1.
ASIMO
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Honda began developing humanoid robots in the 1980s, including several prototypes that preceded ASIMO. It was the goal to create a walking robot. E0 was the first bipedal model produced as part of the Honda E series, ts created between 1986 and 1993. This was followed by the Honda P series of robots produced from 1993 through 1997, development began at Hondas Wako Fundamental Technical Research Center in Japan in 1999 and ASIMO was unveiled in October 2000. ASIMO stands 130 cm tall and weighs 54 kg, ASIMO is powered by a rechargeable 51.8 V lithium-ion battery with an operating time of one hour. Switching from a metal hydride in 2004 increased the amount of time ASIMO can operate before recharging. ASIMO has a computer processor that was created by Honda. The computer that controls ASIMOs movement is housed in the robots waist area and can be controlled by a PC, wireless controller, or voice commands. ASIMO has the ability to recognize moving objects, postures, gestures, its environment, sounds and faces. The robot can detect the movements of objects by using visual information captured by two camera eyes in its head and also determine distance and direction. This feature allows ASIMO to follow or face a person when approached, the robot interprets voice commands and human gestures, enabling it to recognize when a handshake is offered or when a person waves or points, and then respond accordingly. ASIMOs ability to distinguish between voices and other sounds allows it to identify its companions, ASIMO is able to respond to its name and recognizes sounds associated with a falling object or collision. This allows the robot to face a person when spoken to or look towards a sound, ASIMO responds to questions by nodding or providing a verbal answer in different languages and can recognize approximately 10 different faces and address them by name. There are sensors that assist in autonomous navigation, the two cameras inside the head are used as a visual sensor to detect obstacles. The lower portion of the torso has ground sensor which comprises one laser sensor, the laser sensor is used to detect ground surface. The infrared sensor with automatic shutter adjustment based on brightness is used to detect pairs of floor markings to confirm the navigable paths of the planned map, the pre-loaded map and the detection of floor markings help the robot to precisely identify its present location and continuously adjusting its position. There are front and rear ultrasonic sensors to sense the obstacles, the front sensor is located at the lower portion of the torso together with the ground sensor. The rear sensor is located at the bottom of the backpack, Hondas work with ASIMO led to further research on Walking Assist™ devices that resulted in innovations such as the Stride Management Assist and the Bodyweight Support Assist
2.
Lisbon
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Lisbon is the capital and the largest city of Portugal, with a population of 552,700 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km². Its urban area extends beyond the administrative limits with a population of around 2.7 million people. About 2.8 million people live in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area and it is continental Europes westernmost capital city and the only one along the Atlantic coast. Lisbon lies in the western Iberian Peninsula on the Atlantic Ocean, the westernmost areas of its metro area is the westernmost point of Continental Europe. Lisbon is recognised as a city because of its importance in finance, commerce, media, entertainment, arts, international trade, education. It is one of the economic centres on the continent, with a growing financial sector. Humberto Delgado Airport serves over 20 million passengers annually, as of 2015, and the motorway network, the city is the 7th-most-visited city in Southern Europe, after Istanbul, Rome, Barcelona, Madrid, Athens and Milan, with 1,740,000 tourists in 2009. The Lisbon region contributes with a higher GDP PPP per capita than any region in Portugal. Its GDP amounts to 96.3 billion USD and thus $32,434 per capita, the city occupies 32nd place of highest gross earnings in the world. Most of the headquarters of multinationals in the country are located in the Lisbon area and it is also the political centre of the country, as its seat of Government and residence of the Head of State. Lisbon is one of the oldest cities in the world, julius Caesar made it a municipium called Felicitas Julia, adding to the name Olissipo. Ruled by a series of Germanic tribes from the 5th century, in 1147, the Crusaders under Afonso Henriques reconquered the city and since then it has been a major political, economic and cultural centre of Portugal. Unlike most capital cities, Lisbons status as the capital of Portugal has never been granted or confirmed officially – by statute or in written form. Its position as the capital has formed through constitutional convention, making its position as de facto capital a part of the Constitution of Portugal. It has one of the warmest winters of any metropolis in Europe, the typical summer season lasts about four months, from June to September, although also in April temperatures sometimes reach around 25 °C. Although modern archaeological excavations show a Phoenician presence at this location since 1200 BC, another conjecture based on ancient hydronymy suggests that the name of the settlement derived from the pre-Roman appellation for the Tagus, Lisso or Lucio. Lisbons name was written Ulyssippo in Latin by the geographer Pomponius Mela and it was later referred to as Olisippo by Pliny the Elder and by the Greeks as Olissipo or Olissipona. The Indo-European Celts invaded in the 1st millennium BC, mixing with the Pre-Indo-European population and this indigenous settlement maintained commercial relations with the Phoenicians, which would account for the recent findings of Phoenician pottery and other material objects
3.
