Cars have come a long way in the way we drive them. First, there were standard transmissions, then automatic, now we even have autonomous vehicles that can drive themselves. But it’s not always good to rely on new technology and forget the basics. For example, you may need to drive a friend’s car someday and if it’s a standard vehicle you could be out of luck. One Alabama man stole a truck and after a long, slow chase, was eventually caught by police. Typically the words “police chase” and “slow” don’t make their way into the same sentence, but this particular car thief didn’t know how to drive standard and couldn’t get the truck out of first gear! After some time driving in first, the transmission seized up and he was arrested.
We’ve discussed cars, trains, buses and many other forms of transportation getting a rework, and now we’ll talk about the helicopter! SureFly is a personal helicopter that can carry two passengers about seventy miles, and it fits in your garage. It does this by utilizing eight motors to drive the propeller that can fold down to save space when not flying. It also has a battery backup, and is equipped with a parachute in case of emergencies. Testing is targeted to begin this year and the company is shooting for FAA certification in 2019.
As of January this year, all Dutch public transportation trains run on wind power! The original goal was to have all trains converted to wind power by 2018, but they were able to run ahead of schedule getting the job done a full year in advance of their goal. There are 2,200 wind turbines throughout the country that help generate the energy needed. It seems fitting that the so-called “land of windmills” is now running a large portion of public transportation via wind power.
We’ve all seen a vending machine before. A glass window allows you to view your choices. You press B7 and a bag a chips falls out. Or maybe you press G6 and a soda comes rolling down. Or, if you’re in Singapore, you make your selection to have a Ferrari or Lamborghini come out. Singapore is home to a fifteen-story tall, sixty-vehicle luxury car vending machine. Autobahn Motors needed to save real estate and still needed a way to display their inventory, so they built up and created their luxury car vending machine. Customers can use a touch screen to browse the inventory and upon their selection the vehicle will be delivered within two minutes for a test drive or purchase.
I don’t mind flying, but it can be stressful. For some people just the thought of flying can be stressful, but the bustling airports, seemingly endless security checks, and long flights with almost no legroom can make flying stressful for just about anyone. That’s why some airports have begun employing therapy animals. In certain airports you may be able to pet a dog or cat to help relax and forget about the stress of air travel for a minute. Or, if you are in the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky airport, you can relax by chilling with mini horses! Rather than sticking with the traditional therapy animals, CVG opted to give therapy mini horses a try and they are a big hit with travelers! So the next time you are stressed at an airport, keep an eye out for a therapy pet to help you relax.
