Humanoid robots are definitely cool, but what about cars that drive themselves? The team at the Center for Automotive Research at Stanford (CARS) is looking to send a robotic Audi TTS racing off at high speed up the tight bends that lead to Pikes Peak without a driver. The car, nicknamed Shelley, will be attempting a timed race in September. Other autonomous cars have reached the summit before, but only at speeds of around 25mph, the team is looking to do it much faster, and when you take into account Shelley has hit speeds of 130mph without a driver on testing grounds, it’ll certainly be an interesting challenge. The car will stay on track thanks to its use of a differential GPS, which is much more accurate than a standard GPS, allowing you to pinpoint the car’s position to within an inch. Aside from the GPS unit, Shelley can measure her speed and acceleration thanks to the wheel-speed sensors and accelerometer, and getting her bearings from gyroscopes. This will all be controlled by the bunch of electronics and gadgets that are crammed into the vehicle’s trunk. Will we all have self-driving cars to chauffer us around town in the future? It certainly seems like an appealing idea.

Do you spend a whole lot of time commuting to and from work? There is nothing quite like a hot jolt of java to start the day (or stave off the post-lunch coma), and instead of jostling with your colleagues in the pantry to make that perfect cuppa, why not do it from the comfort of your home and pour its contents into the Thermal LCD Travel Mug? It is powered by a vehicle's cigarette lighter where you can opt from one of four preset temperatures - room temperature, lukewarm, hot and very hot. Temperatures can be maintained from 10°C to 70°C, where you can have a quick look via the LCD backlit display.

Looks like aren't all as cut out to be - not if Steve Randall and Ted Schwarzkopf have their way with their Electronic Key Impressioner. This device ought to be able to create a replacement car key without the need for its ID code, and this is news which would definitely prick the ears of locksmiths as well as those who want to steal cars. All you need to do is plug the Electronic Key Impressioner into the car keyhole, align it properly, hook it up to a computer via USB where the right code will run after you choose the appropriate car type. Don't get all too excited just yet as the software currently works with Fords only, but expect to see more vehicles supported down the road. According to its inventors, this unique key cloner will be made available to authorized locksmiths only, but one bad apple among them could spoil the whole party.

Cardo Systems has rolled out its latest Scala Rider G4 headset for motorcyclists that looks capable of giving you the ability to communicate in a crystal clear manner despite zipping down the freeway while breaking the legal speed limit twice over. This is made possible thanks to an integrated Bluetooth chip that makes room for handsfree calling and voice activation, while a built-in FM radio and an intercom system lets up to a quartet of riders to communicate with one another as long as they remain within a one mile radius. Each Scala Rider G4 will retail for $279.95, where it comes with 10 hours of talk time. Any takers? [Press Release]

Continental will be offering a system that will bring Google’s Android OS into your car’s head units. The system, AutoLinQ, is obviously powered by Google’s Android, and is part of a new connected services platform that car makers can choose to install in their vehicles. Thanks to it being powered by Android, the head units will be able to download existing Android applications, while Continental is also planning to release an AutoLinQ SDK in the first quarter of 2010 with a specific app store in the 2nd half of the year. With all this tech wizardry in your car, you’ll be able to remotely connect to your car via a mobile phone or PC and check the status or location of your vehicle. Continental has also teamed up with Navteq to come up with map, traffic and location applications, and it seems that location-based social networking is also on the horizon.

Entering a car has come a long way since Henry Ford and his Model T, where keyless entry systems are the way to go these days. Well, here's an extension to that idea - the Biometric Fingerprint Car Security System. It will be hooked up to the starter system of the car, requiring the right fingerprint before the vehicle allows authorization for you to steer away. Should 6 failed fingerprint swipes occur, the alarm will kick in to alert anyone around of a potential theft. Nice to know it can hold the profiles of up to 9 other people, which means friends and family can still drive your beloved ride. Would you fork out $195 for added peace of mind, and perhaps top up that amount for a professional installation of the Biometric Fingerprint Car Security System?