Hanover
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At the end of the Napoleonic Wars, the Electorate was enlarged to become a Kingdom with Hanover as its capital. From 1868 to 1946 Hanover was the capital of the Prussian Province of Hanover and it is now the capital of the Land of Lower Saxony. Since 2001 it has been part of the Hanover district, which is a body made up from the former district. With a population of 518,000, Hanover is a centre of Northern Germany. Hanover also hosts annual commercial trade fairs such as the Hanover Fair, every year Hanover hosts the Schützenfest Hannover, the worlds largest marksmens festival, and the Oktoberfest Hannover, the second largest such festival in Germany. In 2000, Hanover hosted the world fair Expo 2000, the Hanover fairground, due to numerous extensions, especially for the Expo 2000, is the largest in the world. Hanover is of importance because of its universities and medical school, its international airport. The city is also a crossing point of railway lines and highways. Hanover is the traditional English spelling, the German spelling is becoming more popular in English, recent editions of encyclopaedias prefer the German spelling, and the local government uses the German spelling on English websites. The traditional English spelling is used in historical contexts, especially when referring to the British House of Hanover. Hanover was founded in times on the east bank of the River Leine. Its original name Honovere may mean high bank, though this is debated, Hanover was a small village of ferrymen and fishermen that became a comparatively large town in the 13th century due to its position at a natural crossroads. As overland travel was difficult, its position on the upper navigable reaches of the river helped it to grow by increasing trade. In the 14th century the churches of Hanover were built. The beginning of industrialization in Germany led to trade in iron and silver from the northern Harz Mountains, in 1636 George, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, ruler of the Brunswick-Lüneburg principality of Calenberg, moved his residence to Hanover. The Dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg were elevated by the Holy Roman Emperor to the rank of Prince-Elector in 1692, thus the principality was upgraded to the Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg, colloquially known as the Electorate of Hanover after Calenbergs capital. Its electors would later become monarchs of Great Britain, the first of these was George I Louis, who acceded to the British throne in 1714. The last British monarch who ruled in Hanover was William IV, semi-Salic law, which required succession by the male line if possible, forbade the accession of Queen Victoria in Hanover
4.
Expo 2010
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Expo 2010, officially the Expo 2010 Shanghai China, was held on both banks of the Huangpu River in Shanghai, China, from 1 May to 31 October 2010. It was a major World Expo registered by the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE, in the tradition of international fairs and expositions, the theme of the exposition was Better City – Better Life and signifies Shanghais new status in the 21st century as the next great world city. The Expo emblem features the Chinese character 世 modified to represent three people together with the 2010 date and it had the largest number of countries participating and was the most expensive Expo in the history of the worlds fairs. The Shanghai World Expo was also the largest Worlds Fair site ever at 5.28 square km, by the end of the expo, over 73 million people had visited – a record attendance – and 246 countries and international organizations had participated. On 16 October 2010, the set a single-day record of over 1.03 million visitors. Shanghai has been one of the main cities envisioned to host the expos for some time, many scholars have written about the possibility and made suggestions in books. Unofficial participation in fairs outside China have happened since 1851, in 1910, the Qing dynasty decided to host Chinas first fair with the 1910 Nanyang industrial exposition. Yeosu later won the bid to host Expo 2012, a three-month specialized world expo, in 2004, the Chinese central government established the Shanghai World Expo Organising Committee as the organization dedicated to host the event. The Organising Committee set up an Executive Committee which is responsible for the execution, besides, the Shanghai World Expo Coordination is founded for the daily affairs of the Executive Committee. The site of the event was the Nanpu Bridge–Lupu Bridge region in the center of Shanghai along both sides of the Huangpu River, the area of the Expo 2010 covers 5.28 km2. After winning the bid to host the Expo in 2002, Shanghai began a task to reshape the city. More than $48 billion was spent for the preparation, more than the cost of cleaning up Beijing in the preparations for the Olympics in 2008. Shanghai began clearing 2.6 square kilometres along the Huangpu River, that involved moving 18,000 families and 270 factories, including the Jiang Nan Shipyard, which employs 10,000 workers. During the expo, the site was crowded with national pavilions, sculpture gardens, shops. Shanghai trained more than 1.7 million volunteers and adopted Olympic-level security measures, adding metal detectors to subway entrances and screening cars entering the city. The Shanghai Expo also featured a version of the expo grounds featuring 3D renderings of the expo grounds. The Shanghai World Expo provided an opportunity for the tourism industry. During 2010’s Spring Festival, Shanghai received 2.79 million tourists, overall Shanghai’s tourism revenue achieved an increase of 13 percent year on year during Spring Festival, resulting in RMB2.1 billion in total revenue
5.
