Hummer O2 beats nano-cars to win Design Challenge
Several nano-cars competed in the Los Angeles Auto Show's 2006 Design Challenge on Environmental Sustainability, but in the end they were beat by . . . a hummer?
This year's challenge had design studios transform the future of driving into an environmental experience, and competitors included the Volkswagen Nanospyder, which used nanotechnology to create a vehicle capable of being assembled, disassembled, and reassembled on a microscopic level, and the Acura FCX 2020 Le Mans utilizing nanotechnology in its compact fuel cell.
But the GM Hummer O2 is not the gas-guzzling behemoth we see today. Powered by a fuel cell, this Hummer "breathes" through a revolutionary phototropic body shell that produces pure oxygen throughout the lifespan of the vehicle. The algae-filled body panels transform harmful CO2 into pure oxygen that is subsequently released back into the environment.
It may be a while before you see a breathing, algae-filled Hummer on the lot at your local GM dealer, but I'll bet by 2008 every car in the Design Challenge will utilize nanotechnology. (photo GM)
Nice job done by GM’s crew with this Hummer. What seems to be the most unlikely candidate for a green conscious vehicle, has in fact won LA Auto Show’s Design Challenge themed at Environmental Sustainability.
April 30th, 2007 at 12:20 pmEvery design i saw for the nanocars is absolutely breathtaking, but what counts the most is probably the enviromental effects of the car. What can I say: bravo Hummer O2. I can’t wait to see what will turn up next.
May 24th, 2007 at 11:32 amThe phototropic body panels function as the “leafs” of the O2. Each one contains an optimized photobioreactor where a solution of algae and water transforms toxic carbon dioxide into pure oxygen. The oxygen is then released back into the environment as well as inside the cockpit. Oil changes are replaced by annual algae replacement. The used algae are then recycled as biomass for the production of energy.
August 13th, 2007 at 7:36 amam crazy of it , really great car i can’t resist it’s attraction
January 25th, 2008 at 11:35 amCan not the other vehicles convert to this type of giving back to the enviroment? How soon can we expect a developing team to begin the process of reality? Where can I sign up to help?
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Transistors and interconnects in chips are currently etched into place by equipment that, collectively, costs chip factory owners billions of dollars. Ideally, circuits in the future will assemble themselves through the principles of chemistry–in the same manner, for example, that cold water will turn into ice crystals under the right conditions.
April 7th, 2011 at 3:23 pmSelf-assembly, though, works best in simple reactions, in which only heat and a few different types of molecules are needed. Building complex structures requires helper molecules.