20 most recent innovations in travel

Endless Airport Runway

Fri, 17 Mar 2017 00:00:00 Z

The lack of capacity at airports is the major constraint to growth in air transport. Current technology projects optimise the use of the available airport capacity, but unless a structural new approach is followed, the expected three-fold increase in air traffic is not realistic to achieve. Physical constraints on runway operations, like wake vortex separation minima and cross- and tailwind limits, make it hard to improve performance of conventional airport configurations further.

The Endless Runway is a radical and novel airport concept, which applies a circular runway. The concept of the Endless Runway can generate a breakthrough in sustainable airport capacity by avoiding the physical constraints of conventional runways through shifting the lift-off and touchdown points of individual aircraft.

The main feature of the circular runway is that it will become possible to let an aircraft operate always at landing and take-off with headwind. Whatever its strength and direction, the Endless Runway becomes independent of the wind. When allowing limited crosswind, airspace users can shorten the global trajectory of the flights through optimized departure and arrival routes.

The circle of the runway, whose diameter is set to 3 kilometers, is large enough to provide sufficient room for infrastructure preferably inside the circle, even for a hub airport. This makes the airport compact, while allowing current-day aircraft to use the circle without significant structural modifications.

Rings Of Moist Air Keep Airline Passengers Comfortable

Thu, 04 Aug 2016 00:00:00 Z

The air in airliner cabins is typically kept very dry. It has to be, in order to stop condensation from accumulating within the plane. Unfortunately, this also dries out passengers' mucus membranes, causing discomfort. Germany's Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics is creating what may be a solution, however, in the form of personal rings of moist air for each passenger.

The idea is that every seat on an aircraft would have a device built into the back, known as a vortex ring generator.

In the same way that smokers can blow rings of smoke, this generator would puff rings of humidified air at the passenger sitting behind it. Given that it might be off-putting to be getting constantly puffed in the face, though, these rings would instead be aimed at the chest, hitting the passenger's shirt – their body heat would then cause the moisture to rise to their nose.

In this manner, the humidity of the air in each passenger's "breathing zone" could be boosted by up to 15 percent, while the overall humidity of the air throughout the cabin would only be raised slightly. Additionally, it's possible that some of the water used for humidifying the vortex rings could be drawn from the cabin air itself. The moisture would then simply be getting concentrated and redirected to where it's needed most, as opposed to being added to the environment.

The system has already been tested on a dummy equipped with a moisture-measuring "nose," and plans are in place to ultimately test it on human volunteers. Given how long it can take to get regulatory approval for technologies intended for use in aircraft, however, it may be a while before it comes into common use.

Snow Chain Made From Elastollan

Fri, 10 Jun 2016 00:00:00 Z

A French textile and rubber company called Joubert Productions has put snow chains on the market in Europe that have chain links made entirely of plastic. The chains use Elastollan, the thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) from BASF.

Although there are already a slew of different plastic chain-type sets on the market in the United States and abroad, what differentiates this technology is the materials incorporated and the molding technique used to put the chains together.

Along with BASF's support in optimizing the component geometry and production, designers at Joubert Productions came up with a snow-chain design that has each unit made from two Elastollan grades: B90A15 and B60A10WH.

The materials meet the ONORM 5117 standard (which applies across Europe), are suitable for different tire sizes, and are easy to fit. The Elastollan versions are abrasion resistant, flexible at low temperatures, and resistant to loose chips and road salt. Better yet, they provide an optimum grip on ice and snow.

For this new plastic application, Elastollan offered an excellent combination of lightweight construction and serial production. The conventional metal chain mesh is replaced by two Elastollan grades of different colors that chemically adhere to one another in the injection-molding process, so they do not have to undergo additional assembly.

The black Elastollan B90A15, which has a harder setting, displays very good mechanical properties along with great flexibility at low temperatures. The red Elastollan B60A10WH is more flexible and easy flowing.

In compact injection molding, the black chain links are overmolded with the red Elastollan in one mold and are joined chemically. Because TPU adheres to TPU very well, there is no need for another assembly step. Metal chains of this type require several assembly steps.

The Austrian standard ONORM 5117 is designed for metallic chain links that cover the full tread of tires and must be in contact with the road surface no matter which position the wheel is in. Due to the outstanding road grip of BASF's TPU, the new plastic snow chains enable car drivers to enjoy the best possible control over their vehicles on snow-covered roads. Since the Elastollan links are much lighter than the conventional metal mesh, the snow chains are easy to handle and quick to remove.

