81mph human powered

This site has some great footage of attempts at the bicycle speed record.
http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/news/2007/03/bikerecord_0330

Electronic towbars

Hi guys. I just checked and yes, there are already electronic towbars in development. They use infrared signals along with a "Lane Keeping System" and""Cruise Control". Distance between vehicles is longer than I was imagining (6-12m) but they are using trucks so... they also use them in series called ""Platooning".

It's called the "Chauffeur 2" project. An overview is at

http://www.itsforum.gr.jp/Public/E4Meetings/P01/fremont5_2_2.pdf

Oren

Designprice INTERMOT Cologne 2006

here is the link to the designprice:

INTERMOT / IVM Designwettbewerb 2006 “Fashion Motorcycles, Urban Scooters and their modern surroundings”

I found this article the other day which has some interesting points in it.
http://www.brookings.edu/comm/policybriefs/pb128.htm

I also found this, which is another idea for small 1-2 person car type vehicles
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3610083.stm

chris

sites

This pdf a good research doc. describing the implications of transportation on the ecological footprint of a city.
http://nzsses.auckland.ac.nz/conference/2007/papers/KARLIK-NEALE-sustainable%20transport.pdf

This link for some weird small cars
http://www.electric-bikes.com/one-cars.htm

This vehicle from volvo attempting to shake the safest car in the world association, this looks scary but cool
http://www.diseno-art.com/encyclopedia/strange_vehicles/volvo_gravity_car.html

3 point carving vehicles

I also found this. Is human propelled but works on the whole three point carving / camber idea

TRIKKE

http://www.trikke.com/

Cyclist Wattage

For Your Information

The average "in-shape" cyclist can produce about 3 watts/kg for more than an hour (e.g., around 200 watts for a 70 kg rider), with top amateurs producing 5 watts/kg and elite athletes achieving 6 watts/kg for similar lengths of time. Elite track sprint cyclists are able to attain an instantaneous maximum output of around 2,000 watts, or in excess of 25 watts/kg; elite road cyclists may produce 1,600 to 1,700 watts as an instantaneous maximum in their burst to the finish line at the end of a five-hour long road race