Hasta La Gadget!

NCC-1701 is the machine that took the world’s imaginations to strange new worlds in the ’60s. If Nissan has its way, NSC-2015 will be the machine that keeps us out of strange new parking lots. It’s a concept car from Nissan, part of the CEATEC 2012 Smart Mobility Zero exhibit that has half the show floor covered by crazy electric-powered cars of all shapes and sizes. Nissan’s Leaf is one of the more conventional looking ones, but the technology that lets it drive itself down the road is far from standard. We just took it for a spin, so please cruise down past the break to read how it went.

Continue reading Nissan NSC-2015 self-driving car with LTE and smartphone connectivity (test-ride with video)

Filed under: Transportation, Software

Nissan NSC-2015 self-driving car with LTE and smartphone connectivity (test-ride with video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Oct 2012 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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[CEATEC 2012] While charging your electric vehicle (EV) isn’t exactly challenging, it looks like companies are trying to make it easier than it already is. At CEATEC 2012, TDK showed off its upcoming contactless charging system. What it basically does is it allows drivers to charge their EVs by just parking in the right spot. This technology works with the use of coils at the bottom of the car and on the charging platform which the car parks at. The magnetic field generated by the coils will allow the transfer of electrical power from the base to the car, charging the latter without any contact at all.

At the moment (in its prototype stage) it is represented by an ugly extension sticking out from the back of the car, but we’re pretty sure it’ll go through some design changes before we see the final product. TDK plans to let car manufacturers use this technology first in the future, and then they’ll probably sell it as an aftermarket solution if it takes off. Seems like a pretty good solution to a problem that doesn’t really exist, but hey- it’s never a bad thing to make simple tasks in life easier, right? Problems I see with this technology – you’ll need to park at the same spot, facing the same direction all the time. Unless you’re willing to shift around the charging base. And if the final product does end up looking like the prototype, I doubt it’s going to sell well. TDK could take a leaf out of Nissan’s book for its upcoming LEAF wireless charger if they need some design cues.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Toyota Smart INSECT is aptly named, Clarion full digital speakers are power savers for your vehicle,

Toyota is showing off its new Smart Insect prototype at the company’s CEATEC booth. The fully electric car charges via a standard 100-volt AC outlet, and it’s decked out with gull-wing doors and motion detection courtesy of Microsoft’s Kinect. The on-board motion sensors allow the car to recognize its owner based on face and body shape, and it predicts the owner’s behavior by analyzing movement and determining when to open the door, for example. (It also allows for the front and rear displays to show a welcome message when the owner approaches the car.) There’s also voice recognition for opening the car door and other functions, with a speaker on the hood of the car and dashboard-mounted “dialogue monitors” on the front and back.

The tech carries through to the Insect’s interior, which sports a wireless charging pad, a dash-mounted monitor that connects to the driver’s handset and a button for dialing up Toyota’s virtual agent. As a connected car, the Insect naturally ties in with entertainment and navigation services (in this case, via Toyota’s Smart Center). There’s also integration with a home energy management system, which allows the owner to adjust air conditioning and lock the front door via a smartphone app. As this is a proof of concept — and one we couldn’t test out, at that — it’s unclear how well these features work, and it’s unlikely that we’ll ever see the prototype make it to market. Still, it’s fun to dream, and you can do that by tuning into our hands-on video just past the break.

Continue reading Toyota’s Smart Insect concept EV packs Kinect motion sensor, voice recognition (video)

Filed under: Transportation

Toyota’s Smart Insect concept EV packs Kinect motion sensor, voice recognition (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Oct 2012 05:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toyota has pulled the veil off its new Smart INSECT, and its safe to say that if you want a distinctive car, this one is for you. Announced at Ceatec in Japan, this new car seems to be aptly named, seeing as how it looks an awful lot like a bug. It’s also fully electric – not a hybrid – and can be charged using a home AC100V outlet, which means no more gas for you.

Details are still pretty scarce, but we’re imagining that you can get some pretty good distance from a full charge with a car this tiny. After all, looking at the pictures above, it’s clear that this vehicle only fits one person, so we’re assuming that a full charge can take this thing quite some distance. The doors also open upward instead of outward, which adds to the distinctive bug-like look.

The Smart INSECT features a motion sensor that can detect when you’re nearby. As you approach, the doors open for you, so not only are you helping to save the environment by purchasing this car, but you can also feel a little like James Bond every time you get in your INSECT. The Toyota Virtual Agent can give you traffic reports through your smartphone, and if you’re Toyota Home user, you can even use your smartphone to lock and unlock the door to your house from the car. There are likely many more smart features than the ones we’re hearing about on the show floor at Ceatec, so we’ll be keeping an eye out for those.

As stated above, details are slim – super slim, for that matter – so we’re not sure when this car is launching, where it’s launching, or how much it will cost. One thing is certain: the Toyota Smart INSECT has officially caught our attention, so we’ll definitely be watching for new details to surface. Stay tuned.

Toyota Smart INSECT electric vehicle announced is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Auto show concept cars are all whizzy styling and impractical interiors, and Smart’s latest offering, the Forstars EV at the Paris Auto Show, has all that in spades. But the stubby car has another show-stopping feature we’d love to see in production — a projector installed right into the vehicle’s grill. That would let you and a special friend pull the two-seater up to any white wall and beam the flick of your choice from an iPhone’s bluetooth port, while blasting the audio through the sound system. Other friends not in the Forstars’ confines would also get the sound from speakers located in the ventilation grills behind the doors. Once rolling, the concept Smart moves along with an 80 horsepower electric motor and 17.6 kWh battery, boasting 127 lb/ft of torque and an 80MPH top speed. Since the car’s currently a one-off, don’t get any ideas about heading to Lookout Point with a screen in tow — but you can head to the video after the break to see how it works.

Continue reading Smart Forstars concept EV brings drive-in theater to a wall near you (video)

Filed under: Displays, Transportation

Smart Forstars concept EV brings drive-in theater to a wall near you (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 Sep 2012 08:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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