Tag Archives: trains

Dubai Solar-Powered Rail Bus System Will Bring Us a Marvel Once Again

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Dubai, a city known for pushing the boundaries of innovation and technology, is set to redefine its transportation landscape with two groundbreaking projects. The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) in Dubai has recently entered into partnerships with international experts to develop sustainable and futuristic transport solutions. The first memorandum focuses on the development of the Floc Duo Rail system, while the second aims to create a solar-powered rail bus system. These initiatives mark a significant leap forward in Dubai’s commitment to embracing advanced technologies, sustainability, and the future of urban mobility.

Designer: Urban-Mass Company and RAIL BUS Inc.

Over the past 15 years, Dubai has undergone a remarkable transformation, from the inauguration of the iconic Dubai metro in 2009 to the creation of architectural marvels such as the Burj Khalifa and Palm Jumeirah Islands. The UAE has truly made a mark on the map, quite literally with the man-made islands. Dubai has consistently demonstrated a commitment to pushing the boundaries of what is possible, blending luxury with technological advancements. With a conscious focus on sustainability, Dubai has established forums that encourage initiatives aimed at reducing environmental impact.

Floc Duo Rail System:

The Floc Duo Rail system, developed in collaboration with UK-based Urban-Mass Company, is set to revolutionize urban transportation. Comprising driverless, electric-powered pods moving on an elevated track, this innovative system eliminates the need for extensive earthworks, costly tunnels, and large stations. The double-track design enables swift and efficient movement within urban areas, with the added advantage of scalability. The system can be tailored from small local areas to city-wide networks, showcasing its adaptability to various urban environments.

yanko design images to size – Dubai_new_transport_03

Furthermore, the Floc Duo Rail system is characterized by its reliance on solar energy. Equipped with solar panels, the system generates the electricity needed for operation, aligning with Dubai’s commitment to sustainable practices. As a 21st-century mass transit solution, Floc Duo Rail is adaptable to various urban environments, scalable from small local links to extensive city-wide networks. The stations, ranging from ‘bus stops’ to large interchanges, are customized to meet rider demand. Platform lengths are flexible, allowing platoons to break up when entering and exiting stations. The driverless nature of the pods allows for smart-designed capacity adjustments, ensuring energy efficiency by using short units during low peak periods and long units during high peak periods.

Ricky Sandhu, the founder and CEO of Urban.Mass, emphasized the partnership’s significance, stating that it epitomizes the strong commitment of the UK and the UAE to combat climate change. The collaboration is poised to pave the way for sustainable mass transit solutions through innovative technology, reshaping urban mobility in the city.

Solar-Powered Rail Bus System:

In a parallel development, Dubai’s RTA has signed a memorandum with US-based Rail Bus Inc. to develop a solar-powered rail bus system. This system employs small, driverless electric vehicles that run on elevated tracks, emphasizing its lightweight and flexible nature. The adaptability of this system makes it suitable for retrofitting into various environments, offering an environmentally friendly and operationally efficient transportation solution. It’s mostly going to be a smaller size of a metro with an added layer of sustainability.

yanko design images to size – Dubai_new_transport_07

Dubai’s campaign into the future of transportation through the Floc Duo Rail system and the solar-powered rail bus system underscores the city’s commitment to adopting cutting-edge technologies and sustainable practices. As the world watches, Dubai continues to position itself as a pioneer in urban mobility, setting the stage for a greener and technologically advanced future. These initiatives not only enhance the city’s quality of life but also contribute to a global conversation about the possibilities and benefits of embracing innovative and sustainable transportation solutions.

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This hidden train side table is a design and engineering masterpiece

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We’ve seen a few desks and tables with hidden features, but this DIY project takes the cake when it comes to revealing something that you least expect from a side table.

Side tables may have started out as simple, functional pieces of furniture, but they quickly turned into decorative assets in any room. Of course, these smaller tables went through their own minimalism phase before they started to become more multi-functional and expressive. Some side tables still retain their clean forms, using ingenious tricks to hide additional functions until they’re needed. To be fair, this table doesn’t exactly offer any additional useful functionality, but no one will be able to deny how amazing it is to see it transform from useful furniture to intricate movie reference. It’s even more amazing when you find out just how much work was needed to make this seemingly magical dual-purpose table to life.

Designer: Peter Waldraff

We’ve seen our fair share of DIY projects utilizing wood, electronics, or artistic skills, but very few actually required intensive applications of all those. In some cases, much of the work is done by a 3D printer, sometimes even outsourced to a 3D printing service, and some of the woodwork involved in other projects were pretty minimal. In contrast, you can’t help but be awestruck by this particular maker’s persistence and skill in shoving a miniature movie set into a deceptively simple wooden table.

The creator, for example, had to cut no less than 16 wooden rings that were glued together to create the hidden compartment for the model train set. A system of hidden pulleys had to be designed to raise and lower the platform, transforming the table into a moving diorama. Pieces of foam had to be cut, assembled, and painted to create the mountain centerpiece that would serve as the backdrop of the set. That’s also not mentioning yet the tricky wiring and electronics involved, especially to make the moving train trigger railroad bells as if by magic.

The mini train set tries to recreate an iconic scene from the film “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” and it ingeniously uses the underside of the table’s elevated wooden top to play the role of a UFO. LED lights not only give it an otherworldly appearance, it also illuminates the train to make it look more visible. The effect is best observed at night, of course, but the mini train table is mesmerizing any time of the day.

