Auto Moto Gadgets

Research by a team of British students, lead by Dr. Alex Stedmon, could make motorbiking safer for everyone involved.

Using a donated Triumph motorcycle, the Nottingham-based team created a simulator linked to a projection screen to give a realistic impression of being on the road. The motorcycle sways left and right pushed by four pneumatic actuators while a road environment is projected onto the screen in front, but the researchers want to further improve it by adding more features, such as vibration for the bike and road surface, wind effects and more realistic acceleration and braking effects.

When further developed, this project could prove to be an useful tool for training any rider, helping them develop key skills and responses to dangerous situations. Custom situations can be designed for different purposes and the rider’s performance can be measured by specialists, which could provide useful data for manufacturers and road safety organizations.

The simulator should be operational starting this month.

BBC and Daily Mail via Gizmo Watch.

Self-inflating tires might sound sci-fi, but Coda Development says they’re not.

The SIT system works by inflating tires as the car moves. It only has two components, a chamber inside the tire wall and a managing valve, and it functions on the principle of a peristaltic pump. A short explanation from the manufacturer:

The tube chamber is kept closed at its lowest point by the normal tire deformation caused by the weight of the vehicle.

As the tire turns against the road this closure moves along the tube chamber, forcing more air into the tire with each wheel revolution. Simultaneously, it pulls outside air back into the chamber from the other side.

The managing valve ensures that the pressure is optimal by alternately letting outside air in and circulating air between the tire and the tube chamber. The managing valve can be either electronic or purely mechanical. The tire pressure can be set during regular maintenance or even by the driver.

You can see an animation of the system here and a video of test results here.

The system is currently being previewed at the 2008 SAE World Congress in Detroit, so we’ll probably hear more about it soon enough.

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When talking about cars we usually think about ways to make ourselves comfortable in them. Not that there’s anything wrong with it, but when children appear their needs must take the first place, since they can’t speak up for themselves.

It makes sense then that the Cold Seat was designed by a mother. Traveling in summer is not that much of a nuisance to adults, since they sit in front, air conditioning blowing in their faces, but the heat can make a sensitive baby really uncomfortable. The Cold Seat is a device meant to cool the car seat prior to strapping the baby in it. It must be placed in the freezer the day before the trip, then left in the seat until it cools, so afterwards little Bobby or Mary can enjoy a nice cool ride.

You can get it for $49.95 on ColdSeat.com.

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Not long ago we’ve shown you the pimped golf carts. Well, now here is a luxury golf cart for those with too much many to care:

The price? Not bad at all: $22,450.00 for the electric version and $23,350.00 for the gas version. Of course, the price is not bad since we assume you already have 6 luxury cars in your garage if you want to buy a golf cart THAT expensive. Of course, as any other car, it has a lot of optional features, like custom paint ($1,500) or custom wheels ($1,850.00). You might think it has nothing on it, but this is not true.

Here it is, the standard equipment:
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