Interesting. Until you realize it’s basically a road going maglev vehicle… Minus the lev. Using ultra powerful magnets embedded in the road… I’m not sure this is a particularly practical solution…
Looks cool though.
Found here:
www.darkroastedblend.com/2008/08/transparent-underground.html
Info here:
been-seen.com/article.cfm?id=10811
Well as far as inner city driving this could be a great solution…mind you , what would the long exposure effects to such magnets in the road be…fertility issues maybe ?
Drive or reproduce…hummm…..
I read the website and I don’t see the point of magnets lifting the car up. The mass of the car is still the same (or more because of the magnets) so it will still require the same about of force to accelerate, which means it will get the same mileage as it would without the magnets.
The reason that maglevs work is it eliminates friction with the rails, but you need friction with the road in order to drive.
It is as sexy as it is stupid.
I’m not denying that it is a cool looking design, but the red and white design on the base reminds me of a french fry basket from Dairy Queen.
If used properly, wouldn’t the magnetic force be able to provide some amount of propulsion?
If you have two magnets. Square ones. And you put them together, sometimes they slide to where they’re touching on ends . . . That’s kind of what I mean.
Beats gas.
Woah…it’s Like earLy DaLek technoLogy
(yeah,in the 1960s they ran on magnetic fLoors)
It’s missing the phallic rod that secures you to the seat, at which point it’s still a little less painful than flying.
@Reboot
I agree, the concept is flawed, the magnets will not affect the mass of the vehicle, so they would, at best, only help reduce friction. It would make this only marginally more efficient than a regular car.
@RSIxidor
Yes, you can use magnets for propulsion, not by putting them end to end, but there is a diagonal arrangements of magnets, I think it’s called a magnetic ladder, that will pull any magnetic material in one direction along the arrangement. Not particularly practical for road use, but it’s theoretically possible…