ActiveSuspension
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Audi's active suspension converts road jolts into electricity
Regenerative brakes capture a lot of wasted energy in hybrid and electric cars, but there's another energy source automakers could exploit: potholes. To harness those tailbone scourges, Audi developed an active suspension called eROT that replaces hydraulic shocks with electromechanical ones. "Every pothole, every bump, every curve induces kinetic energy in the car," says Audi's Dr. Stefan Knirsch. "With the new electromechanical damper system in the 48-volt electrical system, we put this energy to use.
Visualized: the history of the Formula 1 car in 60 seconds (video)
Formula 1 car technology has come a long way since it first hit the asphalt banks 62 years ago. It's been hard to convey the sheer amount of change in a succinct way, but Rufus Blacklock may have nailed it in exactly one minute. Abstract versions of the cars show us the progression from the bullet-shaped cars of the 1950's through to the low-slung, wing-laden beasts we know today. If the clip is a little too F1-fast, there's also an infographic that details exactly when certain technology changes came into play, starting with the first wings in 1968 through to modern (and at times controversial) introductions like KERS in 2009. Click past the break for the video, and check out the relevant source link for a quite literal big picture.
