We are already accustomed to the fact that nothing changes in the transport we use every day. What the buses were 10-20 years ago, they have generally remained so. Cars don't fly. And even the flying boards like in the movie "Back to the Future" were never invented. When was the last time you drove something new? On a hydrogen bus or a self-driving taxi? But it looks like things are changing this time.

We have compiled a selection of the most promising technologies, in our opinion, that can change the transport environment in the not so distant future.

Hydrogen transport

In search of environmentally friendly fuel, scientists are increasingly turning to hydrogen. It may seem that this is the most "green" replacement for traditional fuel. No harmful emissions. Water produced by the reaction between oxygen and hydrogen to generate electricity is thrown out through exhaust pipe in the form of steam and does not cause any harm to nature. Or the synthesized water first accumulates and then simply flows onto the road, as is done in the Toyota Mirai.

By the way, Mirai for hydrogen transport is about the same as Tesla for electric one. This is the first production car on hydrogen fuel cells. True, a hydrogen car from Toyota cannot yet boast of production volumes and sales, in comparison with electric cars from Elon Musk. Last year, the sales target was only 700 cars, of which 400 were planned to be sold in Japan.

Today there are three factors preventing the spread of hydrogen transport. First, there is no essential ubiquitous network of hydrogen filling stations. And there are no filling stations because there is not the necessary number of cars for the construction of such a network to pay off. For personal transport, in contrast to public transport, which runs along the same routes, this is very important. Honda created the Home Energy Station to solve this problem. The autonomous home station for hydrogen production can be used both for refueling the car, the Honda FCV sedan powered by hydrogen will become serial this year, and for domestic needs.

The second factor is the high cost of hydrogen transport itself and equipment for filling stations. However, this does not stop the authorities of those cities that are well aware of air pollution. For example, hydrogen-fueled buses have been operating in London since 2010. A hydrogen bus travels at one filling station for 18 hours, releasing only water vapor into the air.

In the same year, a hydrogen cab - Fuel Cell Hybrid taxi - was presented to the British public. Outwardly no different from the usual, the same black and vintage, inside it hides hydrogen fuel cells, lithium batteries and an electric motor. This also allows him to move around without harmful emissions. The development of the hydrogen taxi was partly funded by the British government.

Given the rapid development of technology, it can be assumed that the problems with the cost of producing hydrogen technology will be solved, as well as the problems with the cost of the fuel itself. The cost of hydrogen used to fuel such transport is still high. And this is the third factor influencing its ubiquity.

In fact, hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe. But it is quite difficult to find it in its pure form on our planet.

The hydrogen used as fuel can be extracted from a variety of sources. From natural gas by reforming, or by electrolysis of water, including the power of the sun or wind. So far, all these methods are quite expensive. Since, in fact, one type of fuel (energy) - natural gas and electrical energy are transformed into another. Benefit only in urban ecology. But as long as there are governments and numerous enthusiasts willing to invest in the development of hydrogen transport, it is hoped that a solution to the problems hindering its development will be found.

However, one should not expect that hydrogen cars will spread everywhere, even if diesel and gasoline are a thing of the past, hydrogen transport has another "green" competitor - electric transport.

Electric transport

Tesla Motors Elon Musk's company is on everyone's lips. This is, perhaps, the leader in its industry, and by far the main newsmaker. Musk is creating an entire infrastructure for electric transport: electric cars, Supercharger charging stations, building a Gigafactory lithium battery plant in Nevada, and his sister company SolarCity produces solar panels, which will also be used to generate electricity at charging stations.

Despite the fact that Tesla is engaged in personal transportation, Musk's ideas for urban public transport are also not alien to him. This became clear in April this year, when at an event held by the Norwegian government, the entrepreneur "let slip" that Tesla is working on a project that will solve the transport problems of cities. What Tesla engineers are working on will no longer be a bus, but a new mode of transport that can be used collectively, but at the same time, passengers will be delivered to the required address, and not to stops. Details are not disclosed, but it is known that the cars will be autonomous, that is, move without a driver, and apparently electric.

But Elon Musk is not the only one who is obsessed with the idea of \u200b\u200btransferring transport to electric energy. And even more so public transport.

Strictly speaking, electric public transport has existed for a long time; these are well-known trolleybuses and trams. Metro and monorail trains are also powered by electricity. Another thing is that when developing the electric public transport of the future, engineers apply new technical solutions and capabilities that have appeared only recently.

