Thursday, June 16, 2016

SuperSUV Egidio

I have long had a fantasy about a car that could go anywhere. It could fly (using a techno-magical power source called "neo-nouergics",) it could run on land, and it could even make suborbital space flights if it were loaded onto a rocket. Here is the latest version of my super-SUV, the "Egidio." It has been flown to the icy top of a Himalayan peak, well above the clouds at 29,000 feet. Upon landing, its anchor legs fasten it securely to the ice. The two Egidionauts inside are protected from the lack of air and the extreme cold by the space capsule-style internal atmosphere and life-support system. It is like camping at the edge of space, safe and warm as long as you don't try to get outside! The spacecraft-grade windows offer a great view of the vast landscape below the mountain. A "tailgate" (seen at the rear) protects supplies from the harsh environment. The front view shows the front wheels and the nose. It is drivable on ordinary roads but does not go very fast. The entire vehicle is the size of a small bus or a medium-sized truck. One environment it cannot visit is water; it can float but it can't move on the surface or under the surface. But a submarine-adapted Egidio can't be far behind. The Egidio is designed to be used for rescues, exploration, or just for the adventure of visiting where your old SUV just can't go.

"Egidio" is tech pen ink on sketchbook page, 3 1/2" x 2 1/2", June 16, 2016.

2 comments:

sally said...

That is so neat. It's an expedition vehicle then? What do the ones that take you to the library and grocery store look like?

Pyracantha said...

Sally:
The initial "SuperSUV" Egidio model is for the rich and adventurous who want to go on a fabulous weekend with their loved one. It's not meant for a long-haul expedition. The Egidio "CityCrab" is in development, stay tuned.