The World of Sustainable Transportation is stronger than ever. Since last year we have seen a dramatic growth in interest from Universities in all over the world. It's amazing. Here are selected bits from last year's happenings:
Sweden
The University of Linkoping recently finished a study of how to find the best route forward in getting financing for the GTS Foundation. http://www.gtsfoundation.se/english/
Ångström Laboratories, a part of the Uppsala University, now have seven students under the leadership of grad student Hanna Jansson in researching possibilities and challenges of solar as main energy source for the planned Uppsala Podcar System. http://www.asc.angstrom.uu.se/en/
Hanna JanssonLund University and the LUMES program student Aurora Lindström (yes, my daughter), were instrumental in structuring the Solar Skyways Challenge for San Jose University together with Professor Burford Furman.
http://www.lumes.lu.se/
USA
The San Jose State University has launched the Solar Skyways Challenge, an impressive incentive to win the $10,000 prize to best team presentation of a high quality study in making a solar podcar system. The team has its own homepage: http://www.engr.sjsu.edu/smssv/team.html
The challenge is also one of the KATERVA nominees:
http://katerva.org/2012-nominees/solar-skyways/
UK
Professor Paul Newman of Oxford University is looking into the Robotics aspect of the ULTra system at Heathrow Airport. This work is essential for understanding of the control systems and human-machine interface.
http://www.robots.ox.ac.uk/~mobile/wikisite/pmwiki/pmwiki.php?n=People.PMN
China
A "Personal Rapid Chair" video was recently posted on Youtube. It was developed by Hu Yingping at North China University of Technology:
This is just a very short list. The interest and understanding of the need for something better
than current transportation modes is getting really strong. I am sure we will have a very
exciting 2013.
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