Abstract: A flywheel safety support system isolates the flywheel and its motor-generator from the driving environment of an electrically powered motor vehicle. A suitable liquid, placed between the outer and vacuum housings of the flywheel assembly, provides buoyancy and damping to the vacuum housing, cooling of the motor-generator, and serves as one of the barriers to rotor energy and angular momentum transfer in the event of an accident or failure. During normal operation, a shearable mechanical gimbal system keeps the vacuum housing centered in the outer housing, reacts the spin moments generated by the motor-generator, and provides a path for the electrical leads into the vacuum housing. In the event of bearing seizure or rotor failure, the mechanical gimbal will shear and allow the vacuum housing to gradually spin down against the fluid. A fiber barrier provides an additional layer of protection to passengers.

Abstract: An apparatus for generating spherical data sets, includes a spherical mirror disposed at a predetermined view point, a camera including a long lens, focused on the spherical mirror, which camera generates an image data stream; and a processor, which receives said image data stream, and which generates the spherical data sets responsive to the image data stream. According to one aspect of the present invention, the camera includes first and second cameras generating respective first and second image data streams. According to another aspect of the present invention, the spherical mirror, said camera, and the processor define a unitary structure. A method for generating the spherical data sets is also described.