Sunday, August 5, 2012

Things Cars Will Do in the Future (Besides Fly)

9 Things Cars Will Do in the Future (Besides Fly)

by AUTOINSURANCEQUOTES.ORG STAFF WRITER on AUGUST 3, 2012

The flying car is the uninvented invention by which we measure current innovations in science and engineering. You probably have thought to yourself, “Solar power? Great! But where’s my flying car?” “Free streaming music no matter where I am, using whatever electronic device I happen to have in front of me? Neat! But where are the flying cars? It’s 2012, and I want my flying car!” In lieu of an article announcing the arrival of an airborne automobile, the scientists and engineers here at autoinsurancequotes.org have brainstormed to present to those of you who dream about cars that fly, nine things that cars will actually do in the not-so-distant future. We hope the following list brings you some comfort.

Levitate:

Volkswagen recently hosted a contest called the People’s Car Project, where Internet users in China were asked to propose their most outlandish ideas for a car of the future. Before flying, a car first must get off the ground. And if you’re going to levitate, who needs wheels? A car that hovers using the country’s electromagnetic road networks is one of three winning proposals that were selected to be presented as a (computer-animated) concept at the 2012 Beijing auto show. What’s kind of cool is that the computer-animated video stars the parents of the young girl who submitted the hover car proposal.
Change color depending on the music you’re listening to:

Sure you might catch someone’s eye with a slick paint job, but what if your car changed color while you drove? In the future, cars will be encased in light-emitting diode (LED) lights that change colors depending on whatever music you’re banging inside. Imagine how much more fun creating a playlist for driving is going to be! Program “Mood Indigo” followed by “Yellow Submarine” followed by “Pretty in Pink.” Oh, the possibilities for color combinations are endless!
Keep track of themselves:

This is another proposal selected by the folks at Volkswagen for their “People’s Car Project,” a car key with a touch screen that, thanks to a satellite transmission, shows you the status and location of your car. Very helpful if you like to park in neighborhoods with a high rate of car break-ins, or if you just like the idea of whipping out your keys to show someone a real-time image of your car.
Drive themselves:

The geniuses at Google have developed a self-driving car, and it just recently passed its driver’s license test in Nevada. Google is currently testing the car on public roads in that state. The self-driving car has great potential to help people who are physically challenged to get around on their own, safely and efficiently. But Google better step it up; Nevada says several other companies are looking to test their own self-driving cars on public roads as well.
Run on supercapacitors made from eggshells:

Batteries that power electric cars tend to run out of juice quickly. A group of Canadian scientists have discovered that eggshell membranes can be used in place of traditional batteries and capacitors to hold and store much larger charges of electricity and distribute the charge flow more efficiently. Eggshells as supercapacitors may one day be used in cell phones and laptops as well.
Have 100% biodegradable interiors:

Biodegradable materials, as you may or may not know, can be absorbed into the environment without damaging nature. Ford and other car makers have begun incorporating wheat straw, soy products, and other natural materials into car parts, with the ultimate goal being to create a car with a 100% biodegradable interior. Coconut husks, carrots, and corn-based plastics are other materials that scientists are considering as materials for your headrest, seat cushion, or glove compartment.
Fold up for easy parking:

We may not get to a point where when you reach your destination, instead of looking for a parking space, you just fold up your car and stick it in your briefcase. But we can dream, right? Boston’s MIT-Media lab, in collaboration with several Basque firms, had developed a two-seat, electric car that folds up like a child’s stroller. The car’s four wheels all turn at right angles, to allow for parking in tight spaces.
Grown from seeds:

Mercedes-Benz took car concepts to the absolute limit with this one: a car that grows out of a seed through proprietary DNA, develops organically into a material called BioFibre, and stores and uses solar power to run. The conceptualized car is called the Biome, a “symbiosis vehicle,” and in addition to being as strong structurally as steel, it releases oxygen into the environment, offsetting carbon emissions much like a plant, which it is, except you can drive it! Freaky.
Powered by the sun:

And speaking of the solar power, no less amazing than a car you grow in a plant nursery is a car that runs thanks to the sun and decent weather. So long as you don’t mind driving everywhere at around 40 to 60 mph, and stopping frequently to recharge your electric battery, you’ll be more than happy with what would be a typical, solar-powered-only car. More realistically, cars that combine solar energy with other resources are on the horizon. We want a lot of things, including flying cars, but physics and Mother Nature can sometimes get in the way of our fantasies.