Looking a bit like a giant bird with its pointed, beak-like front end and green “wings,” the RaceBird first took conceptual form while E1 co-founder and CEO Rodi Basso was staying at her summer house in Sweden. She noticed birds gliding over the surface of the water and imagined how that form could translate to a futuristic, environmentally friendly boat with serious competitive capabilities.

A Formula 1 engineer who previously worked with McLaren, Ferrari, and NASA, Basso founded the E1 Series all-electric race boat championship with sports entrepreneur Alejandro Agag with a goal to bring electric motorsports to rivers and oceans around the world. The duo partnered with Norwegian designer Sophi Horne, naval architect and marine engineer Brunello Acompara, SeaBird Technologies, and Victory Marine to develop, manufacture, and build the RaceBird as the official racing vessel for the E1 championship.

The RaceBird features a fully electric outboard motor produced by marine propulsion experts at Mercury Racing and a cockpit resembling a single-seater race car with a steering wheel and pedals. Designed for just one occupant — the pilot — the RaceBird is powered by a Kreisel Electric battery and uses immersion cooling technologies to maintain top performance while in motion. The hydrofoils keep the body of the RaceBird above the water to reduce drag and maximize its energy efficiency.

Engineers successfully tested the RaceBird in northern Italy in April 2022, and the vessel is now on track to compete in the E1 World Championship in Spring 2023.

“We’re now one step closer to making electric racing on the water a reality,” says Agag. “I remember very well the same scenarios we encountered during the early stages at both Formula E and Extreme E, and just like on those occasions this is a major breakthrough on E1’s journey. Seeing the RaceBird fly proves to me that we can use this exciting, new sporting platform to drive technological innovation in the marine industry and create something spectacular for fans in the cities we visit.”

“Seeing the RaceBird flying on the water for the first time was an emotional moment for myself and many others who have been working on this project over the past few months,” says Basso. “So far, the RaceBird has exceeded expectations especially with the performance, agility and cornering capabilities. The current performance levels are exactly where we wanted them to be, helping to promote exciting foil-to-foil racing close to the shoreline.”

“In the coming weeks, we’ll continue to run further tests and gather the necessary data. I’m really looking forward to showing it in public for the first time, which we’ll be announcing more on shortly. This test marks the first page of a new chapter in the electrification of the marine industry, focusing on accelerating future technologies for the benefit of our waters.”

The post All-Electric RaceBird Hydrofoil Boat Flies Over the Water at Incredible Speeds first appeared on Dornob.

Prada teamed up with another boundary-breaking Italian company, Pirelli, to design the Luna Rossa AC75, a black monohull sailboat that looks like it could take to the skies at any moment. The AC75 is actually the ninth Luna Rossa boat designed by the team to represent Italy at the America’s Cup World Series sailing competition. The 36th annual event will be held in Sardinia next April, and the Luna Rossa will be the first challenger of the Emirates Team New Zealand, who won the last race.

It took two years for a team of 90 people (including 37 designers) to build the boat, which is made of carbon fiber and aluminum honeycomb with two innovative “foil arms” designed to support a maximum load of 27 metric tons (about 59,000 pounds).

Sailboats with arms are called “hydrofoil sailboats.” The wing-like foils mounted under the hull lift it up and out of the water while racing, allowing the entire boat to go twice as fast as the speed of the wind. They’re not unusual, but rarely do they look quite so high fashion as this.

“Another innovative feature of the AC75 is the ‘soft wing’ rig, with two sails hoisted in parallel and inbuilt systems to control the sail shape,” Prada states on its website. “This provides the efficiency of a hard wing combined with ease of use and handling akin to a traditional sail. 20,000 kilometers of carbon fiber thread was used to create the mainsail, in addition to 5,000 kilometers for each jib and 12,000 kilometers for each ‘code zero,” used to sail downwind in light breeze.”

Prada, which is also sponsoring the event, sent its design lead Miuccia Prada to christen the boat at its unveiling in Sardinia on October 2nd.