One look at the Peel P50 and you can more or less vouch the authenticity of its claim - the smallest production car in the world. Currently being made to order in the UK, the Peel P50 is powered by a moped engine, costing a rather handsome £15,000. At that price point, would you prefer to buy something a whole lot more decent while raising your value in the dating scene (if you're single), or take the more unconventional route with the P50? Fuel consumption for this ought to be pretty low, so you might save on gas in the long run.

Honda has started to operate its next generation solar hydrogen station prototype at the Los Angeles Center of Honda R&D America. Meant to be a single, integrated unit which can be installed in any garage, the Honda Solar Hydrogen Station might be much smaller than its predecessor, while being capable of producing enough hydrogen (0.5kg) through an 8-hour overnight fill which is enough for the average daily commute (roughly 10,000 miles annually) for each fuel cell electric vehicle. This allows you to refill your vehicle overnight without having to worry about hydrogen storage, resulting in lower CO2 emissions since you take advantage of the more affordable off-peak electrical power rates, while daytime charging is done through the use of solar power.

Motorbikes are already quite fuel efficient, but what happens when you need to save even more? Well, Allert Jacobs decided to pop a couple of modifications on his Honda ANF125i Innova motorbike, turning it from a 100+ MPG (miles per gallon) machine to a 200+ MPG machine, not too bad eh? A quick glance at the picture above and you’ll know that he was thinking about aerodynamics when he came up with this. Despite the modifications adding an extra 88lbs to the bike, it still manages to eke out more miles per gallon, which goes to show his design isn’t too bad. The only downside of this is probably the fact that you’re going to look more than a little weird, and everybody you pass by is going to be staring at you, but hey, you’re saving money!

Japan’s Tajima Motor Corp has unveiled its latest electric vehicle, the EV Mini Sport. It might look like a mini Formula One car, but its top speed of 43 miles per hour ensures that you won’t be winning any races with it anytime soon. Of course, this car was designed mainly for city use, and with that in mind, it should do rather well, not to mention that its small size should allow you to fit it into those tight parking spots. The EV Mini Sport will be going on sale this month in Japan for 2,079,000 yen ($23,018, without a battery).

VTOL Technologies of the UK have come up with a new Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) which is touted to deliver a higher payload capacity despite being smaller and lighter in size compared to its previous efforts. Apart from that, another advantage of this new model would be its ability to boast up to four times the endurance of current vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) vehicles in its class. One main difference would be a design change that does away with unnecessary elements which resulted in additional weight. The company is so confident of their effort and even claim that should its systems fail, the flying-wing design form will work in its favor, allowing it to stay airborne long enough for it be repaired on-the-fly. What you see here is just the wing without any plane attached.

Does your iPhone rule most aspects of your life? If you use it as a GPS navigation tool, then this new Rear Mirror Mount for iPhones would be your cup of tea, where it will be able to hook itself up to your vehicle's rear view mirror via a clamp which won't obstruct your driving view. Compatible with virtually all iPhone models - yes, even with the original that turned the world upside down back in 2007, this in-vehicle accessory is going for $20. Any takers, or do you prefer to place your iPhone on your dashboard while your drive?

The Emcycle hybrid is a mode of transportation that allows you to cocoon yourself and pedal to your destination, or enlist the help of electrical assistance to get you there. With three drive options which range from AM (I have energy) to PM (I'm tired!), you will definitely have fun with this while looking chic, although we're not too sure whether such a concept has enough safety features in mind to make it road-worthy. Apparently, it will be 30mph crash tested and comes with roll over protection, an airbag and a 3-point seat belt to keep you safe in the event of minor collisions, featuring a couple of locakable doors, a rear boot and LED headlights. So far the Emcycle has been classified as a bicycle in Europe, where it takes a whole night to recharge and has a working range of up to 40 miles with a top speed of 40mph.

Fancy a vehicle named the Kitten, but is nothing that tame? No sir, this creation of Gregory deGouveia took him around one week to complete the frame and wheels, followed by an equal amount of time for the headlights and brakes. The final result? A form of anti-bike, which is basically a bicycle that gets you up and about on car wheels. Guess moving this around is going to require much more pedal power than a regular bicycle, so be prepared to see those quadriceps gain a nice tone and bulge after months on this thing.