Designer Bradford Waugh has certainly thought out of the box with his new bicycle called Nulla. Nulla, the Italian word for nothing, is a minimalist bicycle concept. Waugh named it that way for lack of central hubs or chain-drive, giving it a very minimal visual weight. Ditch that fancy car and buy a stylish bicycle, is what you will say once you have this one with you. With such a clean, simple and sleek look, this bicycle is surely going to change your mind whether to buy a car, or bike or bicycle. This futuristic bicycle provides deep coverage, good appearance and comfort perfect for riding and skating. However, it is not sure whether you will technically be able to ride this bike since the load experienced between the wheels and the frame may be too great.

What is clear, however, is that it has a futuristic appeal that would look great in conjunction with the hugely successful British Olympic Cycling Team.

(Click on the images to see a larger view)

Vehicle design at the Royal College of Art has a global reputation for nurturing up-and-coming car designers, boasting an alumni that reads like the who’s who of the car design world.

It includes highly influential figures like Peter Horbury who turned Volvo around, and the maverick designer of Ford of Europe, Martin Smith, as well as Jaguar design chief, Ian Callum. Other graduates include the original Audi TT designer and current head of Kia design, Peter Schreyer and Aston Martin’s design director Marek Reichman.

Competing for the 2008 Pilkington Automotive Vehicle Design Award, the Phoenix concept eco-car is a fresh take on eco-design by the Spaniard Sergio Loureiro Da Silva.

Sergio Loureiro Da Silva wants to regenerate lost energy through movement. The Spanish designer explains: It’s about improving sustainability by designing every element to aspire to less energy consumption. His Pheonix concept car aims for a similar driving sensation as riding a motorbike with a sidecar. Da Silva has also incorporated the technical elements in the design. The beauty of a vehicle comes from the contrast of a fluid shape with precise technical elements, he says.

(Article source IPC wallpaper.com web site)

Lotus have developed a Concept Ice Vehicle (CIV) — a cross between a skidoo and a microlight — to aid research for the Moon Regan Trans-Antarctic Expedition.

The Moon-Regan expedition team will cross the great continent using state-of-the-art bio-fuelled vehicle technology and cutting-edge communications equipment to raise awareness of how Antarctica’s fate affects the whole environment.

With education as its focus, the Moon-Regan team hope to bring global environmental issues into homes, boardrooms and classrooms around the world. The explorers will carry out a series of scientific experiments to highlight the environmental issues; live web feeds will chart their daily challenges and achievements, and an educational film will be made of the expedition.

The biofuel powered, propeller-driven trike on skids is 4.5 meters long and 4.5 meters wide with an independent suspension all around. It also has an ice penetrating radar to detect crevasses and is light enough for a man to pull it across difficult terrain, which basically makes it an Elise for explorers. It also appears to have a spiked “foot” under the cockpit, perhaps for stopping on icy terrain.

(Click on the images to see a larger view)

Bio Fuel

The expedition will be using biofuel to see if it can be a genuine alternative to fossil fuels – even in the extreme environment of the Antarctic.

Biofuels can be made from vegetable oil, animal fat or fish oils. They produce no carbon dioxide and burn more cleanly and efficiently than fossil fuels. The main issue now is to find ways to produce biofuels in a sustainable manner – there’s no point destroying forests in order to grow biofuel crops. Recycling and using by-products from local food manufacturers are just two ways in which biofuels can be environmentally friendly. Research and technology needs to focus on finding other sustainable ways to produce biofuels.

Specifications

• Suspension: all-round independent suspension to cope with the sastrugi
• Engine: Supercharged BMW 1150 engine adapted to run on E85 bio-ethenol
• Size: 4.5m long x 4.5m wide
• Weight: 360kg
• Radar: Ice Penetrating Radar (IPR) unit detects hidden crevasses
• Top Speed: 84mph

More Info

More information can be found on the expedition website, including information on the other vehicles to be used.

It was Segway that brought us those interesting, two-wheeled moving platforms that were dubbed the future, but never really caught on, except in sci-fi films. Those two-wheeled contraptions that were impossible to fall off, unless of course your name is George W. Bush (but then he did nearly choke on a pretzle so what do you expect!). Anyway, back to the Centaur. A cross between a bicycle and a 4×4 vehicle, the Segway Centaur Concept can carry one or two people at speeds of up to a megre 20mph. Like its predecessor, the i2 Personal Transporter, riding it is supposed to be just as simple. Lean forward and you move forward, lean back and you slow down. Only now there are four wheels so you can’t really fall off (queue George W.).

Unfortunately it is still just a concept, but here is an image to wet your appetite:

According to Segway…

“The Concept Centaur combines proprietary dynamic stabilization technology with advanced propulsion and suspension systems, and an intuitive user interface to create a unique four-wheel device that is easily controllable on two or four wheels. Its full suspension and aggressive rider positioning provide an exhilarating ride for one or two people while maintaining control over a variety of terrain. Its rugged performance, zero emissions, and quiet operation make it a good low-impact way to explore the world. Its power and versatility make it suitable for a variety of indoor and outdoor recreational and commercial applications.”

You can find more of the corporate speak on the Segway website: http://www.segway.com/products/centaur/