Hand-Held Microwave Takes Home Convenience Into The Wild

Mon, 23 May 2016 00:00:00 Z

Flicking on a gas burner or cobbling together a fire might be the most common way of cooking in the great outdoors, but another option is on the way. The Wayv Adventurer is a battery-operated radio frequency cooking appliance that's small enough to fit in a backpack. In other words, it's a hand-held microwave.

Wayv produced the Adventurer in partnership with NXP Semiconductors, having raised £150,000 of funds for its development via a 2014 Crowdcube crowdfunding campaign. It is designed to heat food and drink anywhere, while being compact, rugged and lightweight. It can be also be used in areas where having a lit flame is banned.

The Adventurer was conceived for use by the likes of military personnel and adventurers, but it can be used when you're simply out hiking or fishing, or even in workplaces or cabins where there are no cooking facilities. Between 100 ml (3.4 fl oz) and 500 ml (16.9 fl oz) of food or drink can be heated in the unit.

Power is provided by interchangeable quick-charging li-ion batteries. These can be charged from in-car sockets or solar chargers as well as via mains power, and a full charge will provide around 30 minutes cooking (up to six cycles of heating for food or drink).

Measuring 305 x 128 mm (12 x 5 in), the Adventurer is about the size of a typical flask and it weighs in at just 1.2 kg (2.6 lb). This means it will fit easily in a backpack and can be lugged around without any great effort.

Simple controls on the top of the unit include start, stop, backlight and time adjustment buttons, as well as a digital display.

Unlike the vacuum tubes used in conventional microwave ovens, the Adventurer uses technology developed for RF amplifiers in cellphone towers – laterally diffused metal oxide semiconductors (LDMOS) transistors – to generate its 250 W of power. This is what makes the design so compact and lightweight, and it also enables food to be heated evenly without the need for a turntable.

De-Icing Asphalt

Mon, 21 Dec 2015 00:00:00 Z

Living someplace that gets snow in the winter may have its perks, but the ice-melting salt that's spread on the roads isn't one of them. Besides the fact that it gets all over our cars and clothing, it also has to be reapplied throughout the winter, harming the environment in the process. If a new type of asphalt reaches production, however, salt-spreading may become a thing of the past.

Led by Dr. Seda Kizilel, a team of scientists at Turkey's Koc University mixed the salt potassium formate with a hydrophobic (water-repelling) polymer known as styrene-butadiene-styrene. That mixture was in turn added to bitumen, which is the main binding ingredient in asphalt. The resulting composite material was found to be just as tough as regular bitumen, yet its salt content "significantly delayed" the formation of ice on its surface.

In lab tests, it continued to release salt for a period of two months, still melting ice as it did so. The effect could reportedly last for much longer on an actual road, however. This would be because as the top layer of salt-depleted asphalt was worn away by traffic, fresh "salty" asphalt would be exposed from beneath.

With this in mind, the researchers believe that the salt-polymer composite asphalt could remain active for years. A paper on their research was recently published in the journal Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research.

Books Function As Subway Tickets

Thu, 26 Nov 2015 00:00:00 Z

People only read an average of about two books a year in Brazil. To promote reading, Brazil’s biggest pocket book publisher L&PM Editores created a collection of small paperbacks that also work as subway tickets.

L&PM worked with Agência Africa to create the Ticket Books, a collection of ten books with RFID cards built inside the book covers. The hidden RFID cards made the pocket books readable by the turnstile scanners at the subway. Agency Africa also worked with Via Quatro, the company that manages the subways, so that the Ticket Books can be made available at the turnstiles at the subway stations.

To celebrate World Book Day last April 23rd, L&PM gave away 10,000 books for free at subway stations across Sao Paulo. Each book came with ten free trips. When all ten trips have been used up, users can recharge them via the Ticket Books website and use them again or gift them to a friend to encourage even more people to read. The project was so successful that L&PM expanded the project to other cities in Brazil.

The Ticket Books collection included ten titles: Peanuts: Friendship. That’s What Friends Are For by Charles M. Schulz, Garfield: Sorry by Jim Davis, Hundred Love Sonnets by Pablo Neruda, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Art of War by Sun Tzu, Sherlock Holmes: The Hound of Baskerville by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Hamlet by William Shakespeare, Murder Alley by Agatha Christie, Chives In Trouble! by Mauricio de Sousa, and Quintana Pocket by Mario Quintana. The books also featured cover art inspired by subway maps.

