Category Archives: Innovations

plug it in, plug it in

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finally time someone seriously put together a plug in hybrid!  http://editorial.autos.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=481565&topart=hybrids
 
now, why didn’t anyone keep with the System Lohner-Porsche (Ferdinand Porsche Sr.) plan from the start?  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferdinand_Porsche
 
 
 
but is ‘not as bad’ good enough?

sorry Cmdr, Keen

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When I saw the SMK force feedback touchscreen in early 2006, i hailed it as one of the best innovations of the year (along with loctite in a stick).  And LG put it into the Voyager… i.e. the iphone killer: http://reviews.cnet.com/4370-11399_7-332-101.html?tag=lnav
 
I haven’t had a chance to play with one, and you can’t say I’m unbiased because I’m not a pod-person, and am a verizon customer, but FORCE FEEDBACK TOUCHSCREEN! how cool is that!  and a real keyboard clinches the deal for me.
 
I’ll have to see how it does in the store before trading in the rather unimpressive but still powerful enough to get calls from the boss in the middle of the desert Motorola E815 when my contract is up.
 
Sorry Dan, you’ve been outdone.  But the Iphone is awesome, it was the first, it is still sleeker and sexier, it has wifi, and if you’re a pod person, it might be the thing to have.

Tubeless clinchers? Tubular Clinchers?

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Hutchinson has created the tubeless clincher bicycle tire.  it works like a car tire.  http://www.roadtubeless.com/accueil.html
Now it seems to me to be a pretty bad idea.  if you get a puncture, you’re screwed–you can’t replace the tube inside, and can’t seal it with fix-a-flat like a tubular.  And it looks like the beads will be pretty hard to force over the rim because they have to hold pressure (aparrently Kevlar wasn’t strong enough for this application).
 
Tufo has thrown their hat into the ring with the Tubular-Clincher.  Even if the ride quality is more like a tubular, and has better run-flat properties, it still seems like it has all the bad parts of a clincher, without the benefit of being able to replace the tube and keep riding.  So those get the thumbs down as well
 
I think i’ll stick with the regular clinchers, and maybe get some full-shot tubulars someday when I get rich and/or fast.  with the Tufo double-stick tape, tubulars aren’t as much of a hassle, and the weight savings (at the rim!) is substantial, compared to clinchers.  Until then, the flash-points and Michelin Pro2Race/Vittoria Open Corsa CX clinchers will be the race gear.

SAE Conference

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Just got back from the 2006 SAE Conference.  lots of guys in suits, nowhere near as fun as the HFES conference.
 
Highlights:
  1. met the president of BMW.  He’s a nice guy "I wish I could have driven a 740 across canada to get here"
  2. had fun with Vicki and Alberto, ate flaming cheese at a greek restaurant.  Be careful when trying this yourself–only you can prevent eyebrow fires
  3. lots of companies are working on IR vision systems.  no one is working on fully immersive augmented-reality environments (like my paper) yet.

Best in show:

3rd place:  e-turbo (technical paper).  turbochargers don’t work very well at low revs, because there isn’t enough exhaust gas to power the turbine effectively.  adding an electric motor to spin the turbo gives boost down to about 1000 r/min.  downsizing the engine and engine start/stop = substantial fuel savings (and weight savings, always a good thing)

2nd place:  Loctite glue stick … no more blue or red messes!  and they gave me one for free

 

and the winner is: haptic feedback touch screens.  Tap the touchscreen, and it taps back! perfect for those applications where you want tactile feedback but can’t use a real button.  brilliant!

–And they have a an anti-smudge coating, and a filter that de-polarizes the light, so you can see it with your slick polarized sunglasses on!

A remote control that controls humans

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MSNBC – A remote control that controls humans

this is some freaky, yet neat technology.  It could be really useful for people with damage to their semicircular canals (the part of your inner ear that acts as a level sensor) or the attendant nerves.  People with impaired vestibular sense have a terrible time adjusting to either a lack of sensation, or a constant sensation of vertigo.  so this could really be a big help.

It could also have applications in simulators–it may be easier to stimulate a pilot or driver’s brain to make them feel off balance rather than build a motion platform or have them ride the vomit comet.  Although it could be a pretty freaky experience, if it is proven to be safe and effective, it could have good applications.