For example, the cheapening of lithium-ion batteries makes it possible to create trolleybuses that pass part of the route without recharging from the contact network. This allows you not to build unnecessary infrastructure, or to remove contact wires where they do not look aesthetically pleasing. Such a trolleybus is charged while driving under the wires, and where there are none, it uses the energy stored in the batteries.

But the TOSA electric bus, which is being tested in Geneva, is recharged at stops while passengers get off and on. Developers called this process "flash charging". It takes only 15 seconds to charge the battery. It should be enough until the next stop with charging. The charging station is located in the canopy of the stop pavilion. In order to connect the battery contacts to it, the bus is equipped with a robotic arm placed on the roof.

Unmanned vehicles

Returning to Elon Musk and his new idea of \u200b\u200bpublic transport, we can assume that the idea is no longer new. Anyway, until we found out the details. The Dutch company 2getthere is already implementing something similar. And in the same April, the company presented to the public its new, already the third project.

2getthere is known as a manufacturer of unmanned passenger cabins, which are already in use on the streets of Rotterdam (Netherlands), Masdar City (UAE), and now they will enter the streets of Singapore.

Residents and guests of Singapore will be able to use them starting from the end of this year. They are completely autonomous, run on electricity and will be able to move not only where car traffic is allowed, but also inside closed areas, such as school campuses. The unmanned cabins, which will be produced for Singapore, are designed to carry 24 people and are more spacious than those already used in Masdar City. They are designed for 4-6 passengers.

Self-driving vehicles have their advantages, and it's not just about saving on the driver's salary. It is also important here that you need to transport one less person. For transport moving on the ground, this is certainly not so critical, but for air transport it is important. Of course, it is too early to talk about unmanned air buses that will run over cities. But the unmanned air taxi has already been presented to the public.

EHang has been trying to create a passenger drone for a long time. The first version of such a transport was more like a fantastic pepelats from the movie "Kin-dza-dza!" But the eHang 184 unveiled at the Las Vegas show in January this year already looks like a real pre-production sample.

Essentially, an aircraft is a giant quadcopter designed to carry one passenger. It is capable of lifting a person and cargo weighing up to 118 kg on board and reaching speeds of up to 100 km / h.

Given the speed at which conventional drones designed for carrying cargo and aerial photography are developing, it can be assumed that unmanned air taxis will appear in large metropolitan areas after a while. It is difficult to imagine whether air taxis will paint in yellow and draw checkers, but you can definitely say that "Let's go, chef!" there will be no one to say.

Personal gyrotransport

When it comes to talking about the transport of the future, sometimes you have to hear that one of the modes of transport of the future will be a bicycle. Despite the fact that this type of transport will celebrate its bicentennial next year, it does not become obsolete and its popularity is even growing. But it's not about him now. The fact that many people choose as transportation not a bus, or another form of public transport, not a personal car, but a bicycle, speaks of the need for light personal transport. And the future offers new solutions here.

As we see the transport that we want to see in the future, it should be environmentally friendly and “smart”. The solutions proposed by two inventors and entrepreneurs, Dean Kamen and Shane Chen, are just like that. We are talking about personal electric gyrotransportation.

Dean Kamen is known as the founder of Segway Inc and the inventor of the vehicle that has already become a household name - Segway. The two-wheeled platform, equipped with two electric motors and a self-balancing system, allows you to move at speeds up to 20 km / h. Transport can be used both indoors and outdoors. There is also a special off-road version. And it is charged from an ordinary household outlet.

The difference between the segway and everything else that was done earlier is that you need to move while standing, and the wheels are not one after the other, like a bicycle or motorcycle, but on the sides of the rider's platform. And in order for such a device not to tip over backward or forward, a system of gyroscopic sensors and "smart" electronics was invented, which instructs the wheels to roll the platform towards the inclination.

It took the inventor 10 years to create the Segway. The idea became so popular that the Chinese became interested in it, and began to produce similar devices in violation of Keimen's patents. One of the Chinese companies that succeeded in this field was Ninebot, which is owned by the Chinese company Xiaomi. At first, Dean Kamen tried to sue, but then changed his mind and sold his company to Ninebot.

Ninebot is also known for other types of gyrotransportation. A light version of the segway, most often called a mini-segway or a gyro scooter and unicycle. Based on the same principles of self-balancing by means of gyroscopic sensors, they are becoming more and more popular.

But the unicycle, also called a gyrocycle, was invented by the already mentioned American inventor of Chinese origin Shane Chen. He also invented the so-called gyroboard (aka hoverboard). The production of these transportation gadgets has become so massive that not so long ago Shane Chen complained that the patents he received for his invention were useless. Gyroboards are produced by 11 thousand enterprises in China and he cannot do anything with them. Produced these devices, according to the inventor, more than a billion pieces. And he does not receive any royalties for his patents.

