In the immortal words of Richard Dawson (Family Feud)

"WATCH that SCREEN...."




This is where the thinking is going - in line with the post by KP about "Printed Magnetics" can this actually be in the pipeline to reality?

Are we going to see magnetic suspensions and zero-resistance bearings?


Huh...


It resembles the motorcycles in the movie "TRON" but if your electrical connectivety goes to pieces you are in a world of hurt.

 

I'm a little more pessimistic than Ken. I remember reading about these last year. I think it's another one of those things that works on paper but doesn't translate to mass production for a very, very long time.

Heck, I'm still waiting on my flying car that I was so sure I'd have by now as a kid.

 

I couldn't stop thinking about the notion of the tire/wheel (Is wheel even appropriate? It's a sphere...) rotating to a new orientation, and how it could be impelled to rotate in various directions. I kept thinking back to the printed magnet thread, and wondering about magnetic signatures possibly being used to orient the (sphere) and impel it with enough force to equal a mechanical engine and drivetrain.

Power development might be as simple as an engine driven alternator, or some kind of new power cell. And I ran across something on YOUTUBE (of course) that is also fascinating in view of the amount of energy required for a vehicle like this at all four wheels, spheres, or whatever you want to call them.

Take a look at this video which talks about the "Bloom Box" energy cell:



Imagine, if you can, an automotive version that was made with lightweight materials and supplied with LPG - that might just about do it.

As we know, most start-up versions of things are large, but over time they become reduced in size until they are like unto the original computers versus the hand-held tablets and smart phones we have today....

That's really intriguing.

A whole lot of "SCIENCE FICTION" has come true in the last twenty or thirty years. I personally am not prepared to discount any sort of advance that comes down the pipeline, having grown up with long distance phone charges - and watched AT&T take second place to common E-Mail and videoconferencing...

*NOTE: That video is six years old - I think. I was looking around online for I forget what, honestly. So where it has gone, and what else has come to be since then I have no idea.


Energy is energy, so we are told. Whether it is electric, thermal, kinetic, or whatever. The only thing that differentiates one kind from another is the transformation of one kind into the next - as thermic energy from combustion is ultimately turned into the kinetic energy of masses in motion (with some losses due to inefficiency) which is what we do with gas and diesel cars and trucks.

So it is possible, I believe, that a compact power source can be developed to "MAKE REAL" something like magnetic suspensions and powertrains, or drivetrains.

That my mind cannot bend around the concept at the moment is irrelevent, I think it is going to happen. And as each stage of technological advance is realized, reduction of friction and the losses because of them put us further ahead of the game.

But if you own horses, don't sell them yet...



You know - another thing that struck me was the use of "SPONGE MATERIAL" both in the tread, and under it to increase the grip under wet and dry conditions - THAT tech is something that could be easily incorporated into modern (as we are) tires.

I wonder if they are using that in race car tires even now? I know I WOULD - to test it out at the leading edge...