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Dr. Walid
I expect that this idea will be developed very soon by many companies.
prabhakar_deosthali
Just to correct some typo errors - It is Right Brothers, and I mean 5 years down ...
Video: Hover car concept lifts off
Sylvie Barak
5/29/2012 2:20 PM EDT
In 2011, Volkswagen launched its "People’s Car" project, soliciting ideas for futuristic visions and concepts that could be made into reality.
With over 119,000 ideas posted, Volkswagen chose three concepts to highlight at the 2012 Beijing Auto Show, including the Music Car, the Hover Car and the Smart Key.
The Music Car concept involves an LED covered Volkswagen Beetle that changes color to match the music selections of the driver, while the zero-emission, two-seater Hover Car levitates above the road and propels itself forward using electromagnetic road networks.
The Smart Key concept caters to the uber-attached, providing them with a nine-millimeter HD touchscreen on the ignition key that monitors the status of the car throughout the day, and keeps tabs on it via satellite transmission.
So far, over 33 million people have visited the People’s Car project website, and Volkswagen is so happy with the response that it is continuing the project, allowing ever more weird and wacky submissions.
Check out the video of the Hover Car below:
With over 119,000 ideas posted, Volkswagen chose three concepts to highlight at the 2012 Beijing Auto Show, including the Music Car, the Hover Car and the Smart Key.
The Music Car concept involves an LED covered Volkswagen Beetle that changes color to match the music selections of the driver, while the zero-emission, two-seater Hover Car levitates above the road and propels itself forward using electromagnetic road networks.
The Smart Key concept caters to the uber-attached, providing them with a nine-millimeter HD touchscreen on the ignition key that monitors the status of the car throughout the day, and keeps tabs on it via satellite transmission.
So far, over 33 million people have visited the People’s Car project website, and Volkswagen is so happy with the response that it is continuing the project, allowing ever more weird and wacky submissions.Check out the video of the Hover Car below:
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Bert22306
5/29/2012 6:17 PM EDT
As cool as it is to see the maglev floating car, I would have been more interested to see the magnetic network deployed on the roads. How does that work? Where is it installed?
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SylvieBarak
5/29/2012 7:44 PM EDT
I actually believe that the demo was computer generated, Bert. For now, it seems to be very much a concept, but it is theoretically possible, and though it would require a massive investment in infrastructure, it's still nice to know that the thought is crossing people's minds.
Also, ever since I first watched Back to the Future as a kid, I've wanted a hoverboard... so maybe this is one step closer to that too :)
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daleste
5/29/2012 10:05 PM EDT
This is a good way to get ideas and think outside the box. Maybe something will come of it.
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agk
5/30/2012 6:56 AM EDT
The video is very interesting and lovely.But it was with one hover craft. if this is with many then it would have been more attractive.Hover craft ideas are there for the past 50 years.But there is not much improvements taken place.If this will come true then we save lot of money on Tyres,suspension repairs.And can travel without bumps.
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R0ckstar
5/31/2012 2:07 PM EDT
I'm not really feeling the future with this one. It would require enormous resources to deploy this concept just in urban environments alone, and does nothing whatsoever to address traffic congestion. Call me when the VTOL flying car arrives. 30 vertical lanes of clear traffic - no potholes, no waiting.
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Bob.Lombardi
6/1/2012 2:36 PM EDT
How could it possibly take less energy to levitate than to roll? The energy to run the maglev coils has to come from somewhere. Sure, rolling friction consumes energy, but so does opposing air resistance. Wouldn't you need energy to maintain stability and not rotate in some random direction?
Not to mention that when it comes time to stop, friction is your friend, not your enemy.
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Bert22306
6/1/2012 3:48 PM EDT
Heh. That's the magic of maglev, at least theoretically.
Imagine starting from way up off the ground, and letting the car drop toward earth. That verical motion is used to generate electricity (e.g. coils on car, powerful magnets on ground).
Now, use the electricity generated by the coils to create an opposing magnetic field, to keep the car floating.
If there's no resistance in the coils, no wasted energy in heat, in theory this should be self sustaining.
Thinking about this in terms of Newtonian physics, if the car is just sitting still and floating, no work is being done, therefore no energy expended. So yeah, it could take less energy to keep it afloat than to move against air friction.
Weird stuff. In practice, however, it doesn't come for free.
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rroy22520
6/6/2012 10:42 AM EDT
So let's just say we deploy a large number of these, what does the Newtonian physics say about the interplay between these vehicles (and the fields that certainly cannot extend downward solely under the vehicle), our underground metal pipes (surely they would be vibrated silly? Like gas pipes or tell me we wouldnt need those anymore?), and electronic devices on the street? Seems to me that the electronic thermal noise would override a lot of our current radios. Would the concept of the street then need another 25 years of construction to embedded a grid system to cover mineral depleted soils?
Very interesting, reminds me of reading Scott Westerfeld's series.....
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selinz
6/11/2012 10:34 AM EDT
Come on ladies and gents. This is entertaining! Of course it's nonsense! I got a good laugh.
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prabhakar_deosthali
8/27/2012 11:36 AM EDT
I think it is not a laughing matter. The technology is viable and like the first flight of right brothers, such concepts look very funny at the beginning but I feel such vehicles can become a serious business may be years down the line
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prabhakar_deosthali
8/27/2012 11:39 AM EDT
Just to correct some typo errors - It is Right Brothers, and I mean 5 years down the line
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Dr. Walid
2/21/2013 11:08 PM EST
I expect that this idea will be developed very soon by many companies.
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