Tuesday 16 October 2007

A NanoFly On The Wall

I got an email from an importer yesterday discussing some new technologies in electronic equipment. The back of my head says it could be because this importer of very well known Hi-Fi, professional audio and video equipment knows something... something to ponder no doubt.

The article was about the construction of incredibly small circuits of components on flexible plastic put there by an Ink Jet printer and using the new technology of carbon nanotubes. [These one atom thick sheets of graphite are rolled into cylinders and possess some very fascinating electrical properties.] more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanotubes

source: http://nanotechweb.org/cws/article/tech/31378

"Ink-jet printing is one of the most promising techniques for making large area, inexpensive plastic electronics on which a range of electronic components can be printed. These include transistor circuits, photovoltaic films, organic light-emitting diodes and photovoltaic films...."

The physical size of electronic devices is suddenly drastically reduced...



In the news yesterday was a couple of interesting articles relating to miniaturization of electronics... and perhaps something to keep an eye on.

source: http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/10/12/1191696173795.html

“American researchers are breeding moths that can be steered by radio control. Next they may attempt to develop tiny cameras and sensors light enough to be fitted to the bugs……. The researchers created the radio-controlled insects by injecting computer chips into the larvae of giant hawk moths. When the larvae turn into moths the chips, activated by remote control, stimulate the flight muscles, allowing the bugs to be steered on the wing”

Of course this method isn’t particularly refined yet and is only in experimentation stages… or is it?

Source: http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/10/11/1191696075903.html

“VANESSA ALARCON saw them at an antiwar rally in Lafayette Square in Washington last month.

"I heard someone say: 'Oh my dog, look at those'," the university student recalled. "I look up and I'm like, 'What the hell is that?' They looked kind of like dragonflies or little helicopters. But those are not insects."

Bernard Crane saw them, too. "I'd never seen anything like it in my life," the Washington lawyer said. "I thought: 'Is that mechanical, or is that alive?' "

That is just one of the questions hovering over a handful of similar sightings at political events in Washington and New York….”

And of course

“No agency admits to having deployed insect-size spy drones, though several US Government departments say they are trying. But several federally funded teams are growing live insects with computer chips in them, with the aim of mounting spyware on their bodies.”

Interestingly

“Pentagon documents describe nearly 100 different models of robotic fliers in use today, some as tiny as birds, and some the size of small planes. The nation's fleet of flying robots logged more than 160,000 flight hours last year - a fourfold increase since 2003.”

"America can be pretty sneaky," said Tom Ehrhard, a retired air force colonel and expert in unmanned aerial vehicles… "


Hmmmmmmm...

10 gems of wisdom:

Poodles said...

On a similar vein, on NPR the other day (I don't remember which show) a doctor was discussing how the technology to refill ink jet cartridges is being used in research about injecting human organs with good stem cells. HMMM.

Too bad our douchebag in chief (pres Bush) is against stem cell research.

Protium the Heathen said...

Hi Poodles.. thanks for popping by.
I'm slowly getting the hang of this blogging thing... I think.

There's a lot of interesting technology in growth at the moment. It's a shame when throwbacks from the bronze age stiffle them.

Curse you God... hello... hello... damn he's gone.

T T Eyes said...

A friend of mine recently requested some samples of 3d printing for a University course she is running. She was amazed and delighted to receive a 'printed' golf club head...not that she plays golf, but just amazed that this had come out of a printer.
I think at present these printers are pretty expensive, but i'm sure like other new technology the price will eventually come down to a reasonable level. Does this mean we will all be able to 'print' out anything we desire?? Apparently one guy is working on making a printer which replicates the same printer...the mind boggles.
What of China and the world economy if we all start printing our own crap instead of buying in the retail stores...the mind boggles a little more....

Protium the Heathen said...

Hi Thump Thump... great to see you come on over...

Is a Star Trek Replicator around the corner?

Xavier Onassis said...

“No agency admits to having deployed insect-size spy drones, though several US Government departments say they are trying..."

I always thought it was suspicious that we "retired" the SR-71 Blackbird in 1997. It was still the highest flying (80,000 feet plus) and fastest flying (Mach 3 plus) spy plane in the world. Why would we retire that technology if we didn't already have something better in place?

Protium the Heathen said...

Hi XO...

Perhaps it was cause 12 out of 32 were destroyed in accidents :)

It's all scarey shit if in the wrong hands...

T T Eyes said...

It feels like the Star Trek replicator is getting very close...gonna make getting a beer a whole lot easier for you protium haahaa!:-D

Sean Wright said...

Reminds me of an Xfiles episode where the Cockroaches turn out to be metalilc - the implication being that they are electronic snoopers sent by the government or Aliens

Harry Nads said...

The technology now is so cool, and it will be great to see what is around the corner. It is great to be alive in this age of technology.

Protium the Heathen said...

Protium walks to other side of room, stands in front of square panel and says "German brewed Becks, 3 degrees celsius, glass bottle". *click buzzz*
Aahhhhhhhh...perfect. "thank you replicator"

Hi Sean... I was never a big fan of the X Files... don't know why.

Hi Harry.. thanks for popping by.
Considering I am involved in the service of some of these technologies and the fact I was born in the very late 50's... It blows me away. I am so excited about what's going to happen next. I am looking forward to some of the new technologies stem cell research will produce.