“This is our sixth America’s Cup challenge, but launch day is as exciting as ever — it is the magical moment that brings together many months of work and dedication and the anticipation of finally seeing on the water what was until now only a design,” says Patrizio Bertelli, President of the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team and husband of Miuccia. “This time, the revolutionary and innovative way the entire monohull concept has been reinterpreted heightens expectations still further.”

You might think designing a futuristic-looking hydrofoil sailboat in a sophisticated black dress would be the natural starting point for a crossover between the Luna Rossa project and Prada’s fashion. Can’t you already imagine the sailing-inspired outfits such a project could produce? Alas, it’s not to be: when asked whether the sailboat might inspire a themed collection, Bertelli said there’s no such plan in the works.

The post Prada’s Futuristic New Sailboat Floats on Carbon Fiber Arms first appeared on Dornob.

To get things started, the company set us up to operate remote control cars with our minds. As strange as that concept may seem, the headband we used to do so made it feel incredibly natural. More specifically, our brainwaves were being converted into digital instructions that told the cars to move around the track they were on — an especially amusing feature given the fact that human beings can think faster than they can react. No need to remember which button did what.

Once the thrill of racing with our minds subsided, we started thinking about all the other potential applications for BrainCo products. With their FocusFIT headband, the link between mind and body is strengthened even more. Its accompanying tablet app uses neurofeedback technology to give users actionable information both before and after their workouts. The headband is put on pre-workout, with cognitive games available on the app to help sharpen your focus and achieve an ideal performance. Once your workout is over, FocusFIT uses guided meditation to help your muscles recover more efficiently. You can then track their progress over the course of several sessions.

In the classroom, BrainCo’s FocusEDU could be used to quantify a student’s level of engagement with course materials in real-time. In this scenario, each student would be given a headband to help them calm down, concentrate, and meditate on course material. If a student is having difficulty in mathematics, the teacher will instantly know exactly where the breakdown in comprehension has occurred. If they’re simply not paying attention, the educator will know that, too, no matter how hard the student may try to conceal their daydreaming.

Over the course of the school year, teachers could also use FocusEDU to critique their own teaching methods based on the brainwave data collected. Were the technology to become ubiquitous in schools, there would no longer be a need for report cards or teacher evaluations — the data would tell the students, teachers, school administrators, and parents almost everything that they needed to know.

Even if you’re not a fitness buff or a student, BrainCo’s FocusNow can help you work more efficiently, tracking your performance for you and determining the areas where the quality of your work could be better.

As double-amputee athlete Mincheng Ni showed us, even the most challenging of tasks can be done if we put our minds to it. Ni performs using one of BrainCo’s award-winning AI-powered prosthetic hands, which learn their users’ habitual motions to create a more fluid piece that feels like a real arm, further proving the company’s motto, “your brain controls everything.”

Considering the millions of people that stand to benefit from the convergence of machine learning and neuroscience, it’s safe to say that BrainCo’s potential is more pronounced than we can even begin to think about.

The post BrainCo Blows Minds at CES 2019 first appeared on Dornob.

One such gush-worthy vessel is a hybrid cruiser and racing yacht by master boat builders Baltic Yachts. The boat is called “My Song” and, according to the company, is nothing less than “a state of the art, multi-role custom superyacht combining performance and light displacement with a stunning contemporary interior [to provide] an immensely comfortable cruising platform.” First launched in 2016, My Song has gone on to win many prestigious accolades, including that of Best Yacht at the World Superyacht Awards.

The beauty of My Song is that it combines the best of both worlds, simultaneously acting as a powerful high-speed racing beast and a luxurious, impeccably designed cruiser. For that reason, designers Mario Pedol and Massimo Gino affectionately refer to it as a “Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde” boat. The yacht took almost two years to build and was a collaboration between naval architects Reichel/Pugh and Nauta Yachts, who were respectively responsible for crafting the exterior structure and interior cabins.