2003 World Horticultural Exposition
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The 2003 World Horticultural Exposition was organized in the City of Rostock in Germany. It was the 17th World Horticultural Exposition recognized by the Bureau of International Expositions, the park was created in a derelict area around ruins of the former village of Schmar on the banks of the river Warnow. This made it possible to have a connection between water and gardens, the project was more than the World Horticultural Exposition. The preparation and furnishing of the terrain cost 62 million euros, the bills were paid by the City of Rostock, the State Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and the German federal government. 2.63 million people visited the exposition, the IGA2003 met expectations as an attraction for holiday makers and tourists. More than half of the came from outside Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and one third stayed in Rostock overnight. Despite this result the exposition closed with a deficit of 20 million euros due to lack of supervision by the authorities, during the IGA2003 a total of 17,000 visitors attended 275 different meetings and congresses. 32 countries were represented with their own gardens and 20 of them got extra attention on the Nationentage. Visitors liked the national gardens, the cable car, the floating garden. Several outdoor events, totalling 1361 on 171 days, were held in the park, the main contributors were the Rostocker Volkstheater with 50 events and the broadcaster NDR with their Open-Air-Veranstaltungen. An architectural experiment was the Willow Church constructed during the preparations for the IGA2003 and it was the biggest living building of the world. The dome was 15 meters high and the church was 52 meters long, the building was designed by architect Marcel Kalberer, who also led the construction. 650 volunteers from 13 countries started building in 2001,50 volunteers at the same time lived at a camp to knot and bundle the willow branches and set up the self-supporting construction. During the IGA an average of 300 visitors attended the mass on Sundays,250 services took place,3 of them marriages and 6 baptisms. All park facilities and a part of the gardens were retained. Access to the park however is restricted by a fence, its location outside the city, the stage in the park and the Willow Church are still in use. The trade fair appears to be a burden for the city that still has to pay for the losses
6.
Rostock
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Rostock is the largest city in the north German state Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Rostock is on the Warnow river, the district of Warnemünde 12 kilometres north of the city centre is directly on the Baltic Sea coast, Rostock is home to one of the oldest universities in the world, the University of Rostock, founded in 1419. The city territory of Rostock stretches for about 20 km along the Warnow to the Baltic Sea, the largest built-up area of Rostock is on the western side of the river. The eastern part of its territory is dominated by industrial estates, Rostock is considered as the only regiopolis in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. In the 11th century Polabian Slavs founded a settlement at the Warnow river called Roztoc, the Danish king Valdemar I set the town aflame in 1161. Afterwards the place was settled by German traders, initially there were three separate cities, Altstadt around the Alter Markt with St. Petri, Mittelstadt around the Neuer Markt with St. Marien and Neustadt around the Hopfenmarkt with St. Jakobi. In 1218, Rostock was granted Lübeck law city rights by Heinrich Borwin, during the first partition of Mecklenburg following the death of Henry Borwin II of Mecklenburg in 1226, Rostock became the seat of the Lordship of Rostock, which survived for almost a century. In 1251, the city became a member of the Hanseatic League, in the 14th century it was a powerful seaport town with 12,000 inhabitants and the biggest city of Mecklenburg. Ships for cruising the Baltic Sea were constructed in Rostock, the formerly independent fishing village of Warnemünde at the Baltic Sea became a part of Rostock in 1323, to secure the citys access to the Baltic Sea. In 1419, one of the earliest universities in Europe, the University of Rostock, was founded and they took advantage of a riot known as Domfehde, a failed uprising of the impoverished population. Subsequent quarrels with the dukes and persistent plundering led ultimately to a loss of economic, in 1565 there were further clashes with Schwerin that which had far-reaching consequences. Among other things, was the introduction of a beer excise that favoured the dukes. John Albert I advanced on the city with 500 horsemen, after Rostock had refused to take the oath of allegiance. The citizens slighted the fortress the following spring, from 1575 to 1577 the city walls were rebuilt, as was the Lagebusch tower and the Stein Gate in the Dutch Renaissance style. The inscription sit intra te concordia et publica felicitas, which can still be read on the gate, in 1584 it finally came to the Second Rostock Inheritance Agreement, which resulted in a further loss of former tax privileges. At the same time, these inheritance contracts put paid to Rostocks ambition of achieving imperial immediacy as Lübeck had done in 1226, the strategic location of Rostock provoked the envy of its rivals. Danes and Swedes occupied the city twice, first during the Thirty Years War, later, the French, under Napoleon, occupied the town for about a decade until 1813. In nearby Lübeck-Ratekau, Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher, who was born in Rostock and this was only after furious street fighting in the Battle of Lübeck, in which he led some of the cavalry charges himself
7.
