I’d only just finished writing about the new technology on the Audi A2 Concept over on Eurocarblog when I saw this piece from A&R on BMW’s advances in laser beam technology. We don’t like to be picky, but we do have to correct Jensen and say that LED headlight technology is hardly “just now” making its way onto to premium automobiles. It’s been around for a little while, but if the news from Audi and BMW is anything to go by, it’s already being replaced by lasers.

The new Audi concept uses lasers in its rear lights as a safety measure in various traffic conditions, particularly in fog where a bright red ‘danger’ triangle is projected onto the road behind the car. From that point of view we can see how laser light technology could be a handy safety feature if nothing else. We also imagine that it will provide endless possibilities for tuning in ways that LEDs can’t (just check out this Ferrari fridge as an example of the latter - imagine what they could have done with lasers!).

BMW isn’t exactly all-revealing about its new technology, but A&R suggests that the way a laser works you could actually be more selective about the field being illuminated - meaning you could illuminate a large stretch of road but not actually blind other drivers when doing so. In addition lasers use a lot less energy that LEDs which means better fuel economy (no news here about electric vehicles but we guess they would get a benefit, too).

A final benefit, especially for motorcycles, is the space that lasers take up compared to traditional headlights or LEDs. BMW says that the miniscule size “opens up all sorts of new possibilities when integrating the light source into the vehicle”. It will probably take a couple of years before we see this stuff on cars, let alone motorcycles. But if anyone wants to provide us with a motorcycle design and what they’d do with lasers, go for it. Star Wars just went two wheels.

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If you’re a luddite, stop reading now because this Photofly software will not be your thing. AutoCAD makers Autodesk have developed a new technology that generates a 3D image from photographs taken on a Smartphone.

The impressive technology works when a user takes photographs of an object that get converted into a 3D image, and which can then be changed much like a standard Photoshop file. The Kneeslider reports that at this stage the Photofly software isn’t 100 percent accurate, but it makes for an interesting step in industrial design and motorcycle design projects.

The site suggests that you can take images of something that you’d like to build, or where you see more design potential, and work on the 3D image from there. The Autodesk guys describe it as capturing reality, modifying it, and printing it (hop on over to the Kneeslider for a video on how it all works). If anyone’s managed to do some bike design with this tool yet, we’d welcome the pics to see what kind of creations can come out of this.

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The Italians are describing this Nembo 32 modern café racer as a complete novelty in the world of motorcycling. Presented a few months ago, the Nembo motorcycle has undergone its latest evolution and is now track testing on the Franciacorta track in Italy. Why is the Nembo so special? Because it mounts an upside-down three-cylinder engine.

Apart from its mechanical innovation, the Nembo 32 is in the style of a café racer, although we will have to get used to its awkward looks. The creation comes from Italian inventor Daniele “Titus” Sabatini, but we’re not quite sure of the benefits of fitting an upside-down engine (apart from the fact that Titus has proved you can - more on this later).

Despite what might sound like a complicated mechanical operation, the Nembo is actually quite simple both in its looks and in the rest of its components. So far, weight is said to be about 150 kg, and the 1814cc, three-cylinder motor can do 170 hp. The first production version is expected to take that engine capacity up to 1925cc, so we should have quite a fast machine on our hands.

Continue reading: Nembo upside-down engine motorcycle pics

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The Kawasaki 1400GTR is already a high-tech bike, but in 2010 it could become even more avantgarde, equipped with night vision. This kind of technology has so far only been seen on luxury automobiles, but Gizmag reports we could soon see it on the 1400GTR.

The infrared night vision, developed by Kawasaki itself, could appear as an option or as an aftermarket upgrade. The technology would function from the rear view mirrors of the bike, and information would be transmitted to the computer, which would judge how far away objects are and whether any obstacles lie outside the range of the headlights.

The technology therefore also functions as an anti-collision tool, but given it’s based on heat-sensor lights, it would only work for animals or people, and not anything that is no warmer than the general background. The technology is currently being used on top-of-the-range BMW and Mercedes cars.

The anti-collision feature would either appear on an LCD display, or even send an audio warning via Bluetooth to the rider’s helmet. It all sounds a bit sci-fi, but the technology could appear as early as next year, and even be presented at the Paris show this autumn.

Source | Gizmag

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