Such mass production suggests that personal electric transport is gaining popularity, and in the future will be no less common than a bicycle.

In addition, it is worth noting that the described modes of transport should not be confused with gyrokars that maintain balance using massive gyroscopes - flywheels. Here, gyroscopes are used only as sensors, and balance is achieved due to the movement of the wheels.

Flywheel balance gyroscars are also being developed, such as the two-wheeled Lit C-1 from Lit Motors. But so far this idea is not popular enough to talk about such machines as the transport of the future.

New roads of the future

If we are talking about the fact that vehicles are changing, then we cannot fail to say that the roads along which they move can also change. And this is not just an even smoother and more even asphalt, it is something more.

British state-owned road construction and maintenance company Highways England plans to build a test track under the roadway that will house battery recharging equipment for electric vehicles.

An electric car, in order to be able to recharge on the road, must support inductive charging technology. This will allow owners of electric vehicles to travel significant distances without visiting charging stations. However, they plan to build charging stations anyway. They will be located along the road at a distance of 11 kilometers from each other.

But if in Britain they create roads that will distribute electricity, then in the USA they are developing roads capable of generating it. Inventors Julia and Scott Bruso decided to create "solar roads" consisting of glass tiles. Such a surface will be resistant to damage, withstand the weight of multi-ton trucks and provide the same tire grip as regular asphalt. But most importantly, they generate electricity, as they contain solar cells that convert solar energy into electric current. The project, called Solar Roadways, has already received government funding.

The miracle did not happen, as at the beginning of the third millennium, when we, according to Ray Bradbury, were supposed to colonize Mars. They often talk about the prophecies of science fiction, but one should not forget about unsuccessful forecasts - catastrophically beautiful, but still failures.

Where are the flying cars?

There is a technique under this name, but in reality it is only a hybrid of a car with an airplane. And though the latest designs look futuristic , they are very, very expensive and bear little resemblance to the anti-gravity transport in the "Fifth Element". Further away from him other developments similar in design to a helicopter , or even equipped with a parachute and a rear propeller ... Here another fiction comes to mind rather - Carlson, who lives on the roof. Charming, but there is no smell of innovation here.

In films and computer games, another version of individual transport flashed - a jetpack. For example, he was featured in Star Wars and Robocop. But even here it did not come to mass use, and it is unlikely that it will soon reach - there is only enough fuel for half a minute of flight, and these volumes cost a round sum.

We ourselves, apparently, do not expect miracles so much that we rejoice even at such a creation of the Chinese innovative genius as the "portal bus". But it is real, like the monorail in Moscow or japanese train with speeds up to 603 km / h.

And yet, for the human imagination, boundaries are unacceptable. Science fiction of the past, and just the fantasies of our ancestors about the future have acquired a special charm and a new name - "retrofuturism". A romantic, enthusiastic love for technology and a desire to anticipate future discoveries - this can both touch and inspire today.

Reinvent the wheel

Even before the car wanted to "lift in the air", there were ideas to improve it. And the most important thing is to reinvent the wheel in a new way! A Japanese magazine in 1936 introduced a concept car with balls instead of regular tires: according to the authors, this idea would provide a smooth ride for the transport. Not such a pointless idea, even according to modern engineers. In 2016, a similar development presented by the American company Goodyear , largest manufacturer tires.

Gigantomania gave birth to another imaginary miracle of technology - a ship on huge wheels, which, according to the inventor, was supposed to plow the sands of the Sahara and solve the problem with transport in the region. Struggle against samums and other desert disasters, including heat, was foreseen by the design, and the engineer promised "a trip that will turn into a pleasant journey through those places where thousands of generations fought in vain with natural forces and died in an unequal struggle." So the magazine "Around the world" wrote about it in 1927. It is not known how successful the idea was - it still did not come to implementation. Although it can be assumed that the promised air conditioning of such a machine, and even to overcome the sands with cogwheels, would take a lot of resources.

For public use, however, just compact models were offered. In 1947, engineer Eduard Vereiken from Brussels patented a dicycling, a self-propelled carriage that consisted of two huge wheels and an open cabin in the middle. The inventor himself claimed that the transport can accelerate to 185 km / h - but it's hard to believe in it. And the safety of passengers remains in question. Only in the Swedish analogue of 1999 by Jonas Bjerkholtz were all design problems taken into account. But use it now just for the entertainment of the public.

