This Level 5 autonomy electric semi-truck is what Tesla Semi could have looked like!

A Level 5 autonomy electric truck with a peculiar trailer design highlighted by the humungous set of sole rear wheels which provide superior grip on the road at high speeds. Of course, there are some shortcomings of this ideation but I love the overall visual appeal.

Electric semi-trucks developed by companies like Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Daimler, Nikola Motors, Ford, and Tesla are paving way for the future of freight trucking across the globe. Some of them even have autonomous mobility dreams, and eventually, we’ll see such semi-trucks speeding past us on the freeway. Joining in on the race to develop fully autonomous semi-trucks is this concept design by Roman Dolzhenko in collaboration with industrial designer Dmitry Voronezhtsev.

The electric tractor christened ATLANTIS is going to have Level 5 autonomy with no compartment for the driver or any human intervention. This will be highly useful in hauling time-sensitive cargo to pre-defined destinations, completely taking the human intervention out of the equation. The electric truck has a very out-of-the-box design which looks nothing like we’ve seen so far. Even the Volvo Vera, Tesla Semi, or the Ford F-Vision look a tad ordinary in comparison to this one. Something relatable to this ultra-futuristic design is the conceptual Polestar 10-wheeler modular trailer or the Tesla Autonomous E-Rig semi concept design.

The reason, this fully autonomous electric semi has a huge rig with even bigger wheels right on the rear. In fact, they are as big as the trailer. On the road, these wheels move independently to the tractor pulling it up ahead, which also has a set of independently moving wheels to maneuver the turns and tight spaces for practicality. The ride height of the trailer is not high enough for it to tread the uneven terrains and the sole set of big wheels poses another challenge for flexibility on banked roads or swapping it with another set of wheels in case the existing ones go rouge. That’s clear indicative, the ATLANTIS is envisioned for freeways just like the Road Trains operational in Australia!

Designer: Roman Dolzhenko and Dmitry Voronezhtsev

The post This Level 5 autonomy electric semi-truck is what Tesla Semi could have looked like! first appeared on Yanko Design.

Visualized: Space Shuttle Atlantis makes its final journey, arrives at new home (video)

Visualized: Space Shuttle Atlantis makes its final journey, arrives at new home (video)

On Friday, Space Shuttle Atlantis made its final voyage, marking the last time an orbiter in America's shuttle program would be on the move. We were on-hand during the occasion and followed Atlantis as it slowly trekked to its destination, a 90,000 square-foot exhibit building at Kennedy Space Center's Visitor Complex. To live out the event vicariously, check out the photos below or hit the jump for the video.

Continue reading Visualized: Space Shuttle Atlantis makes its final journey, arrives at new home (video)

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Visualized: Space Shuttle Atlantis makes its final journey, arrives at new home (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 03 Nov 2012 10:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Watch Space Shuttle Atlantis’ final journey to the Kennedy Space Center visitor building (video)

Watch Space Shuttle Atlantis' final journey to the Kennedy Space Center visitor building video

It's always bittersweet when we see great vehicles on their way to becoming museum pieces, after all, they represent something pretty special. Space Shuttle Atlantis landed in Florida back in July, where it's been locked inside the vehicle assembly building at the Kennedy Space Center -- which is where we got a chance to look inside. Now it's making its final journey, a 10-mile cruise along the road to the visitor center, where it'll hopefully inspire generations for many years to come. If you'd like to watch the operation as it takes place, then head on past the break to watch the livestream.

Continue reading Watch Space Shuttle Atlantis' final journey to the Kennedy Space Center visitor building (video)

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Watch Space Shuttle Atlantis' final journey to the Kennedy Space Center visitor building (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 02 Nov 2012 06:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Space Shuttle Atlantis hands-on: a look inside (video)

Space Shuttle Atlantis hands-on: a look inside (video)

Space Shuttles Discovery, Endeavour and Enterprise have all left Kennedy Space Center for new homes, but Atlantis? She's staying. Come November 2nd, the orbiter will be wheeled out to a 65,000-square-foot exhibit, which is still being constructed at KSC's visitor complex. Though the craft's cargo bay doors will be open and its remote manipulator arm extended when its displayed, visitors won't be able to climb aboard it -- or any of the other shuttles, for that matter. However, we got the chance to visit Bay 2 of the Orbiter Processing Facility, step inside Atlantis and give it the hands-on treatment. Look out below for the gallery or hit the jump for the full video tour.

Continue reading Space Shuttle Atlantis hands-on: a look inside (video)

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Space Shuttle Atlantis hands-on: a look inside (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 06 Oct 2012 14:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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