Monday, June 30, 2008

Roush Presents Bespoke... One-Horse Power Training Vehicle!

We won’t lie and tell you that we didn’t double check this story. Though it would have been cool if someone (re)invented a one-horse powered car that would solve our energy problems, this bespoke vehicle was created by the Roush Technologies for Turkish-based, Kurt Systems that specializes in racehorse and camel training equipment.

In a nutshell, the ground-up, turnkey project will be used as a high-tech machinery for the continuous monitoring of animals at speeds of up to 60km/h or 37mph. The yet unnamed vehicle effectively provides a moving enclosure similar to a starting stall, in which the animal can walk, trot or full gallop freely in a controlled environment, whilst being monitored and trained to optimise race performance. -Continued

Weighing in at around 4 tonnes, the training vehicle uses a cross-braced frame, with suspension derived from a Ford F150 series truck. Power is provided by a Volvo 2.4litre, 5-cylinder turbodiesel matted to an automatic gearbox.

The training vehcile’s cabin, which is mounted rearward of the horse, includes a centrally mounted driver’s seat, plus additional seats for a trainer and a veterinary specialist. Onboard systems include 12-volt and 240-volt electrical supplies, to power systems such as computerised heart, blood, oxygen and fitness monitoring.

As for the open fronted stall section of the vehicle, it features an independent hydraulic steering, combined with electronically controlled reins, to steer the horse in the same direction as the vehicle. The reins are enclosed within two forward curving booms on the body structure, controlled by the driver.






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