Sea snake off the European coast

"What on earth is that?" was the first thought when reading this headline. Then enthusiasm increased: This monster uses the power of the waves to generate energy, off the coast of Portugal. Operation should have already started at the end of 2007 but even three years later the water snake is causing sensation. 140 m long, the plant is three kilometres off the coast of Agucadouras in the north of Portugal and can supply power seven days a week, 24 hours a day; each of the currently three generators supplies an average of 750 kW.



Interested?

http://www.pelamiswave.com/

Electric cars handmade

There are some companies concentrating wholeheartedly on drawing up electric cars. For example Mia-Electric: The Essen company, founded by pharma entrepreneur Edwin Kohl and the energy experts from Conenergy AG, perform magic with clever, electric car mobiles in the design of the former VW top designer Murat Günak. Costs: almost € 20,000.



Or the company e.Wolf based in Cologne: they launch quite a bunch of current-driven cars - among them a small car with lithium ceramics battery for € 36,900.

Whether the e-cars can gain ground at such prices, remains to be seen. But does that mean that the ambitious young entrepreneurs are only dreaming? Rather not because who would leave a safe position at groups such as BMW, Bosch or Microsoft if he is not sure of being successful.

Furthermore the start-ups with flexible structures, powerful networks and short decision-making channels react in a different way and can implement their ideas. "We do not see any competition within the automotive industry", says Klostermann in self-confidence. "Because their electronic-car studies are very much directed towards the conventional car."



http://www.mia-electric.com/en/home/

http://www.ewolf-car.com/

Panther becomes a Hollywood star

It has been a secret for a long time but now there is no more denying: The Rosenbauer Panther becomes a Hollywood star at the sentinel prime.

For more information go to:

http://www.tfw2005.com/~transformers-news

BOmobil

At Bochum the traffic goes green...

More than 10,000 employees in the automotive industry turn this city in the Ruhr region into one of the automotive locations in Germany. Industrial partners from the region Bochum - Bergisches Land participate in the development of the e-mobile which is to be used by companies as a van. It is planned to start with a small series of 50 to100 vehicles with a range of 150 km and Opel technology.

Among the participants is the university Bochum where the institute for electronic mobility deals with this project, the car manufacturer Opel and the Bochum initiative ruhrmobil-E. The project is supported by the Ministry of Commerce of North-Rhine Westphalia providing three million euros; another two million are contributed by industrial partners involved.

Using the BOmobil two people and max. 400 kg can jet through Bochum at a speed of up to 129 km/h for 150 kilometres.


Image source: University Bochum

More details:

http://www.jewo.de/en/~elektroauto

Energy via an "air carousel"

The start-up Makani Power generates current from a giant air carousel of kites. Its fully automated version of the kite should be installed by energy suppliers as a wind farm. Simple reason: "Our system pays as a large wind farm and not as a single plant for a community", says the founder.

Google has confidence in this idea and has already invested 20 million dollars in the start-up - as a part of its "RE - C" program which has an ambitious goal: Current is to be generated much more cheaply from renewable energy sources than from coal. The American government also sees potential in the new technology and has supported the project by funding three million dollars. Now Makani Power wants to raise another 25 million dollars to develop its megawatt kite to market maturity.



The company plan sounds interesting:

„Makani Power is developing Airborne Wind Turbines (AWT) to extract energy from powerful, consistent winds at altitude. Makani AWTs will produce energy at an unsubsidized real cost competitive with coal-fired power plants, the current benchmark of the lowest cost source of power.

This website highlights the rigorous small-scale testing program Makani has undertaken to demonstrate core functionality and validate performance expectations for the M1, Makani’s first utility-scale 1 MW system.”

http://www.makanipower.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jp1Bs1H6eg

Robots learn to have feelings

What improves nonverbal communication between virtual agents and humans?

This question is studied by the psychology professor Nicole Krämer.

The scientist's approach is interesting: "The purpose of these agents is to facilitate interaction with a human being and it is not at all sure that implemented emotions are of any advantage. In my opinion the concept of the "theory of mind" should be implemented instead.