Egg Map

Thu, 27 Aug 2015 00:00:00 Z

The ‘egg map’ by Hungarian designer Dénes Sátor is an unusual tool for urban navigation. Designed for those tired of fighting a folding map for ten minutes between points or to avoid the difficulty of finding wifi for an outlet in the city the analog object fits in the palm of your hand and nestles comfortably in a pocket or backpack.

The map is made with rubber and internally filled with air. It can be dropped, stepped on, and thrown at a wall or angry locals. It’s also waterproof, enabling navigation even in the unfriendliest of conditions.

Information is printed directly onto the surface, with each city district separated into different colors. When in any particular area, the map can be zoomed in by squeezing the egg. When looking close-up, street information and nearby sights, public transport, and eateries become visible.

Access Your Backpack Without Taking It Off

Mon, 17 Aug 2015 00:00:00 Z

To get at the stuff you're carrying in your backpack, you have to take off your backpack. This is one of those unavoidable facts of life. Unless you're Stretch Armstrong. Or you're wearing a Paxis.

The brainchild of Paul Vierthaler, Paxis is a backpack that look like any other, but with two compartments for storing things. The top one stays in place. The bottom one, however, is mounted to an articulated arm. Pull a tab on the pack's front side and that compartment swings around to the front of your waist, providing easy access to its contents.

Map Changes With Weather Conditions

Wed, 29 Jul 2015 00:00:00 Z

‘BATH °C Thermo Color map’ by Camilla Hempleman is a hand held activated map, based on her home city of Bath, England. Using thermochromic inks and tyvek fabric the map is activated at different temperatures, revealing layers of hand illustrated buildings and attractions, showing the best places to visit depending on the weather. Designed as a roll map, the fabric is water, and crumple proof allowing it to be easily stored in your bag with minimal packaging to combat any excess waste. The map is color coded to specific external environmental temperatures, which allows tourists, visitors and residents a like to have a new experience of Bath.

Expandable Suitcase

Fri, 08 May 2015 00:00:00 Z

Many travelers will have faced the problem of the carry-on luggage that was big enough when embarking on a trip, but fell well short on carrying capacity for the return journey thanks to the addition of souvenirs, bargains and gifts for loved ones. Fugu Luggage avoids the need to shell out for an extra suitcase to fit all that extra gear by expanding from a maximum carry-on size to check-in size suitcase in under a minute.

Named after the Fugu, or pufferfish, the Fugu Luggage expands from a compact carry-on size to a full-sized suitcase courtesy of its accordion-like side walls. To comply with the maximum carry-on size limitation of airlines, the case measures 21.5 in (55 cm) wide, 13.5 in (35 cm) deep and 9 in (23 cm) high with a volume of 40 L in carry-on mode, extending to 27 in (68 cm) high with a volume of 120 L when fully extended. The Fugu tips the scales at 8.8 lb (4 kg), which the creators say is comparable to other average-sized luggage.

Converting from compact to full-size modes involves inflating the suitcase walls, which are made from drop stitch, a rugged PVC material used in inflatable boats. This can be accomplished either with an electric pump built into the case, an external pump, or with lung power by breathing into an external tube. The Fugu's built in pump can also be used to deflate vacuum bags to minimize the volume of clothing when packing.

Since luggage isn't just intended to carry your belongings, but also protect them while still being lightweight enough to drag around, the Fugu team claims the drop stitch walls can take a beating, as can the top and bottom of the case, which are made of ABS plastic. The Fugu team says the case is waterproof and impact resistant and has successfully passed an altitude drop test.

The case also features removable shelves that allow the case to double as a storage unit and make it possible to live out of a suitcase without unpacking and packing to a from a hotel closet, while the height of the case when extended makes it suitable as a makeshift table or laptop stand. To that end, the case also houses an optional laptop case that can be easily removed from the larger case. Meanwhile, multi-directional omni wheels allow the case to turn on a dime and be dragged in any direction.

Human Cruise Control

Tue, 28 Apr 2015 00:00:00 Z

A device able to remotely guide people through electrical stimulation could have applications in gaming, search and rescue, and stroke rehabilitation.

Created by a team of grad students at the University of Hanover, the "human cruise control" system consists of an array of electrodes attached to the person's Sartorius muscles. The electrodes were in turn connected to a waist-worn electrical stimulation device and a Bluetooth-enabled control panel. During the study, the team was able to steer the human participants by stimulating the muscle (the volunteers report a tingling feeling) and causing the leg to twitch outward enough to initiate a swerve or turn.