Royal Flora Ratchaphruek
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The Royal Flora Ratchaphruek was a flower festival held 1 November 2006 to 31 January 2007 in the Thai city of Chiang Mai that drew 3,781,624 visitors. It was one of the celebrations being hosted by the Royal Thai Government in honor of King Bhumibol. The Ratchaphruek or golden shower tree is the de facto national flower of Thailand and its yellow blossoms correspond to Monday, the birthday of Bhumibol. It is also named Khun or Chaiyaphruek, the event was located on 80 hectares of land at the Royal Agricultural Research Center in the Mae Hia sub-district, Mueang district, Chiang Mai Province in northern Thailand. The 92 days of the expo featured 30 international gardens reflecting nations such as Japan, South Korea, Belgium, Netherlands, South Africa, more than 2.5 million trees of 2,200 species of tropical plants and flowers were on display in this exhibition. The Association of International Horticultural Producers, gave this expo A1 status, such exhibitions occur only once a year throughout the world. In addition, a host country can hold one such exhibition once a decade. Ho Kham Royal Pavilion This building featured Lanna architecture, the style of northern Thailand, inside, visitors saw pictures of King Bhumibols works. Thai Tropical Garden The enormous 100, 000-square-meter garden showcased the diversity of tropical horticulture, fruit varieties, plants, flowers, herbs, expo Plaza This was the focus of the expositions fun-filled activities, amenities, and services. Visitors were able to purchase products from royal projects and authentic local products from Chiang Mai such as handicrafts, paper umbrellas, cultural shows A total of 45 cultural shows from various regions of Thailand were performed, including traditional music and dance. In addition, cultural performances from other nations were presented, the Thai government had expected an average of 20,000 visitors per day, with over 100,000 visitors on a crowded day, and 3 million visitors in total to attend the Royal Flora Ratchaphruek 2006. At the expositions conclusion, organizers claimed that the exposition had injected 27 billion baht into the regional economy, the Thai government has proposed transforming the site of the exposition into a permanent training center. Despite some complaints of corruption and substandard facilities, organizers believed the exposition achieved its goals of promoting tourism, the park was open to the public in 2008 with many of the past highlights still very much in evidence, including the international exhibits. It is thought that it remain to stay open as a valued addition to things to do in Chiang Mai. The park receives around 500 visitors a day at the moment, mainly Thai
8.