Trains were another favorite theme for engineers and dreamers. Many hopes were pinned on monorails, although they were presented in a rather unusual way - for example, this or that. But ordinary trains were seen as much more advanced in the future - comfortable, spacious, and even with a view of the stars.

"Ship of the Desert" according to the 1927 version.

A helicopter for each person!

Where the fantasy unfolded to its fullest - it was a flying vehicle. The imagination of our ancestors gave rise to saucer-like aircraft, and aircraft with wings below and turbo engines in the bow, and even submarine aircraft. Not to mention everything - you can also browse the galleries on Reddit or keyword collections on Pinterest yourself.

But what is especially touching in all these projects is the belief in the general availability of transport of the future. A man has just conquered the air, and American magazines write: "Helicopters for Everybody!" ("Helicopters to every home!"). And among all these press clippings almost a century ago, you can see drawings of private planes. Then the truth was expected from the future only striving upward, and scientific progress, and the quality of life of everyone.

Do you believe in it now when you stand in a traffic jam during rush hour? Or when you are shaking on the upper bunk of a reserved seat carriage? Clutching a smartphone in your hand, the computing power of which is known to be higher than NASA equipment in 1969?

The 21st century has not yet taken place - it certainly did not take place the way fans of technical progress expected it. But the future, as it turned out, is unpredictable. At a slow pace, but it comes - we suggest you get acquainted with the futuristic transport of the present.

Today's future

Segway has become one of the most fashionable forms of personal transport in recent years, a technological competitor for bicycles and scooters. What is its futurism? You will have to "steer" exclusively with your body: the gyroscope and other sensors in its device react to tilt. And only you will have to turn it with a handle or a special column. The control of a gyro scooter and a monocycle is completely intuitive - I must say, it is these varieties that are popular today.

Even the police use segway in Naberezhnye Chelny and Moscow. In many cities, rental offices have appeared where you can temporarily become the owner of a two-wheeled "self-propelled carriage" or a monocycle. On the market, a monocycle can cost up to half a million rubles, but for 20-30 thousand it is quite possible to buy a monocycle that can withstand 15 kilometers without recharging.

Another representative of modern electric transport is the electric car. Being invented even earlier than the usual fuel-fueled cars, it still remains a symbol of the future. There are many reasons for this: resource saving, environmental friendliness, and independence from the oil market conditions. Today it is easiest to ride an electric car, especially for residents of Moscow and St. Petersburg: just contact the taxi service, which has such models in its fleet. In Yandex.Taxi, for example, not so long ago appeared one of the most advanced electric cars, Tesla Model S. Its capabilities are impressive: in just a few seconds, it can accelerate to 100 km / h, while the course is almost silent.

The most innovative transport known to Russians is, of course, the Moscow monorail, the “thirteenth metro line”. It began functioning in full measure back in 2008, but even now not all residents of the regions have heard of it. As if descended from the same retro-futuristic clippings from magazines, but adapted to reality, the monorail is the favorite of the public. The location of the road amazes the imagination - this is an overpass, that is, the train path completely passes over Moscow. The route runs from the Timiryazevskaya station to Sergei Eisenstein Street. However, recently there have been talks about dismantling the track, although the last word is still the proposal to make it a "tourist object". Payback, as it turned out, was a serious problem for this pilot road.

Like this, overcoming difficulties modern device peace, the future is still slowly approaching. Will levitating cars and a teleportation booth in every yard await us in the coming decades? Unlikely. Will the transport of the future be similar to what we can imagine? Also unlikely. And it’s not that bad.

What do you gentlemen think, and how many more years will be sold in developed countries of the world and Europe motor vehicles? Do you think that in the next 100 years this does not threaten the countries and, in principle, is impossible, and in the next 30-50 years oil will still be the main fuel on the planet? You friends are wrong. In fact, we are almost on the verge of the incredible future that awaits us soon. In fact, the era of gasoline and diesel vehicles is coming to an end and coming to an end. And the thing is that today the world has united, it is fighting to improve the ecology of our planet, and therefore we will soon face the inevitable disappearance of the vehicles that run on traditional and familiar energy sources.

So it is expected that in the next 10-15 years, many European countries will introduce a complete ban on the sale of vehicles that will be equipped with gasoline and diesel engines. Even the United States plans in 20-30 years to completely and in fact switch to cars that will operate on alternative energy sources.

So, respected citizens, there is a high probability that the vehicles we are used to with internal combustion engines have begun a gradual path towards their disappearance. Do you think or think that, as always, this will affect our country in the last turn? You are wrong and wrong gentlemen.

