Filed under: Emerging Technologies, Transportation Alternatives, On Two Wheels
It's Friday: magnetic levitation helps create the first human powered tractor trailer
Ben on MySpace has video of the first human powered tractor trailer. According to the video (which you can watch below the fold), the trailer was taken on route 130 in New Jersey .... and the cops pulled them over. What possible reason could the police have had to pull them over? Anyway, the video says the police did not understand how a "bike" could pull a 6,000 pound trailer but I think it has something to do with the "Ground Surface Magnetic Levitation" mentioned at the website. AutoblogGreen writes a lot about green automotive solutions from the big three and well funded start ups but, hey, it's Friday! Let us consider the possibility that Ben from New Jersey may have solved all our transportation problems. We'd be a lot more convinced if the video showed the trailer actually moving.
[Source: MySpaceTV]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Adrian 3:18PM (3/14/2008)
Hey just stopping by to get my dose of green info. Always good stuff here! I am trying to compile a list of stuff I can do to reduce my carbon emissions. MTV had a commercial about it, and got me interested. I have been to www.earthlab.com and they have a ton of tips but I was mostly impressed by their page where they have their users send in tips: http://www.earthlab.com/life/tips.aspx Does anyone else know of other data bases that I can find these types of small things that lower my emissions? EPA or WWF maybe?
Thanks for all your info and drop me a link if you guys see anything worth my time.
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Gary 3:56PM (3/14/2008)
I want those 5 minutes of my life back. Some yahoo with a can of spray paint and some cardboard makes a model, slaps some tech pictures from 1970 on a website, writes some BS and ABG is giving them screen time? Please... I expected better from you guys.
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ug 4:06PM (3/14/2008)
Another slow day at Autobloggreen. When's the next post about perpetual motion machines or more EV concepts that are nothing but really bad CGI made by somebody still living in his mom's basement?
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KarenRei 4:27PM (3/14/2008)
Lascelles, please, cut with the pseudoscience. You're making me want to leave AutoblogGreen and never come back.
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Lascelles Linton 5:53PM (3/14/2008)
Okay, I will try to find something with some backing in science next time. I thought it was pretty funny though, if it worked or not. Can you imagine that thing on the highway :D There are other videos of some kind of bike/car too, not just the human powered trailer.
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murray 5:55PM (3/14/2008)
That is one funny looking vee-hick-al.
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Chris M 6:16PM (3/14/2008)
Theoretically, if we could eliminate friction, have a sophisticated gearing system and run on a level road, human power alone could move a cargo container load, and even get it up to freeway speeds, though acceleration would be very slow. Unfortunately, we can't eliminate friction. The "truck" they showed still has tires, thus rolling resistance, and had plenty of aerodynamic drag, though it is much smaller than the standard size trailers in the background. Worse, even greatly reduced friction won't help in hauling a heavy load up a steep hill.
The site had plenty of bafflegab, but no real evidence of any type of "magnetic levitation". Claims that it is somehow powered by "software" is kinda silly.
Conclusion: A silly little stunt of no real importance.
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RickM 8:50AM (3/15/2008)
Emerging technologies? Did you notice that everything on the web page is at least three years old? Not only is it BS, it's *old* BS. Please!
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