The engineers at Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology has created the Armadillo-T electric car, which folds itself completely in half when being parked. This space saver approach creates convenience for those tight parking spots.
The Armadillo-T’s foldable body was inspired by the distinct characteristic of a South American animal, armadillo. The vehicle seats two adults and can reach 37 miles per hour, reports Popular Science.
When folded up, the 992-pound prototype sizes down from an unfolded length of 2.8 meters (110 inches) to only 1.65 meters (65 inches). To activate the car to fold up, the driver can use a smartphone. Once the Armadillo-T is folded, the driver can steer the vehicle remotely to fit into the desired parking spot.
The car charges in 10 minutes and is can be driven about 62 miles on a full battery. Its four in-wheel motors are powered by one 13.6 kWh lithium-ion battery pack. The car has cameras substituting the rear view mirrors to decrease the threat of possible blind spots.
According to the project’s lead researcher In-Soo Suh, an associate professor at Graduate School for Green Transportation at KAIST, the Armadillo-T could be perfect for car-sharing in urban areas as well as for transport within large buildings and between close tourist locations, Popular Science reports. It is still in prototype stage and will take a while before it can reach production.
Read more:
http://www.ibtimes.com/armadillo-inspired-electric-car-folds-itself-half-park-1393191?ft=k1v75