Already today, at this stage, our Government is preparing the ground for the development of cars in the country that will and should not work.

Fortunately for fans of traditional cars, the era of gasoline and diesel engines has not yet passed. So dear motorists, let's analyze together with us what kind of cars we will drive, let's say in 20-30 years.

In fact, predicting the future is not entirely rewarding. This is especially true for high technologies. But nevertheless, we think it's possible to make our forecast for the development of the auto industry. Indeed, in order to find out which vehicles will become the main sources of movement in the next 20 years, it is necessary to recall the history of the entire auto industry as a whole, and then assess the chances of all the technologies that have been invented by mankind over the past hundred years.

After all, you must agree with us, if the world begins to prohibit the use of internal combustion engines, then all automakers will simply be forced to urgently use new ones in their industry and perhaps remember forgotten old ones.

What drives the car?

We know from school that any object needs energy and strength to move. Thus, and according to the laws of physics, it turns out that mechanical energy is needed to move the vehicle. To obtain it, more than a hundred years ago, an internal combustion engine was invented for the first time, which, from the combustion of fuel, converts the received energy into mechanical energy. In the end, she drives the car.

Thanks to fuel system The internal combustion engine burns gasoline or diesel fuel, receiving the final energy after it is ignited, which is transmitted further to the wheels.

Also over 100 years ago in automotive industry an electric motor was also invented, which runs on clean energy - from electricity. Unlike the same gasoline, the electricity itself does not need to be obtained in any way. It usually accumulates in the batteries that are installed in cars. Thus, in the end, the electric motor receives constant electrical energy, which is converted into mechanical energy and drives the car.

Steam vehicles and steam engine

First in the world steam engine was invented by Denis Papin back in 1690 (17th century). This power unit at that time was equipped with only one cylinder with a piston. This piston raised steam. It descended under the influence of atmospheric pressure after the exhaust steam was thickened.

As a result, the energy of the steam itself was converted into mechanical energy.

But the main revolution in steam engines was made by James Watt, who created an improved steam engine with an isolated chamber. Unfortunately, then it was not possible to create a full-fledged car Watt, this was due to a lack of funds.

Then and later, the inventor Nicolas-Joseph Conyu created the world's first moving vehicle on mechanical energy, which was obtained from the formation of steam. His invention was an army cart ("fardier à vapeur" - a steam cart), which was created to transport artillery army equipment. Its design used an improved steam and boiler, which was installed in the bow of the wagon.

Unfortunately, the weight of the cart was very huge, which made it practically unmanageable. During the tests of the carts, the designers realized the following that this carriage is very dangerous and often leads to accidents. Ultimately, this project ceased to exist.

In Russia, the first steam engine was created in 1763, it was invented by II Polzunov. The machine was used for blowing bellows at the Barnaul factories. Further, the development of steam engines was continued by the well-known and famous inventor Ivan Kulibin, who at one time built many steam engines.

The use of steam engines continued until the early 20th century.

The main disadvantage of steam engines is their efficiency and in order to increase it, it was necessary to complicate the very design of the steam engine, which inevitably led to an increase in its weight. Ultimately, such a vehicle became much heavier, which directly influenced the engine power and the dynamics of this transport.

As a result, the engineers were forced to complicate the design itself in order to add the lacking efficiency to steam engines, which in turn also led to an increase in the mass of the structure itself. In general, as the engineers said, it was a vicious circle that confirmed that the steam engine was not perfect and in the future it was just a dead end.

Thus, at the beginning of the 20th century, steam engines began to gradually disappear and were replaced by vehicles with internal combustion engines that already ran on gasoline.

Cars with internal combustion engines

In 1863, Nikolaus August Otto created a two-stroke naturally aspirated internal combustion engine. This engine had an efficiency in the region of 15 percent. Ignition was carried out with an open flame.

And already in 1886, Karl Benz created the world's first car with an internal combustion engine, which in its design was based on the engine created by August Otto. It was the world's first gasoline-powered car.

In 1899, Ludwig Nobel, at the plant bearing his name, built the world's first diesel carwhich ran on diesel fuel.

It was since then that the liquid-fueled internal combustion engine became the main engine for the entire global automotive industry, and it remains so to this day.

Electric cars

The most surprising friends here is that the electric cars themselves came to our world almost 50 years before the appearance of the same vehicles, which were equipped with internal combustion engines.

It is also noteworthy that at the beginning of the same 20th century, these electric vehicles were incredibly popular and significantly outperformed cars with gasoline or diesel power units.