This project won’t win any sustainability awards due to its use of foam and some chemicals, but it would have admittedly been harder to pull off without those. This isn’t the first time this engineer slash electrician slash woodworker has dabbled in hiding model railroads inside tables, but this might be the most enchanting one yet. Watching a seemingly innocuous wooden round table split apart and reveal a mini-train system and alien spacecraft makes for an experience that is truly out of this world.

The post This hidden train side table is a design and engineering masterpiece first appeared on Yanko Design.

Mitsubishi-inspired Shinkansen car imagines high-speed travel of the future

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When talking about futuristic cars, most probably imagine self-driving automobiles that free their drivers to sit back, relax, and connect with other people inside. These visions often involve highways that are so clean and spacious that it’s possible to conveniently and safely cruise roads without bumping into another self-driving car. Given today’s traffic congestion, however, that’s a far too idealistic vision. One concept sticks a bit closer to reality while leaving the doors of possibility wide open, envisioning how cars can travel more quickly using the same technologies that power Japan’s famous bullet trains.

Designer: Timur Dautov

People want to travel fast, but few actually know how to do so safely, especially when it comes to staying on the right lane. Traveling at high speeds on a more or less straight path is something that Japan’s Shinkansen trains have already had mastered for decades. Unsurprisingly, this serves as the seed for this concept of a Shinkansen car that can travel both on regular city roads and on high-speed maglev tracks.

Taking inspiration from both the N700 train that launched into service in 2007 as well as Mitsubishi’s design language, the “Mitsubishi Shinkansen” exhibits a sleek, aerodynamic design that is almost reminiscent of a real bullet. The concept doesn’t exactly show passenger doors, so the design looks unbroken and whole, reducing the possible air friction that will come from seams.

What gives this car concept its dual capabilities are the retractable “fins” along its side that slide out when the car is traveling on a maglev highway. The magnets in these fins help propel the car at high speeds, pretty much like how bullet trains work today. Additionally, the maglev track can also charge the car while en route, thanks to power coils on the car’s belly as well as on the ground, just like today’s wireless charging technologies.

The Mitsubishi Shinkansen offers an interesting and slightly different glimpse of future travel, utilizing tracks that will let cars travel safely at high speeds. At the same time, it also showcases a futuristic car design that embraces Mitsubishi’s design language, like its “dynamic shield” fascia, reinterpreted in a way that would look out of this world when standing beside the carmaker’s current roster. Like a bullet, its form clearly marks it for speed while still maintaining an approachable design that makes it into what the designer calls a “car for the whole family.”

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Siemens Pendulum Seat swings out of the way when trains need more standing room

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Trains are designed to sit commuters comfortably, or at least in theory. In many cases, however, it might be more efficient to have everyone just stand, and this concept makes it possible for the same train to do both.

As the world tries to return to normal, mass transportation services are once again becoming crowded. In many countries, trains of all kinds are seen as the most efficient way to move the biggest number of people, but their designs are mostly stuck in the past when it comes to seating accommodations. In trying to accommodate both sitting and standing passengers, trains actually fail at serving both at the best of their capacity. That is unless they try to implement Siemen’s idea.

Designer: Siemens

Image Courtesy of Red Dot

Despite its name, the Pendulum Seat doesn’t swing back and forth freely or loosely. It is, instead, more like the pendulum of a metronome that can be locked at fixed positions. A single seat is actually made up of two seats whose backrests can either fold up or swivel down to form an atypical sitting position.

The idea here is to have the same train change its sitting or standing capacity at any given time. If there aren’t that many passengers onboard, like during off-peak hours, the Pendulum Seat can be used as a conventional seat with ample legroom for commuters. During rush hours, however, the backrests can go completely vertical to provide more room for people to stand.

All of these can be controlled by the train driver to adjust the configuration with the push of a button. There is even a configuration where backrests can alternate their positions, creating an odd seating arrangement. In its vertically folded form, the backrests can even be used as support for standing passengers to lean against.

The idea is definitely novel and interesting, which is why Siemens bagged a few awards for its design. That said, the design itself might not look that comfortable, especially as a chair where you will be parking your bum on what is practically a padded cylinder. This design seems to be more focused on getting as many people around as possible rather than on providing comfort during the travel time. Then again, there is probably nothing more uncomfortable than having to fight for space on a crowded train made more cramped by unyielding seats.

Images Courtesy of iF Design

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In the face of COVID-19, one hyperloop company is making friends

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Two companies looking to build a hyperloop transport system are taking very different approaches. In the US, Virgin Hyperloop is working hard to develop its technology almost entirely under its own power, while in Europe, its major rival, Hyperloop T...

MTA spends $1 million to test disinfecting NYC subways with UV light

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Early next week, the MTA will begin disinfecting subways and buses using ultraviolet light in an attempt to curb the spread of COVID-19. The pilot program will test small UV light devices developed by the Colorado-based startup Puro Lighting. If all...

Railroad Crossing Standing Bank

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All aboard the savings train with the Standing Railroad Bank. Modeled after a railroad crossing caution signal, this bank stands almost 54 inches tall which should give kids (or train-loving adults!) plenty of room to hold enough coins to buy a railroad… or at least a train ticket or two.

The bank not only saves coins, it also lights up with flashing red lights. Is that the sound of a coin clinking at the bottom of the savings tube? Nope! That’s the sound of a passing train- this bank recreates train sounds too. Put this next to your model railroad setup as a donation box (so you can buy more model trains?) or gift it to the thrifty train loving kid on your list.

Railroad Crossing Standing Bank
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