Categories
Technology Trains

Aero-train

“Aero-train” is a levitation transport system alternative to the famous “Maglev” (Magnetic levitation). The purpose of both systems is to keep the train some centimeters above the ground, “maglev” trains use the power of electromagnetism most of the times using superconducting magnets, in the case of “aero-train” technology it uses an air cushion using the power of the “ground effect” (Something similar to hovercrafts).

In France they thought it was a good idea 40 years ago and started to create “aero-trains”. The project worked from 1965 until 1977, they even managed to beat the some world speed records, but at the end they decided to stop all the research because changing all railways for “aero-trains” was too expensive. Special rail tracks are needed for “aero-trains”.

Aero-train
This is one of the french Aero-trains.

Aero-train
More French aero-train pictures .

Research stop during many decades until Tohoku University started a project called“0 emission Aero-train”. It seems that Aero-trains if well designed do not require too much energy, so they thought that using some wind mills installed along the rail tracks would be enough. Tohoku University’s aero-train will start to work in 2020, and will be able to travel at 500km/h transporting 335 passengers at 10cm above the ground.



This is how the Japanese aero-train prototype looks like. Here there is one video where you can see it moving.

I’m really impressed with the projects that Japanese Universities are able to conduct, there is lots of money for students/teachers/researchers !

Categories
Technology

Japan is the world's top innovator

The “Economist Unit Intelligence” announced some days ago that Japan has been the world’s top innovator country during the last year. This conclusion was reached after using many variables, one of the most important parameters for the study is the number of patent applications per inhabitant. I checked the last patent report from WIPO and confirmed they are really patenting a lot! , last year the number of patent applications per million inhabitants was 3.5 times higher than the United States.

Next chart shows the number of patent applications per million inhabitants during the last year:


Check the report in English

Categories
Technology

Umbrella with a screen

Pileus.net announced they are going to commercialize umbrellas with a screen originally developed by Keio University. On rainy days we will be able to watch TV, access the Internet and even watch our pictures with a nice “umbrella user interface” (Watch video). The most interesting application would be available thanks to a GPS integrated in the umbrella that will use Google Maps to guide us.