters of road a day. The printing width is adjustable from the width of a road to as narrow as a bike lane or walkway. There are no moving parts within the machine, it simply uses a shelf that is fed bricks and they are automatically sorted and packed together by gravity, each stone will associate with the link previously made. There is a quiet electric motor that moves the machine along a bed of sand creating consistent results with a simply operated paver. via Tiger-Stone
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Extracting maximum driving pleasure from every drop of fuel is the aim of EfficientDynamics. With an array of intelligent technologies, it is able to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions while simultaneously enhancing your vehicle’s dynamic performance.
The array of leading-edge technologies that are part of the EfficientDynamics philosophy are as diverse as they are innovative. From new fuel combustion technologies to lighter construction materials, low-friction components and improved aerodynamics all the way to comprehensive and highly sophisticated energy management. However, the aim of each of these innovations is the same: to deliver maximum driving pleasure from a minimum of fuel.
via dontblogaboutthis
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Ultimate Factories on the National Geographic Channel is back, once again delivering an in-depth look at what goes into the production of some of the world’s top automobiles.
What does it take to craft the new Audi R8, a revolutionary road car that rockets to 60 mph in 3.8 seconds and rivals the likes of Porsche and Lamborghini? We’ll head to the state-of-the-art Audi R8 factory in Neckarsulm, Germany, to see how the car’s ultralight aluminum frame and high-tech fuel injection system are meticulously hand-built. In total, it takes more than a week and 120 of Audi’s most experienced workers to produce one Audi R8. via National Geographic
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