Indeed, unlike the same gasoline or diesel cars electric cars were virtually silent, which allowed the driver and his passengers to receive while driving.

Unfortunately, all these advantages of the first electric cars were crossed out by one main disadvantage, they had a very small power reserve.

Let us remind our dear readers that the very first electric car appeared on the planet in 1841, which had a very small power reserve on one charged battery (about 20 km).

Unfortunately for us, more than 50 years after the invention of the electric motor, engineers have not figured out how to increase the range of electric vehicles. For example, by 1920, this range of electric vehicles averaged only 50 kilometers.

In addition, there were also difficulties with recharging the batteries themselves under normal conditions. Eventually, by 1930 and gradually, combustion engine vehicles had virtually and virtually destroyed all electric vehicles. This was certainly facilitated by the very development of gasoline and diesel enginesas well as the cheap cost of fuel and the development of the infrastructure of gas station networks around the world.

But recently, the auto industry again remembered this technology (about electricity) and began the rapid development of electric transport, which, perhaps soon or in the near future, more than 100 years later, claims to again become the main mode of transport on our planet.

True, like more than 100 years ago, the entire automotive industry is again faced with the same problems when creating modern electric cars. The main problem remains the same, it is the power reserve. Currently, most electric vehicles use a lithium-ion battery in their design. The main disadvantage of this type of battery is its weight and short charging time with a sufficiently small supply of electricity to power the electric motor.

But a real breakthrough in this today was made by Tesla, which created the world's first serial a car (Tesla Model S) which has a long range. True, for this a sufficiently large and heavy battery was created, which also takes a very long time to charge. But thanks to this, the company's engineers managed to increase the vehicle's power reserve to 400 kilometers.

At the moment, in many countries of the world (mainly in the USA), Tesla continues to develop its own network of electric filling stations, where equipment is installed that allows charging electric cars on average in about 20-30 minutes (charging up to half the battery capacity). So it is possible that soon, thanks to the proliferation of such electric filling stations around the world, the demand for electric cars will only increase.

Unfortunately, it is currently not possible (not yet possible) to charge such a huge battery of an electric car faster. After all, this requires a very powerful chargerwhich does not exist in the world yet. But the technologies themselves continue to develop at a fairly rapid pace, and perhaps very soon we will have a breakthrough in this area of \u200b\u200bconservation of electrical energy. In this case, it can be predicted in advance that the growth in popularity of electric cars will be overwhelming.

Atomic car Ford Nucleon

Yes, yes friends, do not be surprised, there was such an ambitious project in the history of mankind.

In 1958, the American company Ford developed a concept car with a real nuclear reactor. It was expected that, on a single charge with radioactive substances, this car could travel (should have traveled) up to 8000 kilometers.

At its core, this nuclear reactor, which was planned to be installed on the Nucleon vehicle, was a smaller copy of the nuclear reactor used on military submarines.

It was planned to use fission of uranium as a fuel for heating the steam generator, which would convert heated water into steam. Then this steam under pressure would enter the turbines, which would rotate the car's drive itself.

Unfortunately, this ambitious project has remained a futuristic concept and is unlikely to ever return to our auto world.

After the Chernobyl and Fukushima disasters, nuclear power is considered the most dangerous in the world. So dear friends, in the next 100 - 150 years, this type of energy is unlikely to come to the auto industry.

Self-run vehicle

In 1752, in St. Petersburg, Leonty Shamshurenkov presented to the assembled public a self-propelled carriage that moved by pedaling. His vehicle was equipped with foot pedals, which were chain-driven and rotated the wheels of a self-run vehicle.

Thanks to the simple design, the force spent on pedaling increases and the wheels of the vehicle receive enough energy to develop not so low speed.

Surprisingly, such vehicles are still produced by the automotive industry. There are even various competitions in the world that are held just on such self-run cars. An example of this is the recent world speed record for a self-run vehicle (just over 130 km / h).

Hydrogen cars

What are hydrogen cars? We answer. These are vehicles that use hydrogen as fuel.

The first internal combustion engine to run on hydrogen fuel was created by François Isaac de Rivaz in 1806.

Unfortunately, the use of hydrogen fuel as an alternative to the same gasoline is not very efficient. The point is this. Hydrogen quickly destroys the internal parts of the engine, it interacts with engine components and damages parts power unit in a short time. And second, because of the volatility of hydrogen, this fuel can penetrate into the exhaust system of the engine, which will inevitably lead to its ignition.

