In this week’s episode of the Engineering Update starring Editor Kasey Panetta (@kcpanetta), Digital Editor Jason Lomberg (@JasonECNMag), and WDD’s Editor-in-Chief, Janine E. Mooney (@JMooneyWDD):
A hybrid motorcycle for US Special Forces
US Special Forces command has a long and colorful relationship with quick-insertion and stealthy motorcycles … and some that were less-than-stealthy. Air force combat controllers tested dirt bike insertion as far back as 2010, and the Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command — or MARSOC — trained with third-party dirt bike vendors back in February 2012. Most of these initial tests ran into reliability concerns when airdrop landings caused temporary fuel system issues.
The first open-source smart fridge
ChillHub is putting an end to the days of reaching into your fridge only to realize that you’ve run low (or completely out of) milk, eggs, or quite frankly, anything. The open-source smart refrigerator debuted last week at CES 2015. With built-in WiFi and two integrated USB hubs with 8 USB ports, your fridge can successfully talk to other smart devices in your home, such as Nest or WeMo.
A $30,000 fully electric car
For most people, a fully electric car is about as affordable as it is practical, but Chevy has taken on at least one of those problems with it’s newest reveal of a fully-electric Bolt for just $30,000. Based on lessons learned from Chevy’s hybrid Volt and Spark, the company showed off their newest concept car this week at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. According to Chevy, the car has a range of 200 miles and can change modes depending on its environment.
