concept

First unveiled at the 2010 Geneva auto show, the Citroen Survolt is a techno-organic beauty with its tasteful use of color, sharp creases, and flowing curves. Beneath those curves, the concept packs dual electric motors that convert flowing electrons into a combined 300 horsepower and enough twisting force (738 pound-feet, to be exact) to motivate the Survolt silently to 62 mph in less than 5 seconds and onward to a reported top speed of 162 mph.

The concept's twin 31 kW lithium ion batteries should enable it to cover 124 miles between two-hour charging cycles with a vehicle specific … Read more

A new concept car from Renault shows that the French romantic tradition even applies to automotive design. The DeZir represents the first step in a life cycle, according to Renault, that encompasses falling in love, exploring the world, creating a family, working, taking time to play, and attaining wisdom.

Renault's chief designer, Laurens van den Acker, plans a whole line of concept cars that stand for each of these steps.

As the falling in love car, DeZir is bright red, with softly curving lines. More pointedly, this two-seater uses a bench seat, keeping the occupants close together.

To us, … Read more

Maybe an empty stomach doth place a halo around this waffle maker. But boy, does this look scrumptious. Even better dripping with golden maple syrup. But back to the machine. What makes this interesting is that creator Triangular Concept has taken a novel approach to waffle making.

Rather than opt for the familiar squares and circles, this one turns out 9-inch-long waffle lollies in less than two minutes each. Not only does this mean less cutlery to wash up (hurray), it makes for convenient party food on a stick.

About the only unappetizing fare here is the pricey 715 euros ($… Read more

Here at Crave, we've covered a lot of concept cameras, most of which were drafted by designers and not camera manufacturers. However, the shooter we're Craving today was demonstrated by Canon at the World Expo 2010 now taking place in Shanghai.

The Canon Wonder Camera is shaped like a megazoom snapper but has a more streamlined, futuristic look. The lens is capable of snapping macro photos or zooming up to 500mm. But what's more astonishing is that, according to Canon, this shooter captures only video, since the clip's resolution is high enough for users to splice … Read more

Mouseless is a project by Pranav Mistry of the MIT Fluid Interfaces Group. He calls it an "invisible computer mouse" that creates the feeling of using a mouse without actually having a physical device. This is achieved via an infrared beam and sensor, which will help detect the hand's position. So all that's left for the user to do is move a cupped hand as if it were holding a mouse and the system will detect its movement and clicks.

This is a research project, so we won't get to try it out unless it … Read more

One of the worst things that could happen on a photo shoot is that your camera runs out of juice and you don't have a spare battery. It's not so bad if your shooter is powered by the easily available AA-size cells. However, most dSLRs and point-and-shoots employ a lithium ion pack that needs an electrical outlet to be recharged.

But if the Solar Camera Strap makes its way to stores anytime soon, you'd never have to worry about your camera running out of power again. Designer Weng Jie conceptualized a row of solar panels on the … Read more

For this week's concept car Friday, we're taking a step back from the supercars and luxury sports sedans that we normally feature and take a look at the People's Car of the future. It's no secret that Volkswagen's New Beetle is at the end of its life cycle and that a major redesign is just around the corner. But what will this Newer Beetle look like? We hope not nearly as bland as the new Jetta, but VW isn't talking.

Meanwhile in Brazil, where the classic VW Beetle (or VW Fusca, as it is … Read more

The Bugatti Veyron EB 16.4 sits as a halo car among halo cars, but the 5-year-old aesthetic of the 1,001-horsepower supercar is starting to look a bit long in the tooth. But with the exception of the awkwardly styled 16C Galibier concept, Bugatti seems content to trot out variants and special editions of the same Veyron for the last few car show seasons, leaving the rest of us to speculate as to the nature of the hypercar of the next decade.

Enter Racer X Design. This independent auto design team has taken the major design cues of the … Read more

Audi, an automaker best know for its image of "understated luxury," is busy creating one of the most over-the-top OEM car audio systems that we've ever seen. The Audi Sound Concept takes an Audi Q7 SUV and crams 62 speakers into the cabin. Nope, that's not a typo: sixty-two!

The system consists of five tweeters spread between the dashboard and the rear seating area, a woofer in each of the four doors, a single subwoofer out back, and a whopping 52 midrange speakers wrapping the perimeter of the cabin and enveloping the passengers in 360 degrees … Read more