VW People's Car

[alants]

Have any of you seen this - the VW Hover Car ?
Is it for real or just clever video techniques ?

http://www.flixxy.com/volkswagen-levitating-car.htm

[Tony Z]

the technology for this has been around since the late 80's, so it really isnt anything new.
However, I think that particular one is a joke... they said it works on the minerals under ground, yet they are driving on a bridge.
Also, magnets needed to react the way they say it does, will be massive and kill any credit card in the area.
My thoughts anyway, happy to be proved wrong.

And here I wonder how on earth you will trigger traffic lights with weight pads?

[Bundy]

@ alants: It's clever video doctoring. It states on that page that the vehicle is computer animated. Looks pretty exciting though.

@ Tony Z: I guess it could be possible using similar technology to the Maglev trains, but it would only run above a pre-laid track, not just anywhere.

I don't think that traffic lights have used weight pads since the 1930's so that shouldn't be a problem . But there would still be downward force to activate them, just not any direct contact.

[Tony Z]

I don't think that traffic lights have used weight pads since the 1930's so that shouldn't be a problem . But there would still be downward force to activate them, just not any direct contact.

You obviously dont cycle in around town... I can show you quite a few pads in CPT that you cannot activate on a bicyle

[riaanj]

That's a cool idea..

[retrovan]

...... there would still be downward force to activate them, ....

With out trying to sound impertinent, The thingemebobs at the robots, is two coils of wire, sealed in the grooved cutout in the tar, that gets activated by the metal mass of your car. This sends a voltage back to the control box.

Your car works the same as the steel lamination's in a transformer.

Or to put it more layman terms, its a metal detector.

Thats why, there is insufficient steel in some bikes to set it off, and the little old man that jumps up and down on it will also never set it off, unless he has a lot of steel pins in his legs....

Herman

[Tony Z]

aha, we learn something new every day.... thanks Herman

[Bundy]

Thanks Herman, for the explanation. When I mentioned the downward force I was referring to the "new" system as shown in the video being used on the "old" system of weight pads. Whatever means is used to raise a vehicle off the ground it MUST have a downward force of at least the mass of the vehicle or else it would not be raised. This downward force may have been sufficient to have activated one of the old weight pads.

The system that you have described so neatly is known as an inductive loop. It has a constant voltage that is active in the loop. This is disturbed when a mass of metal passes nearby and changes the voltage, activating the trigger to change the traffic lights. As you stated - a giant metal detector. Most are not adjusted too finely, otherwise they would receive a lot of false triggers. On my motorbike I used to have to lean it way over so the engine was close enough to the ground to set it off. For the rare few cyclists that actually stop for red lights I believe that some cellphones will activate them if waved just above the wire of the loop.

[piesang]

made you think of the 80's add of VW where the driver of a Golf gets his wings......

think you are going to need 'n pilot license for that one