flickering pictures

My buddy’s Fortwo Smart car ain’t got nothing on these puppies.

From the Technology Review:

At the heart of these vehicles is an omnidirectional robot wheel that the team has developed. The wheel encases an electric-drive motor, as well as suspension, steering, and braking systems. With no engine or mechanical parts between the wheels and the driver’s controls, the system offers great flexibility in design. The driver can, in fact, fold the car up (see above image). Six to eight folded and stacked City Cars can fit into one conventional parking space. General Motors sponsored the development of the car.

The MIT group sees the vehicles as the linchpin in a strategy that aims to mitigate pollution with electric power, expand limited public space by folding and stacking vehicles like shopping carts, and alleviate congestion by letting people rent and return the vehicles to racks located near transportation hubs, such as train stations, airports, and bus depots.

Of course, these cars will only stack with each other, meaning that they’re subject to a vicious circle of uselessness: they’re not handy until they become popular, and they won’t be popular until they’re handy. But although the stacking may not be practical right away, MIT’s electric, zero-emission City Car is no one-trick pony:

The wheels also enable incredible maneuverability. Instead of making U-turns, the car can spin on the spot, and when the driver turns each wheel 90 degrees, the car can parallel-park by moving sideways.

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