hydrogen fuel cells

The Antares DLR-H2 has just completed its first test flight, making it the world's first zero-emissions aircraft to successfully fly on hydrogen fuel cell power alone.

And because hydrogen fuel cells only react with oxygen in ambient air, the lone byproduct is water, which has no ill effect on the environment.

One of the technologies being touted as the next great thing for our cars is the hydrogen fuel cell. If youve heard anything about them, its that there are no harmful emissions, the only by-product is pure water, straight from your tailpipe. Of course, thats only part of the story. While it is true that your exhaust will be clean, thats only because hydrogen in a cell is not a source of energy the way gasoline naturally is—its a carrier, like a battery. The energy to be stored in the cell has to come from somewhere else. Right now, the sources are the same as theyve always been, relying heavily on fossil fuels. The emissions are simply moved from your exhaust to a power plant.

But what if the hydrogen could be produced with alternative energy sources?

Vegas, baby! Monday's a big day at CES, with tons of press embargoes being lifted. Here's a round-up of some of the more intriguing goods that have been worming their way into our inboxes over the past few months.

We're digging the innovative designs from the big players (check iRiver's newest media player, above). But even kids' stuff is catching our eyes this January. View the full gallery after the jump. —Abby Seiff

It might not sound like much, this 78 mile flight, but the recent journey by the Pterosaur Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) was actually a record-breaker.

Powered by hydrogen fuel cells, the Pterosaur flew 28 miles farther than the previous record for micro-UAVs, which weigh in at around 11 pounds or less, and its developers say it only used a fraction of the fuel in its tank. Eventually they claim it should be able to go 310 miles. Singapore-based Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies developed the propulsion system in conjunction with scientists at several U.S. universities.—Gregory Mone 

Via Aero-News

This is not a Blimp. It's a sort of flying Queen Mary 2 that could change the way you think about air travel. It's the Aeroscraft, and when it's completed, it will ferry pampered passengers across continents and oceans as they stroll leisurely about the one-acre cabin or relax in their well-appointed staterooms.

Unlike its dirigible ancestors, the Aeroscraft is not lighter than air. Its 14 million cubic feet of helium hoist only two thirds of the craft's weight.