As part of a vision for clearer air in the city center, Amsterdam’s fire department is moving ahead with testing of a plug-in hybrid fire truck. Produced by Austrian firm Rosenbauer, the truck is designed primarily to make use of its electric drivetrain, with a diesel-powered generator also on board should operators need to call on extra firepower. Called the […]
Electric Fire Truck To Hit Streets Of Amsterdam Soon
In Car System Alert Drivers To Sirens
It can certainly be a rattling experience for drivers, when they suddenly realize that the sound of an emergency vehicle’s siren is coming from someplace nearby. Cerence’s EVD system is designed to help, by hearing sirens before drivers do. Standing for Emergency Vehicle Detection, EVD reportedly doesn’t require the installation of any additional hardware within the car. Instead, it utilizes […]
Five Outdoor Tools Into One Device
When most people think of multi-tools, they tend to picture little gadgets that can be stuffed in a pocket. The fact is, though, some tasks require larger implements, and Adventure Mate’s new AM-V2 serves as five of the things. At the heart of the Australian-designed/American-made device is a carbon fiber-reinforced nylon handle with a rubber grip. A two-stage cam-lever locking […]
Predicting Place & Time Of Lighting Strikes
Given how deadly and destructive lightning can be, it would certainly be good to know in advance where and when it was going to strike. A new artificial intelligence-based system could help, utilizing nothing but standard weather-station data. Developed by a team from the Electromagnetic Compatibility Laboratory at Switzerland’s EPFL research institute, the system was “trained” using a database of […]
DryCycle
Although commuting by bicycle certainly is good for one’s self and the environment, there are days when it’s just too wet or too cold. It’s on just such days, though, that the four-wheeled, fully-enclosed, motor-assisted DryCycle is intended to really shine. Designed by British cyclist and entrepreneur Andy Murphy, the DryCycle is officially classified as an Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycle. […]
Coronavirus Explained
As the new year kicked off, a never-before-seen virus began to spread across China. Raised on a steady diet of viral apocalyptic fiction, many in the West quickly jumped on social media to declare the end of the world. So what do we know so far about this mystery virus? And how dangerous is the looming epidemic? What is a […]
Pangaia Sustainable Jacket
Sustainable clothing brand Pangaia has launched its very first puffer jacket series that includes the use of dried flowers instead of traditional or synthetic downs. The Flwrdwn material has taken Pangaia scientists over 10 years to develop and the end result is a vegan, fully biodegradable filling made from natural wildflowers and an aerogel biopolymer. The material also promises to […]
Smart Headphones
Not only do many people walk around with their eyes glued to their smartphones, but a lot of them also wear headphones, making them oblivious to the sound of oncoming cars. With that in mind, scientists are developing headphones that warn their wearers when vehicles are approaching. First of all, there are already microphone-equipped devices that silence third-party headphones whenever […]
Motorised Fins Boosts Surfing
Surfers use up a lot of energy, both paddling out to the lineups where the waves roll in, and then paddling even harder to catch one of those waves. The Boost Surfing Fin is designed to help, by giving users … well, an electric boost. Developed by California-based Boost Surfing, the Fin non-permanently replaces a third-party board’s existing fin. It’s […]
Transparent Roofed Cabin
Italian architects Fabio Vignolo and Francesca Turnaturi have created a tiny housing module that takes four people just two hours to assemble. Dubbed Immerso, the striking transparent-roof cabin measures only 6 square meters (65 sq ft) and is currently being used as a unique glamping experience in the Italian Alps. Located 1,900 m (6,234 ft) above sea level in the […]