For about 15 years scientists all over the world have been trying to make human emotions a part of IT within the framework of "affective computing". Krämer, professor of social psychology at the university Duisburg-Essen studies the nonverbal behaviour of virtual agents. In an interview she talks about the measurability of emotions and the difficult balancing act between scientific accuracy and useful applications.

More information:
http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=1794529

Young innovative ideas

Children make adults look young/immature...

The young inventor Till Opitz from Glücksburg has won the German solar mobile competition based on his inventiveness and except for soldering he has made everything on his own. It is amazing and at the same time thrilling: his solar mobile is a construction of balsa and styrofoam weighing 140 g and even adults ask if they could simply build something like that. From moving bridge constructions and waste sculptures to solar-driven Viking boats - this competition does not set any limits to one's imagination.



More details (sorry, only in German):

http://www.solarmobil-deutschland.de

At the service of nature

On hilly terrain, in winding waterways, in muddy swamps – “Chico Mendes” feels at home in even the most inhospitable surroundings. Standing 1.20 metres tall, with four agile motor driven legs and outstanding analytical skills, he is perfectly equipped to cope with life in the Amazon’s 370 square kilometre rain forest.



No, this is not an exotic animal, but the latest environmental robot belonging to the Brazilian energy firm Petrobras. The robot was developed with the help of the latest submarine and drive technology in a joint project between the sociological research institution Piatam (Potential Impacts and Environmental Risks of the Petroleum and Gas Industry in the Amazon), the Brazilian state university and Petrobras.



In developing “Chico Mendes”, particular attention was paid to making the hybrid robot adapt to the rainforest landscape as much as possible, minimizing any damage to the very nature it is supposed to be protecting. Easier said than done: Such specifications posed a particularly difficult challenge in drive technology terms. “Chico Mendes” has to battle through mud, water and swamps with the help of the Swiss electric DC microdrives and minimotors. This involves eight of Maxon motor’s DC motors which, with an exceptionally long service life, deliver a high performance in a tiny space.



Apart from the above characteristics, their low energy consumption is another important reason why they were chosen for the Piatam project. Therefore the decision was made to use DC engines from Maxon Motor. The environmental robots are driven by solar power in an initial phase. With an efficiency of over 90%, Maxon’s motors are ideally suited to this type of application.

»»» http://www.piatam.locaweb.com.br

»»» http://www.maxonmotor.co.uk

Energy ideas from the university

Driving without batteries - impossible?

It does not get its power from the batteries but from electric conducting paths laid in the floor of the vehicle. May I introduce myself? The "E-Quickie", the result of a cooperation of 40 bachelor students of mechanical engineering and mechatronics and the international master program mechatronics and micro-mechatronic systems at the university of Karlsruhe.


Image source: University of Karlsruhe, Germany

At first glance the marvel weighing just 60 kg reminds of a recumbent bike with a driver’s cabin - not exactly futuristic since its design would better fit the 50ies. It gets its energy from electric conducting paths on the ground with receivers underneath the car taking energy from the tracks through electric induction and directing it to the car’s electrical hub drive.

Purpose of the project: to show how to move forward in an energy-efficient way.

So it is possible without batteries but not without some kind of auxiliary means.


Image source: University of Karlsruhe, Germany

Further information:
http://www.gizmag.com/~e-quickie

Circumnavigating the world powered only by the sun

31 meters long, 15 meters wide, weighing 85 tonnes and almost the entire deck with photovoltaic modules – these are the dimensions that want to sail around the world.



Already in the 80ies the Swiss entrepreneur Raphaël Domjan dreamt of circumnavigating the world with a minimum of energy. In 2011 this dream will now come true and the catamaran Turanor Planet Solar will set sail.

160 days and 50,000 kilometres need to be mastered. Only four stopovers are planned: in New York, San Francisco, Singapore and Dubai. And they do not have the aim to have damages repaired or man and technology to get a rest: No, the broad public is to be made aware of the reliability and performance of renewable energies and technologies.

But why would you do such a thing?

Domjan and his team want to prove "that we can really change something, that there are solutions and it is not too late, yet.", says Domjan.

More details and impressions:

http://www.planetsolar.org/