So, the global automotive industry had to abandon the use of hydrogen as an alternative to gasoline and diesel fuel. But recently everything has changed ...

Thus, friends get ready, an amazing future awaits us, which even the most daring futurists in the world and science fiction writers could not imagine.

GBOUOSH № 401 St. Petersburg, Kolpino Transport of the future myth or reality territory-air Pupil of the 3rd grade A. Bodunova Sofia

For many years, people dreamed of flying carpets and running boots, and of good wizards who could move people to any end of the world. These dreams were embodied in fairy tales. And in real life people had to work. It took weeks and months to bridge the distance between cities. This went on for millennia, until man began to create machines capable of multiplying his own physical strength and at the same time remaining obedient to his will.

500 years ago, the first sketches of flying machines appeared in the writings of Leonardo Da Vinci

200 years ago, the balloon of the Montgolfier brothers, rising into the sky, fulfilled the dream of mankind - to fly like a bird

Aircraft classification

Is it possible to single out the fastest aircraft in the world at the present stage? After all, they were designed simply great amount! Five aircraft should be distinguished that are capable of developing the highest speed.Modern aircraft are complex machines that operate in various meteorological and climatic conditions such as: high and low temperatures, high and low atmospheric pressure.

Which model can be considered the fastest? 1. The first position is rightfully occupied by the Falcon HTV-2 model. It is the fastest aircraft in the world. The speed it reaches in flight is 20,921 km / h. The model was designed and released in 2010. The purpose of this aircraft is closely related to operational response. Using this model, it is possible to carry out an intercontinental flight from Moscow to Krnkun (USA) with a length of 10,000 km in just 45 minutes. Then, as on a regular passenger ship, it takes the fastest flight - 21 hours 45 minutes

2. The next aircraft model X-43A was developed by professional designers of NASA. As distinctive feature stands for the fact that it is able to reach its maximum speed in just 10 seconds .. This is another fastest aircraft in the world. 11,230 km / h is a vivid confirmation of this.

4. A model that can withstand high temperatures is a model called the Blackbird. The speed of such an aircraft reaches 3540 km / h. The basis for the design of the SR-71 aircraft was a titanium alloy. Due to this alloy, the aircraft is able to withstand heating up to 1093 degrees Celsius. 3. In the third position is one of the most powerful models. We are talking about the X-15. In a short period of time, it reaches its maximum speed, which is 7274 km. in hour. This representative of the "Fastest Aircraft in the World" rating has a rather original purpose. It promotes the transformation of ordinary pilots into astronauts. This model is able to take off quite easily to an altitude of over 80 kilometers. Before flying, astronauts must undergo special training.

the world famous aerobatic team "Swifts", which bears the title - "The best aerobatic team in the world" 5. Representative Russian production MIG 29 Russian multirole fighter belonging to the 4th generation. The main task that was assigned to the new aircraft was to provide air defense of strategically important facilities, small territories of Russia. It differs from foreign (even modern) analogs of the MiG-29 by its outstanding maneuverability in a unique range of heights and speeds, as well as an effective weapon system for participation in highly maneuverable air combat, ease of maintenance and the power of the frame structure.

In 2016, the Russian Air Force will receive the latest 5th generation fighter, the T-50. The plane is expensive, about one hundred million US dollars (which is more than seven billion rubles). This aircraft is equipped with hypersonic missiles not visible on enemy radars. Plus a full set of possible weapons, which turns the aircraft into a "lethal invincible force."

1. Be super fast. At the moment, humanity has reached a speed of more than 20,000 km / hour. Fast enough we are approaching the speed of light 300,000 kilometers per second. Remember 500 years ago it never occurred to anyone to develop such speeds. Our state has already developed missiles, the speed of which allows them to be unnoticed even on modern devices. 2. to rise and fly in the high layers of the atmosphere. This aircraft can be actively used for space travel. An option for space walks should be designed soon. In this regard, thrill-seekers can get an excellent opportunity to visit on board this aircraft. Every year, even at this second, new technologies and systems are being developed. The transport of the future will unambiguously combine all the listed advantages of the considered aircraft in one.

3. Pick up the maximum speed for 10 seconds. 4. the body of the aircraft will withstand temperatures over 1000 degrees Celsius 5. be maneuverable and easy to operate 6. the most important transport must be accessible to the inhabitants of the planet. Safe for their health and the health of their pets. 7. Possible invention of models in a simpler modification for private use. As well as models for people with disabilities.

