Comments on: Nanotech yarn behaves like super-strong muscle

By: Vincent

Vincent — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 11:27:41 +0000

this seems like something Peter Parker developed years ago…

By: Alastair Carnegie

Alastair Carnegie — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 11:28:10 +0000

Back in 1983/84 Dame Athene Donald was working at the Dept of Metalurgy at Cambridge. Now Professor Athene chairs the Dept. of Physics in Medicine. Cd.Hg.Te. Peltier Heat Pump materials were all the rage back in 1983, as Dr. Athene may remember? … Now why am I thinking of “Temperature Dependant Shape Changing Composite Materials”?… such as a flexible thin film Peltier Heat Pump with these super-strong threads that relax and tension on alternate sides. Caterpillar motion with multiple sequenced Peltier actuators. Or, maybe even rotary motion if two or more sequenced Peltier Heat Pump coils assemblies engaged a ratcheted axle? High torque with minimal electrical input, could be the theoretical advantage?

By: Alastair Carnegie

Alastair Carnegie — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 10:55:20 +0000

The ‘Reverse Carnot Equations (or Reverse Rankine) are often used in cryogenics, a heat pump, although not ‘over-unity’ may have an impressive C.O.P. (coeffifient of performance) of several hundred percent.

It might theoretically prove advantageous to cool these fibres below ambient temperature, and allow heat transfer from the ambient atmosphere, to supply the motive energy?

By: martin wilson

martin wilson — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 16:59:00 +0000

can you stitch this fibre in to my body so i become super strong

By: arhandrodon

arhandrodon — Sun, 18 Nov 2012 11:23:52 +0000

Once such enhancements become available to everyone, they will be less attractive than we now imagine. The point of being strong is being “stronger than others”. If anyone can get nanotube “musculoskeleton”, that is not so cool any more.

By: asiwel

asiwel — Sat, 17 Nov 2012 14:52:43 +0000

Yes .. and for fun to “limp along” in this “vein”, what goes around comes around. I believe a glucose-powered vehicle was once called a “horse”. A cellulose-powered one was a “steam-engine”. (well, the horse ate grass, so ..) Then again, rubber bands have powered model airplanes for years. And to throw a football from Dallas to Fort Worth, instead of a “cat”-apult, we would need a “golem”-goalie. Possibilities are endless.

By: Gorden Russell

Gorden Russell — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 22:09:40 +0000

It looks like I’ve invented a new word here. I couldn’t find it anywhere online, but I did find “musculoskeletal.” That indicates that the proper spelling will be, “musculoskeleture.”

By: Gorden Russell

Gorden Russell — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 22:02:21 +0000

Texas is big on football. A great way to get funding for this is to build an arm onto a mannequin that can throw the long bomb from Dallas to Fort Worth.

By: Gorden Russell

Gorden Russell — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 22:00:08 +0000

I see what you’re thinking, asiwel…a car powered by glucose.

By: Gorden Russell

Gorden Russell — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 18:01:50 +0000

“Pound-per-pound, the generated torque is slightly higher than that obtained for large electric motors, Baughman said.”

Have you seen those guys on cable who perform “punkin chunkin’” with catapults? Building with this will let them launch into geosynchronous orbit.

By: Gorden Russell

Gorden Russell — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 17:58:22 +0000

The t-shirt must be coming from another supplier.

By: Gorden Russell

Gorden Russell — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 17:57:36 +0000

“Muscle contraction — also called actuation — can be ultrafast, occurring in 25-thousandths of a second.”

Imagine batting a fastball with such muscles. The bat will have to be made of carbon nanotubes to keep it from splintering as the ball goes into orbit. Barry Bonds will be the first to grab on to this.

These muscles will be strong enough to snap your own bones. You’ll have to replace your bones with carbon nanotubes as well. It will be illegal to play football with such a muscloskelature. If you tackle a guy, you’ll break his spine off at the hip.

By: asiwel

asiwel — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 17:46:43 +0000

Yes, I received my copy too. Yea! — but no t-shirt yet?

By: Vin

Vin — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 17:44:04 +0000

This sounds nearly Nobel prize but not quite.

By: Gorden Russell

Gorden Russell — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 17:41:21 +0000

Hey everybody, the UPS man just came. “How To Create A Mind” is here.

By: MechanicGuy

MechanicGuy — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 17:31:29 +0000

Looks like the “Ultimate Muscle” from Orion’s Arm (orionsarm.com).

By: asiwel

asiwel — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 17:14:15 +0000

This is really exciting to see this actually working so well at the macroscopic level. The temperature range is amazing in itself. But given so many different ways to provide the necessary energy to the yarn and the likilhood of improving the efficiency of that, this is so versatile. And a “new” concept for a motor .. how long before autoobiles could be powered by muscle forces rather than electric motors or gasoline engines!