The team is now working to hone the technology and bring it to a level that could be more commercially acceptable.

Armrest Splitter

Thu, 18 Dec 2014 00:00:00 Z

If you've ever had a weird standoff about the airplane armrest with a stranger, you'll appreciate the innovative yet simplistic nature of the Soarigami. Inspired by the traditional Japanese art of paper folding, the invention looks like a paper airplane and allows two passengers to share the armrest between them more comfortably. The folds in the device extend the airplane armrest on either side, allowing the travelers on both sides of the seat divide more elbow room.

Devised as a solution for the psychological and often physical war for arm-resting, this soon to be released product will hopefully decrease the number of casualties in what PSFK's Jason Brick refers to as the Arm Rest Wars.

The Perfect High-Tech Carry-On Has No Zipper At All

Tue, 02 Dec 2014 00:00:00 Z

Zippers are the worst part of carry-ons. They jam. They break. And if you're using a soft bag, they encourage you to overpack, which makes it nigh-impossible to quickly and easily open your bag to get something when you need it.

The zipper in luggage? It just needs to die. And we hope the Trunkster is the luggage design that kills it. Now on Kickstarter, it's a hard suitcase with a zipperless entry system that lets you open and close your luggage with a sliding door, which works just like a steel grate.

Trunkster also has the whole gaggle of gadgetry that today's cutting-edge suitcases tend to have: a built-in battery and USB port to charge your gadgets on the go, an internal GPS unit to tell you where the heck your luggage ended up when it doesn't come out on the conveyor belt at the end of your flight, and a digital scale that allows the Trunkster to weigh itself, helping you avoid troublesome baggage overfeed.

Jacket That Transforms Into A Neck Pillow

Thu, 27 Nov 2014 00:00:00 Z

Break the endless cycle of having to buy a new neck pillow every time you fly because you forgot to bring the last one with Tumi's Patrol Travel Puffer Jacket. Hidden in the collar is a pouch that you can stuff the entire puffy jacket into, creating a comfy neck pillow to make your holiday flight or bus trip considerably more enjoyable.

The jacket's made from water-resistant nylon so you don't have to worry about drooling on it when it's in pillow mode. And it's stuffed with genuine down so if your destination happens to be colder than where your travels began, you'll be ready to deal with the weather as soon as you disembark.

Signs That Ensure You Always Get A Seat On The Train

Tue, 22 Jul 2014 00:00:00 Z

Getting on a train always involves a certain amount of guesswork. You don't know where the train will stop on the platform or where you should stand to get a seat. One car might be full, another nearly empty. Inevitably, you're stuck boarding the former (or running madly for the latter).

In the Netherlands, a new system designed to reduce shuffling on the platform tells riders exactly where to stand to get an open seat. It's a 590-foot-long LED screen that hangs above the train platform and uses intuitive color-coding and symbols to show exactly where to stand to make boarding easier once the train arrives.

Long, illuminated blocks of blue span the length of each car, marking the space where the cars will pull in (and where the gaps between cars will be). Using information from infrared sensors in the train doors, the sign notes where seats are available--a block of green means that part of the train is empty, orange means semi-crowded, and red means that section is full. A white block with a perpendicular arrow indicates where the door will be once the train stops. Large numbers reveal whether each car is for first or second class, and symbols near the door signs--like a man with his finger to his lips--show where to stand for the quiet car, where you can board with a bike and which entrances are handicap-accessible.

A four-month pilot test in 2013 using the system in the Den Bosch railway station in the southern Netherlands proved successful in improving customer satisfaction, according to Dutch Railways. "We saw the people behave just as we wish they do," Holthius says. "They waited in line at the place they could expect the doors. There was almost no movement on the platform." The only complaint about the service was that it wasn't implemented in more stations, he says.

Curiously, the designers found that an app, which conveyed the same information, was not received as well. Looking at your phone is not always the best way to navigate through physical space. (Who hasn't managed to walk the wrong way even while staring intently at Google Maps?) Standing in front of a sign--something in the real world--feels more natural.

Now, NS and ProRail are working to implement the system in more stations, though it may take a few years. The first step will be installing the infrared counting system in all trains. Then, Holthius estimates that LED screens--a total length of around 50 kilometers (about 30 miles)--will need to be installed in stations. In the meantime, other European countries have reached out about potentially implementing the system elsewhere. "I think it’s a universal problem," Holthius says.

