Life is fun

Here's the world's fastest air powered bicycle. A research project by Japanese students in automotive engineering. Not sure the world has exactly been waiting for something like this, but... life is fun

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20210305/p2a/00m/0sc/020000c

*like*

"..there are high hurdles to overcome before the bike can be put to practical use.."

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  8)

"The bicycle is an environment-friendly machine that emits no carbon dioxide because it does not consume gasoline."
As if compressed air grew on trees, already packed in canisters.  8)

it's high-school students, so we can forgive them for that. I consider it good old-fashioned tech-fun..

Yeah, it's about learning for those kids, I guess, take something, analyze and improve. And it has been officially certified by Guinness World Records as the "fastest compressed air powered bicycle" on our planet. So hat off, useful or not as is. But dammit, look at that thing, the opposite of Easy Rider or Air Punk in the 21st, clunky and straight outa hell -- or was that into hell ? Anyway,  I really want to ride that thing  ;D  ...though definitely not in its slipstream

Don't tell them but the ancients (French) stole their idea in 2004

Of course the hard part is how much energy can you hold in your air tank... hard to compete with gasoline for energy density.

I still think the magic solution for vehicles is to energize the roadway, so EVs don't need heavy batteries.

https://newatlas.com/french-auto-runs-on-compressed-air-technology/3523/

JR

I still think the magic solution for vehicles is to energize the roadway

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As in maglev (magnetic levitation) ? I took the Shanghai Maglev around 2008 or so with speed of over 400km/h. Quite impressive and a bit like a smooth flight. Shanghai Maglev has been a money pit though, as far as I know.

I think I read about the idea of automated motorways for the first time in the early(?) 1990s, with cars being guided intelligently along motorways like on an automated parcel (mail) or suitcase (airport) conveyor belt system. Cars need to be hybrids for this cos as soon as a driver enters the 'motorway', the driver can lean back as the 'road' does all the work. No more stop and go, no more risky overtaking, no more hard breaking, no more drivers falling asleep on the wheel, no more accidents. Instant criticism back then was that this would take all the fun out of driving -- as if driving on motorways had ever been fun  :

Script said:

As in maglev (magnetic levitation) ? I took the Shanghai Maglev around 2008 or so with speed of over 400km/h. Quite impressive and a bit like a smooth flight. Shanghai Maglev has been a money pit though, as far as I know.

Click to expand...

maglev is addressing a different problem IIRC (friction?)

I think I read about the idea of automated motorways for the first time in the early(?) 1990s, with cars being guided intelligently along motorways like on an automated parcel (mail) or suitcase (airport) conveyor belt system. Cars need to be hybrids for this cos as soon as a driver enters the 'motorway', the driver can lean back as the 'road' does all the work. No more stop and go, no more risky overtaking, no more hard breaking, no more drivers falling asleep on the wheel, no more accidents. Instant criticism back then was that this would take all the fun out of driving -- as if driving on motorways had ever been fun  :

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Not "automated" roadways, but energized roads... similar in concept to subways that get power from the rails, or trolleys/cable cars with overhead wires...

An EV could be much lighter and efficient without hundreds (?) of pounds of batteries.

I think I shared a story here recently about projects in a few cities (maybe paris?, or israel), but they were mainly focussed on large vehicles like buses for public transportation. Setting up the infrastructure to deliver power to the roadways is way beyond building out charging stations.

I want an EV motorcycle to use on energized roads. I bet that would have some (eyeballs in) scoot.

JR

Looks like a 25 or 50 cc chicken chaser I.C. engine powering the compressor though,
Worlds first fart powered bicycle ? clean mean n green, bound to leave skid marks though  ;D