Transport
Discover facts about transport. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Transport
Why ambulances need air suspension
An ambulance carries fragile cargo, so air springs soften the jolts from rough roads. They also adjust the vehicle’s ride height as its load changes. The…
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Sailboats use mechanical winches to handle sail tension
A winch wraps the sail line around a drum, multiplying the sailor’s pull so a small crew can tighten a large sail. The handle does the muscle work; the gears…
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School-bus seats are designed to form protective compartments
Large US school buses use closely spaced, energy-absorbing seat backs to help contain passengers in a crash. That design is called compartmentalization.…
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Some fire trucks need a second driver
Some ladder trucks are so long that the front driver can’t steer the rear wheels through tight corners. A second operator controls the back end, giving the…
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Why bus doors fold inward
Inward-folding panels stay inside the bus’s footprint instead of swinging across the sidewalk or into traffic. A linkage folds the leaves as the door opens,…
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Motorcycles feature sequential gearboxes shifted by foot
A motorcycle’s foot lever moves through the gears in order, one click at a time, instead of picking any gear from a car-style pattern. The rider keeps both…
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Why ambulances have backward text on their hoods
Drivers ahead of an ambulance see its hood in their mirrors, so backward lettering reads normally in the reflection. The message gets flipped once on the…
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Wheelchairs utilize cambered wheels for physical relief
Camber angles the wheels outward, widening the chair’s base and improving side-to-side stability. It also places the rims where the hands reach them more…
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How cruise ships turn seawater into fresh water
Cruise ships use desalination: either pressure pushes seawater through membranes that block salt, or heat turns it to vapor that condenses as fresh water. The…
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Horse bits apply targeted mouth pressure for steering
When the rider takes up a rein, the bit presses on parts of the horse’s mouth; the trained horse responds by turning or slowing. It’s a tiny pressure signal,…
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Spacecraft cargo can become part of a radiation shelter
NASA designed Orion's emergency shelter so astronauts can rearrange onboard supplies around themselves during a solar radiation event. Hydrogen-rich…
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A submarine can see above water without an optical tube
Virginia-class submarines use photonics masts with cameras linked to processing equipment and displays inside. The view travels electronically rather than…
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Hovercrafts can slide backward on hills
A hovercraft rides on a cushion of air, so its hull has little grip on the ground. Its propeller pushes it forward, but on a slope gravity wins when that…
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How spacecraft turn without firing rockets
A spacecraft turns by changing the speed of a spinning wheel inside it. The wheel pushes one way; the spacecraft rotates the other, obeying conservation of…
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Why double-decker buses don't tip over
Double-decker buses keep heavy parts low in the chassis, which helps keep their center of gravity down. The top deck looks like a wobble invitation, but the…
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Fire engines deploy outriggers to avoid tipping over
When a fire engine extends its ladder, outriggers spread out and press against the ground. That wider support base resists the ladder’s tipping force, so the…
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Wheelchair front casters swivel freely for tight turns
The small front casters swivel to line up with the direction the wheelchair is turning, while the large rear wheels drive it. That self-aligning front end…
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Wheelchair frames employ titanium for lightweight strength
Titanium gives a wheelchair frame high strength without piling on weight. A lighter chair takes less effort to push and lift, so the metal does the heavy-duty…
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How some sirens shake cars to clear the road
A Rumbler siren adds very low-frequency sound that makes nearby car panels vibrate. Drivers feel the warning through the vehicle, so the siren gets their…
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Why tractors use satellites to plant straight rows
Satellite guidance tells a tractor where it is, while auto-steering holds a precise line across the field. That keeps rows straight and reduces overlap, so…
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Vanuatu's land divers leap from towers with vines at their ankles
The ritual on Pentecost Island helped inspire modern bungee jumping, but uses vines and a constructed wooden platform rather than elastic cords. The leap…
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Penny boards made skateboards tiny, brightly colored, and barely large enough to stand on
Penny boards shrink the deck to make a skateboard easy to carry and quick to steer. The tradeoff is less room for your feet: portability wins, and your shoes…
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Traditional toboggans have no runners or steering mechanism beneath them
A toboggan’s smooth underside slides directly over snow; its upturned nose rides over bumps instead of spearing into them. Riders steer by shifting their…
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Rope tows use raw engine power to drag you uphill
The tow’s motor keeps a rope moving uphill, and skiers or riders hang on as it drags them up the slope. It’s transport stripped to the essentials: engine,…
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