Inflatable Child Seat

Mon, 14 Apr 2014 00:00:00 Z

Volvo revealed a new child seat concept that could change the industry. What's so great about it? It’s inflatable. It fits in a bag.

Rather than being constructed out of rigid plastic and metal, their seat uses heavy duty drop-stitch fabric--the same stuff you’ll find in outdoor gear such as inflatable rafts. So you can pull that car seat out of a bag, and watch it balloon into a seat. It does this amazing feat in 40 seconds, thanks to a silent internal pump. You can even set it to inflate from your phone via Bluetooth, if you're into that extra effort.

The seat is designed to be rear-facing, which would imply that it’s designed for children up to about age three. Otherwise, there are almost no other details available at this time. Volvo has no immediate plans to bring it to market.

While it’s certainly a compelling concept it's dubious whether it offers suburban parents much of an advantage. Because they can strap in a car seat and leave it there for years. No car rentals, no walk-ups. And while car seats are bulky and heavy, some have more than one use. Infant seats, for example, click conveniently into strollers, and have a handle--which creates a fun grab-and-go concept for your little one.

Navigate Jacket

Thu, 14 Nov 2013 00:00:00 Z

Created by socially-driven wearable technology company Wearable Experiments, the Navigate jacket uses haptic feedback and LED lighting to provide directions to the wearer.

The jacket comes with an accompanying app which stores destinations and uploads the directions to the jacket with the built-in GPS system. The jacket allows wearers to walk to their destination without having to whip out their devices for directions or look at maps for that matter.

The directions are visualized on the sleeves. LED light lets the wearer know how far they are before the next turn and the current phase of their journey. Vibrations let the wearer know when to turn and in which direction.

The technology embedded in the jacket is subtle and made to blend well with the style and design of the jacket, which essentially is still a fashion accessory and not just a functional tool for the urban explorer.

Wearable Luggage

Thu, 10 Oct 2013 00:00:00 Z

Jaktogo is on the market since 2010, making it the pioneer in wearable luggage technology. The inventor of Jaktogo, John Power, is an engineer who had to travel on a weekly basis because of his work and thus was trying to optimise his time at the airport.

As low cost airlines started to take over the industry the many luggage restrictions they brought started to augment the transit times at airports. Power was always confronted with having to check-in his hand luggage because one or two extra kilos causing not only extra costs but also extra time having to wait for his luggage. It was also a common situation people to be stopped from boarding for the same reason. Having to deal with this situation gave birth to the idea of Jaktogo. It is a coat and it is a bag at the same time.

Air pad that inflates with just a few breaths

Wed, 22 May 2013 00:00:00 Z

If you go camping down in the wild woods, the chances of happening upon a conveniently-placed power outlet for blowing up your mattress with an electric air pump are pretty remote. Unless you have a hand or foot pump in your backpack, you'll have to wrap your lips around a tiny valve that likely has a history of being dragged through all sorts of unmentionable nastiness, and then spend the next long while taking deep breaths and blowing. Ryan Frayne's Windcatcher system inflates in just a few seconds with a valve that never touches your mouth.

The idea is that, when you blow into the gaping mouth of the Windcatcher valve, a stream of fast moving, low pressure air is created. High pressure air round about is attracted to low pressure areas and pulled inside the mattress. Frayne claims that the volume of air entering the Windcatcher system is at least 10 to 15 times greater than that leaving your lungs. Once inside, the valve prevents the air from escaping.

The very fact that the inflation system is so fast makes it a good fit for many indoor/outdoor situations where you might think twice about lugging an air bed around, including lazing in the park, an emergency sleep-over when your flight gets canceled, or camping out for concert tickets.

The Windcatcher system includes a manual override, so you can pull out the invertible release and the air escapes much faster, and more completely, than with a conventional valve. The whole thing can be rolled up to about the size of a liter bottle of water, and secured with Velcro straps.

Car-top cargo box doubles as a boat

Wed, 15 May 2013 00:00:00 Z

Given that people often mistake streamlined car-top boxes as whitewater kayaks, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that someone has gone and done the obvious – made a roof box that converts into a boat. Instead of serving as a kayak, however, the Boatbox can be rowed like a dinghy, or even fitted with a small motor or a sail.

The UK-made Boatbox (sold in Australia as the BoatPack) is made mainly from UV-stable acrylic-capped ABS plastic, and consists of two basic parts. There’s a base, that stays attached to the car’s roof rack, and a detachable lid, which doubles as a boat. This does mean that whenever you want to use the Boatbox as a boat, you have to find another home for everything that’s being transported within it.