Pretty Cool Things

Artist Joshua Callaghan has created a series of public art projects in Los Angeles, in which he places digitally printed adhesive vinyl on urban eyesores, such as electrical boxes. The graphics depict the scene that’s hidden behind the object, effectively “cloaking” the subject. The vinyl is permanently affixed and coated with a special chemical to prevent the occurrence of another urban eyesore, graffiti.

Like something out of the Jetsons, the Japanese firm, Gen Corporation, has unveiled a 75kg helicopter, the GEN H-4. It has a set of two rotors and can fly at a max speed of 50 kilometres per hour.

Its Japanese developer, Gennai Yanagisawa, 75, is planning to take his invention to the Italian city of Vinci, the birthplace of Leonardo da Vinci, to honor the Italian artist and inventor, who had drawn up plans for several flying machines, including a helicopter and a light hang glider, several hundred years ahead of his time.

Abdolhadi Mirhejazi, a Dubai based inventor, wanted to come up with something truly innovative, a 100% green vehicle. The result was the Naturmobil, a one horsepower vehicle, that literally, runs on horsepower. Unlike traditional horse-drawn carriages, this horse rides inside, behind the driver, shielded by an all-weather canopy. It’s built out of lightweight polycarbonate materials and has a complex gearing system that allows for speeds up to 80 km/h, with average cruising speeds around a more humane 20 km/h. The horse trots on a fibreglass treadmill, generating enough power to propel the 300 kg vehicle, which rides on six motorcycle wheels. The excess power generated is stored in a battery pack, which powers the electrical systems, and lights. When the horse gets tired, sensors pick up its increased heart rate and body temperature, shut down the treadmill, and power the vehicle by the battery pack for up to 20 minutes before the power starts to run out. No word on the degree of inevitable stench of a cooped up horse, although a waste bin is provided for to gather up its poop while on the road. In a world of petro-conflicts, oil shortages, and skyrocketing gasoline prices, this isn’t as absurdly humorous as it might have seemed a few years ago.

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The classic human powered pedal boat has become old and boring, so what better way to spice it up than come up with a solar/human powered boat concept? The idea is to create a 4-person pedal boat with solar panels mounted on top of an umbrella to charge a battery pack, which then supplies an electric motor concealed within the umbrella tower. If you get tired of pedaling, just lift up the umbrella and the motor kicks in. Whether pedal or hybrid mode (pedaling – electric), the bracket is connected to a shaft leading to two propellers at the bow of the boat. The two bars connected to the rudder are located in facing back of the bench. Incidentally, they also serve as armrests. Now all they need to build into the design is a beer cooler.

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