Some of the boat’s most impressive specifications include “interchangeable mainsails for cruising or racing and Baltic’s latest retractable propulsion system, which rotates through 180 degrees to double as a stern thruster and a keel fin more akin to maxi raceboat design. The Baltic 130 custom’s plumb bow and wide transom exploit the speed benefits of a long waterline and powerful stern sections to meet the owner’s demands for a really effective race boat.”

Above all else, My Song’s designers were concerned with keeping the boat as light as possible so that it would be able to serve both functions — a mean feat in the world of sailing. This was accomplished using lightweight materials in the finishings of the open-plan interior, including linen composite floor, wall, and ceiling panels and carbon cable trays, heads, and countertops.

The boat’s owner, Pier Luigi Loro Piana, says, “My vision for the latest My Song was for a yacht that would be extremely lightweight, fast, and easy to handle: a real superyacht regatta contender [with a] welcoming, comfortable, and luxurious interior.” The lifting keel of the yacht further improves performance by shrinking the surface area of the boat that ever comes into friction-inducing contact with the water. The design of both the interiors and the upper deck were closely monitored by the owner, who insisted on seeing full-scale mock ups of all the finishings before deciding to incorporate them into the actual yacht. The result is clearly a labor of love, pride, and talent.

The post Inside the My Song Luxury Yacht first appeared on Dornob.

“We are proud of what we have achieved in these fifty years,” says CEO Jörg Astalosch. “Italdesign has always stood out for its ability to dare, to be ahead of its time and anticipate the industry’s needs, working daily to raise the bar of quality standards. If we look at the many prototypes we are proud to have at our Moncalieri headquarters, which were inspirational for many successful projects for our customers, this attitude for innovation — never an end in itself — is evident even after many decades.”

30 prototypes and production models that have marked significant points in Italdesign’s history were showcased inside the courtyard of the Castello del Valentino during the fourth edition of the Turin Auto Show.

1968 Bizzarrini Manta

The Bizzarrini looks as bizarre as its name suggests. With a shuttle-like build, this car looks better suited for outer space than it does for the everyday commute.

1971 BMW M1

This made-to-race car was personally designed by Italdesign’s Georgette Giugiaro and is entirely hand-built. At the time of its launch, it was one of the fastest and most dynamic cars on the market.

1974 VW Golf

The 1974 Golf was introduced as Volkswagen’s successor to the iconic Beetle. As a test of the car’s durability, two Golfs were driven over 30,000 kilometers from Alaska to Argentina’s Tierra del Fuego in 1974.

1978 Lancia Megagamma

The Lancia Megagamma was released during a time when cars were mainly judged by their lengths. This small concept van was the perfect vehicle for a family.

1981 DeLorean DMC 12

The Delorean was a sports car manufactured by John Delorean and his motor company. The car was purposed for the American market but only lasted from 1981 to 1983. Of course, the car was later made famous by the movie Back to the Future, in which it could travel through time.

Panda 4×4 Strip

This Fiat was a concept vehicle with a completely open seating area, no doors, and pick-up truck-like storage.

1984 Capsula

The body of the original Capsula could separate, allowing for different upper cabins to be placed over the same chassis. The vehicle was also made with extra storage space to serve those with tool-based careers.

1986 Machimoto

The 1986 Machimoto was created on the Volkswagen Golf platform. Designed with an open cab to mimic the sensation of riding a motorcycle, this car’s flexible seating platform allowed up to nine people to sit in it!

1988 Aspid, Asgard, and Aztec

With the Aztec, the driver and passenger are seated separately, but at least there’s a handy electronic communication link between them!

1992 Biga

The Biga is an eco-friendly model that can be mass-produced rather easily. It leaves no room for anything superfluous, as it was made to be the minimalist car of its time.

1992 Lucciola

The Lucciola was created to be hybrid, compact, light, and eco-friendly. It’s made out of recyclable materials and boasts an aluminium body.

1993 BMW Nazca C2

The C2 was made as an upgrade from the M12, with only a few changes actually worth noting. This project never made it beyond its prototype phase.

