Insufficiency the mother of innovation

Technology’s’ dependence on Power has led to great inventions….

There is a great connection between the developments happening around us and energy. Most of what we do or use to do what we do is dependent on energy inform of electricity.

Power is with time becoming a basic necessity to be able to operate in the current world. As expected, the demand for power is higher than the amount available resulting to the need to discover and use other sources of energy. It could be hydro, geothermal, wind-which is gaining a lot of popularity in the country, nuclear-which remains a controversy of how safe it is and if we are really ready for it among others.

The world looks at a time when it will have enough energy for –if not everyone, enough to do what is expected of it at a very affordable cost. If possible, the free the better. This has led to the invention of high-tech energy capturing, producing and distributing mediums.

Technology is a one of the key reliants of power. Most technological inventions cannot be run without power specifically electric power. The cost of power however is in many parts of the planet expensive causing many to turn to alternatives as well as discovery of other sources of energy. The need to impact most of the planet with the new technology has also contributed to this. A company aiming o make sales will want to produce a product that will sufficiently serve people in areas with power problems or say one that will require minimum power.

Technology has seen the development of some gadgets that can be directly charged by human body, the sun, motion or any other energy producing bodies, interesting I say!

The commonest gadget we have is the solar-powered cell phones. The phones became a big hit in the rural areas where electricity is still a problem. You can never run out of charge as long as the sun rises every morning.

Adding to the list is the iPods and mobile phones that don’t require batteries or mains power for recharge. Instead they rely on the body movements to generate electricity – it could be the heart beat, movement of one’s legs or the pinch of the fingers.

Others innovations include: A soccer ball dubbed-the SOccket that captures energy from any impact that is usually lost to the environment. The generated electricity is stored in the ball, which can later be used to light an LED lamp or charge a cellphone.

The Magic Charger is another one of the latest energy-tech-inventions. It works under the concept of the principles of electromagnetic induction to harvest clean energy whenever the user plays with it.

Think of a device that is able to harvest and store the energy produced by your body mostly through movement. The HuMo is that kind of a devise. It aims at utilizing the physical capability of your body to charge the modern electronic gadgets we can’t live without. It’s able to generate an average of half a watt of power from a normal walking arm swing, which could be used to charge the power-hungry devices.

In other fields, wind energy has as well made some magnificent inventions that not only reduce cost but also make it one of the best renewable sources of energy. Tracing the path of the wind in places it runs fastest is what scientists or say technology are doing. Who would have thought of setting up a power station in the clouds or say some place on top of the deep sea?

Some international companies embarked on floating wind turbines projects to capture the wind energy. The airborne turbine has the advantage of tapping an almost constant wind, without requirements for slip rings or yaw mechanism, and without the expense of tower construction.

Altaeros Energies is one of the companies that has embarked in the making of the Airborne Wind Turbine (AWT).The AWT features an inflatable shell that is filled with helium, allowing it to float to higher altitudes where winds are often five times more powerful than those closer to the earth’s surface. This technology has been inspired by aerostats which traditionally have survived hurricane-level winds and employ safety features that ensure a slow descent to the ground.

This technology however is limited by bad weather such as lightning or thunderstorms which could temporarily suspend use of the machines, probably requiring them to be brought back down to the ground and covered. No commercial airborne wind turbines have however been in regular operation as of 2011.

The airborne wind turbine is said to require minimal maintenance and could displace expensive fuel used to power diesel generators at remote industrial, military, and village sites. It also causes minimal noise pollution.

Another one of this floating turbines invention is the offshore wind turbine .It is mounted on a floating structure in water depths where bottom-mounted towers are not feasible. The wind across the sea is typically more consistent and stronger over the sea, due to the absence of topographic features that disrupt wind flow. Locating wind farms out at sea can help reduce visual pollution. With modern inflatable materials it’s possible to lift wind turbines into more powerful winds almost everywhere.

This and so much more inventions have been and are being made to ensure energy sufficiency in running  the fast growing tech-world keeping in mind the power has to be environment friendly. We can be sure to always expect a better invention in the future!

Automotive Industry changing with times

I can fly or/and sail in my car...........

The future of automotive industry is taking shape pretty fast. Good news to the resident of Nairobi when they realize that they can actually fly over the traffic jams and to Coastal residents that sailing past a broken down Ferry is indeed a reality. 

Car manufacturing just like any other sector has seen rapid technological growth. We now have more efficient and effective machines from a simple four cylinder engine to six cylinder engine, turbo-charged to supercharged engines, diesel engines to hybrid engines using both fossil fuels and electric energy. Every car manufacturer is investing in Research and Development to respond to the changing Market trends.All you need is to invest in is a modern car, the amphibian car and or the fly car.

The amphibian car will do very well in the lake side. Not exactly for fishing but for traveling to the other side for work. But you can always pick a few fish on your way home, you just ensure you have a fishing rod packed in the boot and some baits. At the Coast as well, it will do marvelous. No more having to travel in fear of a breakdown in an overcrowded ferry. Or better still, no more waiting for ages until the bridge in your area is fixed. You will not need it anyway. It is designed to travel on both land and water.

This car, commonly referred to as the amphicar was a German invention back in the World War II.It was designed for traveling during the war time. Much has however been done today with improved technology so as to modernize the car. It has picked much popularity in France as well as in most parts of the world. The innovation of this car was triggered by the need to increase the capability of a land-vehicle. They wanted the already existing land-car to do more than just land transportation and thus the amphibian car was then innovated. 

This type of car has in the recent times been fitted with new technology unlike the first cars making them safer and easier to drive. They are able to travel at very high speeds on both water and land. They are set in a way that they change according to the ground they travel on.

This car is fitted with propellers that propel the car through water. The car dubbed Rin speed Splash -proclaimed as the fastest amphibian vehicle ever built, utilizes hydrofoil technology, allowing the body to be raised out of the water. It’s able to reach 80 kilometers per hour on the water and as a sports car 200 kilometers per hour on the road. Another one of the fast amphicars is the Aquada from the Gibbs Technologies. It reaches a maximum speed of 160 kilometers per hour on land and a maximum of peed of 55 kilometers per hour on water.

The flying car, this type of car exists and is with time gaining a lot of popularity. Think of how much time and money can be saved if traffic jams were avoided. Or say how easily one can access some places that are normally hard to access with normal cars. You need not dare to drive over some really muddy places, just fly over them and drive on once you pass them. 

One of the innovations under this type of car is the Transition. It has foldable wings which retract when it is on the road. The Transition has a wingspan of 26 feet that tucks in and out with the push of a button, altering between a flying machine and a car within 30 seconds. With a full tank, the car can fly for 460 miles at the speed of 110 miles per hour.

The next big thing could be a multipurpose car, this will be able to move on land, sail in water and fly in the air.