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Pastimes : The New Qualcomm - write what you like thread. -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: DWB who wrote (2499)	1/11/2001 1:03:05 AM
From: Maurice Winn	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 12231

Get IT Here. Thanks for that link DWB. Message 15157056 As you can imagine, I'm feeling jealous about Dean Kamen. He is presumably unaware that GSRS [TM] is MY idea. Here's an article about him and DEKA Research and Development Corporation: wired.com The iBot wheelchair is tricky, combining ASICs for balancing on two wheels. The secret, new, world-changing invention is fascinating. Twenty-five years ago, a friend told me his father was a Gyro Gearloose type and he had come up with an idea using gyroscopes and the momentum in them to lift themselves off the ground. I never pursued it, but guess that the idea was that by having counter-acting gyroscopes, accelerated in opposite directions, there would be a net force upwards while the gyroscopes were being accelerated, then, a net force downwards when they decelerate. Combining that with the iBot wheelchair ASIC which controls balance, a controlled flight could be achieved. Maybe that's what he's got. With the materials available these days, very high momentum flywheels can be developed. Combined with a compact, high-power driver to accelerate the gyroscopes, the thing could 'fly' people around. There would be significant energy losses, so for it to be a great consumer device, which would change cities, it is going to have to have some regenerative braking. But it would be really cool to fly places. It wouldn't beat my GSRS system though, which could lift HUGE things as well as small things, so I think he'll lose when GSRS is on the loose. With CDMA control systems and SnapTrack, it could be an autopilot system with people sitting comfy and reading their Internet pad. I suppose QUALCOMM is on the case. Mqurice PS: Now I have to try to remember how this gyro thingy was supposed to 'lift off'. I thought it was wacky at the time and still do. There's a puzzle for the engineers to figure out ... why won't it lift off?

To: DWB who wrote (2499)	1/12/2001 12:42:20 AM
From: Maurice Winn	Read Replies (5) \| Respond to of 12231

Get IT Here delphion.com That looks like the dinkum oil on Dean Kamen's new gadget. It's 20th century electromechanicals with some good ASIC control systems. Basically a self-balancing electric-motor driven personal two-wheel wheelchair or scooter. It looks like more fun than a serious city-changing device. People aren't going to sit on that thing while it struggles up stairs, even if it is at walking speed. A smart system could get up stairs pretty quickly actually! But then it needs to be parked at the top. I think it isn't going to make it in the real world. Certainly not when my GSRS [TM] is competing. I'd guessed it would be some sort of continuation of his current work and that seems to be in keeping. Here is the SI stream discussing the Individual Transporter [IT]. Subject 50599 Objections - wet weather is unpleasant, slippery and a wet machine wouldn't be nice to sit in. Snow would make it hopeless. Battery life would be bad. Parking a problem. Traveling 20 km on it would not be fun. It would be heavy. It would be expensive [bicycles are cheap and can be made comfortable, with great big seats and do the same thing other than go up stairs. I think I'll be giving IT a miss. Mqurice SI seems to be duplicating posts when editing, so sorry about the repeats...