Let's not forget about the main points - machines must be safe for both people and the environment. The development of huge speeds implies new types and volumes of energy and fuel. This requires the development of biofuels and the use of solar energy

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Why would one of the world's leading car manufacturers consider the cities of the future? After all, owned by Ford 6% of the world car market, estimated at 2.3 trillion. dollars is very serious. It's simple: the transport and service industry, which determines the comfort of residents of megacities, is already estimated at more than twice as expensive - at 5.4 trillion dollars. Business goes where you can make money, and this is absolutely logical.

All cars will be connected to the Internet

The near future of all cars is clear: they will all be connected to the Internet. Safety and paranoia are topics for separate discussions, but now we will focus on the benefits that the driver and his passengers will get from this.

Take FordPass Connect, a wireless modem that Ford will integrate into all cars for sale in Europe. Each car is equipped with a 4G LTE access point to which you can connect up to ten external devices - smartphones, tablets, laptops or other gadgets. The provider will be the mobile operator Vodafone.

Very soon, absolutely all new cars will be connected to the Internet.

It is clear that the ability to watch movies on the road or turn the steering wheel to communicate with the boss via Skype for smartphone owners is not very intriguing. You need to understand that FordPass Connect is just the first step towards taking the car to the next stage of its development.

We add a voice assistant here (in the US, Amazon Alexa is already used for this purpose) and we get a completely new user experience. One simple command will allow you to find anything and immediately get a route to your goal. And for the city authorities, this is the most valuable information about traffic flows... Using such “big data” wisely, you can optimize traffic in metropolitan areas very cool. Need to watch a broadcast from the children's room? No problem. Want to order dinner for your arrival home? As easy as pie!

By the way, another significant plus of FordPass Connect is the ability to interact with your "iron horse" remotely. A key fob is great, but why not replace it with a smartphone app? The program will not only allow you to open and close doors, but will also collect a lot of useful statistics. For example, about gasoline and oil consumption, tire pressure, battery charge, mileage and much, much more.

A special application will replace the car key and collect useful travel statistics.

The future belongs to autonomous electric vehicles and ride-sharing

Ford representatives are confident that the future is not personal, but collective cars. Already, the American automaker is actively investing in the development of a fully autonomous ride-sharing vehicle. Ford expects that a production model of such a car will appear in less than 5 years - already in 2021.

The idea is for city dwellers to use self-driving cars to drive together. For example, if you want to get from the suburbs to the center: set the desired point, a self-propelled taxi will come for you. And on the way, it independently picks up other passengers who want to get about the same place as the first one, slightly adjusting the route. If the use of such a service is cheaper and more convenient than a personal car, then it will definitely be successful. And by giving up their own cars, people are known to unload the roads of their city.

This "drone" is not just a beautiful theoretical concept, but a very tangible development. To ensure its future success, Ford has acquired the Israeli computer vision company SAIPS. In addition, the American automaker has invested in 3D mapping company Civil Maps and Velodine, a developer of automotive LiDAR sensors. These are also the “eyes” of an unmanned vehicle.

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Of course, a car that drives itself on the road needs good brains. Argo AI specialists are already working hard on the creation of such for the Ford UAV - for this they will be provided with serious investments within five years: a billion dollars have been invested in the project!

And here, definitely, there is something to fight for. Unlike an ordinary driver, the autopilot does not get behind the wheel with a hangover, does not look at the pretty legs and does not talk to his wife on the phone, simultaneously switching the radio stations of the receiver. Autonomous cars will reduce road deaths and injuries.

Special transport for megacities

Ford's understanding of the transportation system of the future goes far beyond electric drones, 5G and ride sharing. Already, the American automaker is paying close attention to the so-called “last mile” problem.

For example, in logistics, this is the distance that a courier with a parcel travels from truck to the client's apartment. If we are talking about the delivery of flowers or small parcels, then there is no problem. And if you need to bring a heavy box into the apartment, then everything is completely different.

For this purpose, Ford developers came up with Tricity. This is a transformable vehicle with an electric motor, on which a courier can deliver a box with purchases to a customer, and an ordinary person can bring purchases from a store. Moreover, there is a seat, so this is quite a full-fledged analogue of a scooter. Only not for moving on public roads, but for pedestrian areas. The power reserve is 30 km, and maximum speed limited to 20 km / h. Such things in the future will be an excellent replacement for city bike rentals.

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Another cool last mile development is the smart Ford Carr-E platform. A round washer with headlights and brake lights can carry both a 120-kilogram person and any load. The control principle is about the same as that of modern hoverboards: at first it's unusual, but then the body gets used to it, and the Carr-E starts to ride very confidently.