World's fair
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A worlds fair, world fair, world exposition, or universal exposition is a large international exhibition designed to showcase achievements of nations. These exhibitions vary in character and are held in varying parts of the world, the next world Expo is Expo 2020 and is to be held in Dubai, UAE. Since the 1928 Convention Relating to International Exhibitions came into force, bIE-approved fairs are of three types, universal, specialized and horticultural. They usually last from three weeks to six months, Worlds fairs originated in the French tradition of national exhibitions, a tradition that culminated with the French Industrial Exposition of 1844 held in Paris. This fair was followed by other exhibitions in continental Europe. The best-known first World Expo was held in The Crystal Palace in Hyde Park, London, United Kingdom, in 1851, under the title Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations. The Great Exhibition, as it is called, was an idea of Prince Albert, Queen Victorias husband. It influenced the development of aspects of society, including art-and-design education, international trade and relations. This expo was the most obvious precedent for the international exhibitions, later called worlds fairs. Since their inception in 1851, the character of world expositions has evolved, three eras can be distinguished, the era of industrialization, the era of cultural exchange, and the era of nation branding. The first era could be called the era of industrialization and covered, roughly, in these days, world expositions were especially focused on trade, and were famous for the display of technological inventions and advancements. World expositions were the platforms where the state-of-the-art in science and technology from around the world were brought together, inventions such as the telephone were first presented during this era. An important part of the image of worlds fairs stems from this first era, the 1939–40 New York Worlds Fair diverged from the original focus of the worlds fair expositions. From then on, worlds fairs adopted specific cultural themes, they forecasted a future for society. Technological innovations were no longer the primary exhibits at fairs, the fairs encouraged effective intercultural communication for the exchange of innovation. The 1967 International and Universal Exposition in Montreal was promoted under the name Expo 67, event organizers retired the term worlds fair in favor of expo. From Expo 88 in Brisbane onwards, countries started to use world expositions more widely, finland, Japan, Canada, France and Spain are cases in point. A large study by Tjaco Walvis called Expo 2000 Hanover in Numbers showed that improving national image was the primary goal for 73% of the countries at Expo 2000
9.
Aichi Prefecture
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Aichi Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region. The region of Aichi is also known as the Tōkai region and it is the focus of the Chūkyō Metropolitan Area. Originally, the region was divided into the two provinces of Owari and Mikawa, after the Meiji Restoration, Owari and Mikawa were united into a single entity. Nagoya Prefecture was renamed to Aichi Prefecture in April 1872, and was united with Nukata Prefecture on November 27 of the same year, the government of Aichi Prefecture is located in the Aichi Prefectural Government Office in Nagoya, which is the old capital of Owari. The Expo 2005 World Exposition was held in Seto and Nagakute, ayuchi is the original form of the name Aichi, and the Fujimae tidal flat is all that remains of the earlier Ayuchi-gata. It is now a protected area and it measures 106 km east to west and 94 km south to north and forms a major portion of the Nōbi Plain. With an area of 5,153.81 km2 it accounts for approximately 1. 36% of the surface area of Japan. The highest spot is Chausuyama at 1,415 m above sea level, due to its robust economy, for the period from October 2005 to October 2006, Aichi was the fastest growing prefecture in terms of population, beating Tokyo, at 7.4 per cent. Thirty-eight cities are located in Aichi Prefecture and these are the towns and villages in each district, Companies headquartered in Aichi include the following. Companies such as Fuji Heavy Industries, Mitsubishi Motors, Pfizer, Sony, Suzuki, Bodycote, as of 2001, Aichi Prefectures population was 50. 03% male and 49. 97% female. 139,540 residents are of foreign nationality, the sports teams listed below are based in Aichi. Other popular sites in Aichi include the tour of the Toyota car factory in the city by the name, the monkey park in Inuyama, and the castles in Nagoya, Okazaki, Toyohashi. Most attractions are man-made destinations, dealing with the history or modern marvels. ISBN 978-0-674-01753-5, OCLC58053128 Aichi travel guide from Wikivoyage Official website Aichi Now-Official Site for Tourism Aichi Aichi, HOME of the Samurai Spirit Oda, Nobunaga Tokugawa, Ieyasu
10.
Expo '70
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Expo 70 was a worlds fair held in Suita, Osaka, Japan, between March 15 and September 13,1970. The theme of the Expo was Progress and Harmony for Mankind, in Japanese, Expo 70 is often referred to as Osaka Banpaku. This was the first worlds fair held in Japan, the master plan for the Expo was designed by the Japanese architect Kenzo Tange helped by 12 other Japanese architects who designed elements within it. Bridging the site along an axis was the Symbol Zone. Planned on three levels it was primarily a space which had a unifying space frame roof. Osaka was chosen as the site for the 1970 World Exposition by the Bureau International des Expositions in 1965,330 hectares in the Senri Hills outside Osaka had been earmarked for the site and a Theme Committee under the chairmanship of Seiji Kaya was formed. Kenzo Tange and Uzo Nishiyama were appointed to produce the master plan for the Expo, the main theme would be Progress and Harmony for Mankind. Tange invited 12 other architects to elucidate designs for elements within the master plan and these architects included, Arata Isozaki for the Festival Plaza mechanical, electrical and electronic installations, and Kiyonori Kikutake for the Landmark Tower. Two main principles informed the idea of the master plan, the designers thought that unlike previous expositions they wished to produce a central, unifying, Festival Plaza where people could meet and socialise. They called this the Symbol Zone and covered it and the pavilions with a giant space frame roof. The designers liked the idea that like the 1851 Great Exhibition in London and they did not want the constraint imposed by the London Exhibition of having everything contained under one roof, so the space frame contained only the Festival Plaza and themed pavilions. Tange compared the concept to a tree, the idea was that although the national pavilions were like individual flowers they needed to be connected to the whole via branches and a trunk. Thus the Symbol Zone became the trunk and the pedestrian walkways. These elements were reinforced with colour, with the trunk and branches in plain white, the Symbol Zone ran north/south across the site, spanning an arterial road running east/west. The Festival Plaza was to the north of road and had the gate on its southern end. The Theme Space under the frame was divided into three levels, each designed by the artist Tarō Okamoto, The underground level represented the past and was a symbol of the source of humanity. The surface level represented the present, symbolising the dynamism of human interaction, the space frame represented the future and a world where humanity and technology would be joined. Tange envisioned that the exhibition for the future would be like a city and he asked Fumihiko Maki, Noboru Kawazoe, Koji Kamiya
11.
