Renault Z.E.—La Vie Electrique

/FRONT/RENAULT/media/flash/video.swf

via renault-ze.com

Ad for a 3-model line-up of electric cars from Renault states,

“You’ve already embraced electrical for many things, so why not for travel as well? Renault Z.E.: 100% Electric. 0% Emissions.”

Retro-fitting props with mechanical gears and exhaust pipes, the ad seems to borrow from elements of steampunk to highlight the pervasiveness of electrical tools in our daily lives, while setting up a contrasting “clean finish” for the zero-emissions car line.

Fuseproject: The Perfect Bike Design for Hauling

via fastcodesign.com

Looks like a promising bike design for carrying most everyday objects.

Slide To The Train — The Pop-Up City

http://s.nos.nl/swf/embed/nos_video_embed.swf?tcmid=tcm-5-1001356

via popupcity.net

Brilliant. Isn’t everyone always in a hurry to catch the train? What better way to address this than by the simple addition of an architectural feature along the staircase—the slide? A great example of simple design solutions with great benefit.

The Hoverbike

via uncrate.com

An ultralight, hoovering craft with an open seat like a motorcycle, the Hoverbike can go 100 miles per fuel fill and hover at 10,000 feet. That’s one way to make the urban ground more pedestrian-friendly.

Métronomie—A Modular Subway Concept

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Perceiving the subway ride as something that should be enjoyable, Yves Lombardet created this concept that is not only gorgeous, but that breaks the monotony of repetition in public transportation: by incorporating a modular approach, this subway can vary themes and spatial arrangements from car to car.

If such a design were widely implemented in public transportation, perhaps more travellers would be encouraged to leave their private vehicles behind for daily commutes.

 

 

Luxury Bus Ride, in Private Cocoons

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A bus designed for privacy: Willer Express, a Japanese bus running from Osaka to Tokyo, provides extensive privacy and comfort in these cocoons designed to envelop each passanger in a near-bubble. Reclining seats, individual lighting control and individual entertainment are some of the cocoon features—allowing room for only 12 lucky passengers.

Robots with Racquets

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In a Zurich lab, at the Institute for Dynamic Systems and Control, elegantly-mobile robotic mini-choppers are developed for exquisite range of motion and response. The “quadrotors”are made to engage in bouncing balls, perform synchronized dances, balance poles, and play piano. Other research at IDSC includes the development of robots capable of learning tasks and developing response via practice, much like in human learning.

Woody by Vanhulsteijn – VLAMBOYANT

via vlamboyant.com

A gorgeous bicycle design from Vanhulsteijn.

Incredible Yacht Concepts Fly, Expand and Submerge

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This visionary series of luxury powerboat and motoryachts concepts incorporates every possible flexibility of transportation into a sleek, elegant line. Fly above the surface, submerge beneath, or raise the top to expand deck space in category-breaking luxury speed and style. The Cruiser Series are conceptual designs by Phil Pauley.

Concept for a Critter Bridge

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Inexpensive wooden bridges covered with native vegetation, as proposed by landscape design firm Balmori Associates, if implemented, could reduce the number of U.S. car-animal collisions and their cleanup cost of $US 8 billion annually.