1998 Chiron

This deep blue two-seater sports car was a popular choice when entering races. Buggati named the Chiron in honor of Bugatti racecar driver Louis Chiron.

1998 Structura

The Structura was designed with a view to the future and was the official car for Turin’s candidacy for the 2006 Winter Olympic Games.

2000 Maserati Buran

This luxury, ultra-high performing range leader took inspiration for its general layout from hatchback limousines. The Buran offered sophisticated services with its elegant interiors.

2001 Aston Martin Twenty Twenty

The 2001 Aston Martin was the first of its kind to offer an open top. As you can probably tell from its name, the car was designed for the year 2020, with its sleek aesthetic giving off ultra-futuristic vibes.

2001 Volkswagen W12 Nardò

This Volkswagen is about as fast as it looks. On February 23rd, 2002, the W12 shattered world records for vehicular speed, covering a distance of 7740.576 kilometers at an average speed of 322.891 km/h.

2002 Alfa Romeo Brera

Brera took the 2004 Compasso d’Oro Award for its excellence in performance. Contemporary, elegant, refined, and essential — this car has it all.

2003 Corvette Moray

It goes without saying that this iconic American sport car pays attention to every detail. The Moray offers wave-like indents and long tapering headlights to keep you and your passengers intrigued.

2004 Alessandro Volta

The production of the Volta was dedicated to Alessandro Volta, the Italian physicist who invented the battery. As a matter of fact, the car was invented to promote a new approach to building eco-friendly automobiles.

2005 Ferrari GG50

“To celebrate 50 years working in car design, I wanted to make a Ferrari for myself that I could use with my family”, says Giorgetto Giugiaro. GG50’s name comes from Giugiaro’s initials, boasting the number 50 to celebrate the length of his design career.

2006 Mustang

Modeled after a standard fifth-generation Ford Mustang, this upgraded model by Giugiaro changes the styling and design of both the car’s interior and exterior.

2008 Italdesign Quaranta

Quaranta takes on a single-volume shape and provides step-in access to its cabin. Instead of opening the door to exit, you just have to push an electric on/off button. After that, the doors should swing open upwards in a downwind direction.

2009 Giugiaro Namir

The Namir was unveiled during the 79th International Motor Show in Geneva, being billed as the fastest and most ecological hybrid in the world. This release was a major turning point for sports cars fueled by hybrid systems.

2012 Brivido

“This is a quest for a genuine four-seater,” Giugiaro says, “to offer comfort and visibility, especially for the rear passengers, which are usually sacrificed in this type of vehicle.” The fancy sports car allows optimal natural light to pour through and provides far more leg room than usual.

2013 Parkour

“Parkour was devised as a new way of living and experiencing a metropolitan route creatively,” explains Giugiaro. “Parkour enthusiasts, who are referred to as traceurs or plotters, adapt their body to the surrounding environment, pursuing, through their movements, not just spectacle but instead mainly maximum efficiency. The purpose of parkour is to move around as efficiently as possible. By efficiently I mean: simply, quickly, and safely, [all of] which are characteristic features of our car.”

2016 GTZero

Keeping the environment’s future state in mind, the GTZero was built as a zero-emissions vehicle. Its clean design includes a comfortable passenger compartment, which can seat either two adults and two children or three adults and one child.

2017 Audi TT

The Audi TT is a compact two-door sports car. Its sporty aesthetic is perfect for everyday travel.

2017 Zerouno

The Zerouno debuted at Geneva’s 87th International Motor Show in 2017 — the first car under the new brand Italdesign Automobili Speciali. The vehicle’s racecar features have been adapted to accommodate normal commuting conditions.

2018 Zerouno Duerta

The Zerouno Duerta is phase two for Italdesign Automobili Speciali. Its carbon fiber body was chosen to promote lightness and aerodynamics as the core elements in the new design.

The post 30 Cars for 50 Years of History: Italdesign Celebrates 50th Anniversary in Turin first appeared on Dornob.