Nagakute, Aichi
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Nagakute is a city located in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. As of May 2015, the city has an population of 57,764. The total area was 21.55 square kilometres, Nagakute is located the flatlands of central Aichi Prefecture, and is bordered by the metropolis of Nagoya to the west. Nagoya Toyota Seto Nisshin Owariasahi During the Sengoku period, the Battle of Komaki, during the Edo period area of modern Nagakute was part of the holdings of Owari Domain. Nagakute Village was established within Aichi District on May 10,1906 through the merger of the hamlets of Nagakute, Kamigō, Nagakute was elevated to town status on April 1,1971. Expo 2005 was a major boost to the economy, and led to the construction of the Linimo. Nagakute was elevated to city status on January 4,2012
12.
Gondola lift
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A gondola lift, as opposed to a cable car, is a means of cable transport and type of aerial lift which is supported and propelled by cables from above. It consists of a loop of cable that is strung between two stations, sometimes over intermediate supporting towers. The cable is driven by a bullwheel in a terminal, which is connected to an engine or electric motor. They are often considered continuous systems since they feature a haul rope which moves and circulates around two terminal stations. Depending on the combination of cables used for support and/or haulage and the type of grip, the capacity, cost, because of the proliferation of such systems in the Alpine regions of Europe, the French language name of Télécabine is also used in an English language context. Gondola lifts should not be confused with cable cars or the US aerial tramways as the latter solely operates with fixed grips and simply shuttles back and forth between two end terminals. In some systems the passenger cabins, which can hold between two and 8 people, are connected to the cable by means of spring-loaded grips. These grips allow the cabin to be detached from the cable and slowed down in the terminals, to allow passengers to board. Doors are almost always automatic and controlled by a lever on the roof or on the undercarriage that is pushed up or down, cabins are driven through the terminals either by rotating tires, or by a chain system. To be accelerated to and decelerated from line speed, cabins are driven along by progressively swifter rotating tires until they reach line or terminal speed, on older installations, gondolas are accelerated manually by an operator. Gondola lifts can have intermediate stops that allow for uploading and downloading on the lift, examples of a lift with three stops instead of the standard two are the Village Gondola and the Excalibur Gondolas at Whistler Blackcomb. In 1986, Doppelmayr built the worlds first eight-passenger gondola at Steamboat Ski Resort, such a system is called Pulse Cabin because usually more than one cabin are loaded at a time before the trip begins. Another type of lift is the bi-cable gondola, which has one other stationary cable, besides the main haul rope. One of the famous examples of this type of lift include the Ngong Ping Cable Car in Hong Kong, the Singapore Cable Car. This system has the advantage that the stationary cables strength and properties can be tailored to each span, there are also tri-cable gondolas that have two stationary cables that support the cabins. They differ from cable cars in that the latter consist only of one or two usually larger cabins, moving up and down, not circulating, bi and tri cable systems provide greater lateral stability allowing the system to operate in higher cross-winds. Open-air gondolas, or cabriolet as commonly called, are uncommon and are quite primitive because they are exposed to the elements. Their cabins are usually hollow cylinder, open from chest height up, with a floor and they are usually used as village gondolas and for short distances
Expo 2005 travel guide from Wikivoyage