Transportation system including a hovering vehicle

Abstract

A transportation system is disclosed. The transportation system has a vehicle that is self-powered and configured to generate an air cushion on a trackless lane having a substantially flat surface. The vehicle is configured to move over the substantially flat surface on the air cushion. The transportation system also has a guidance system configured to guide the vehicle between peripheries of the trackless lane.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A self-powered hovering vehicle, the self-powered hovering vehicle comprising:
 a leading module;   a plurality of intermediate modules;   an energy system for self-powering the plurality of intermediate modules; and   a dispensing system located at a front of the leading module and configured to dispense a surface-improving material from the self-powered hovering vehicle onto a trackless lane in front of the self-powered hovering vehicle while the self-powered hovering vehicle is traveling over the trackless lane.   
     
     
         22 . The self-powered hovering vehicle of  claim 21 , further comprising a horizontal thrust assembly. 
     
     
         23 . The self-powered hovering vehicle of  claim 22 , wherein the horizontal thrust assembly comprises:
 a forward thrust subsystem; and   a reverse thrust subsystem.   
     
     
         24 . The self-powered hovering vehicle of  claim 21 , further comprising a vertical thrust assembly. 
     
     
         25 . The self-powered hovering vehicle of  claim 21 , further comprising a hood assembly and a plenum. 
     
     
         26 . The self-powered hovering vehicle of  claim 21 , further comprising a power source configured to drive a fan. 
     
     
         27 . The self-powered hovering vehicle of  claim 21 , wherein the surface-improving material is at least one of lime, cement, lime-fly ash, fly ash, smooth aggregate, coarse aggregate, or water. 
     
     
         28 . The self-powered vehicle of  claim 21 , further comprising a linkage system. 
     
     
         29 . The self-powered hovering vehicle of  claim 21 , further comprising power sources of thrust systems or energy collectors. 
     
     
         30 . The self-powered hovering vehicle of  claim 21 , wherein the energy system uses power from the plurality of modules to power the hovering vehicle. 
     
     
         31 . The self-powered hovering vehicle of  claim 21 , further comprising a strut system configured to support the self-powered vehicle on a pad when the self-powered hovering vehicle is in a non-hovering state. 
     
     
         32 . The self-powered hovering vehicle of  claim 21 , further comprising a guidance system configured to guide the self-powered hovering vehicle between peripheries of the trackless lane. 
     
     
         33 . A self-powered hovering vehicle, the self-powered hovering vehicle comprising:
 a cavity;   a plurality of intermediate modules;   an energy system for self-powering the plurality of intermediate modules; and   a plurality of modules with at least one module being a leading module located at a front of the self-powered hovering vehicle and comprising a dispensing system, the dispensing system configured to dispense a surface-improving material stored in the cavity onto a trackless lane in front of the self-powered hovering vehicle while the self-powered hovering vehicle is hovering over the trackless lane.   
     
     
         34 . The self-powered hovering vehicle of  claim 33 , wherein the dispensing system further comprises a pressurizing device for dispensing the surface-improving material. 
     
     
         35 . The self-powered hovering vehicle of  claim 33 , wherein the self-powered hovering vehicle is further configured to use pressure exerted by the air cushion on a surface of the trackless lane. 
     
     
         36 . The self-powered hovering vehicle of  claim 33 , wherein the plurality of modules are linked via linkage assemblies, each linkage assembly including an aperture configured to receive a protrusion. 
     
     
         37 . The self-powered hovering vehicle of  claim 36 , wherein the linkage assemblies comprise flexible bearings disposed between the plurality of modules and are configured to undergo large elastic displacements relative to dimensions of the flexible bearing. 
     
     
         38 . The self-powered hovering vehicle of  claim 33 , wherein the self-powered hovering vehicle is self-powered by at least one of carbonized fossil fuel, a plurality of solar energy collectors, or a plurality of thermal energy collectors. 
     
     
         39 . A method for operating a self-powered hovering vehicle, the method comprising:
 generating an air cushion between a bottom of the self-powered hovering vehicle and a substantially flat surface of a trackless lane; and   dispensing a surface-improving material stored in a cavity located at a front of the self-powered hovering vehicle onto the trackless lane in front of the vehicle while the vehicle is hovering over the trackless lane on the air cushion.   
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein generating the air cushion comprises:
 generating pressurized air in a plenum including one or more substantially horizontal upper walls provided beneath a vehicle housing and one or more substantially horizontal lower walls provided substantially in parallel to and beneath the upper walls, the lower walls including one or more apertures; and   directing the pressurized air from the plenum to an inflatable bead of a hood via the one or more apertures provided in the lower walls.