This article sure got me thinking. If I were a bright young nerd in GM's R&D branch, I'd be mulling this over, while refolding my pocket protector.

What about a door that repairs its own dings or paint chips?

What about a windshield that fixes its cracks?

How about paint that switches colours at the touch of a button?

What about piston walls that reconfigure themselves after scoring?

Or tires where you press a button and the tread alters?

Maybe a CTS that changes into a Lexus?


It could be that none of this sort of stuff will ever see the light in my lifetime, but you never know. So what do you think nanotechnology could do for the auto industry?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4085214.stm

Keep dreaming, Ralph :D I also wish that aluminum molecules on the top of the pistons could "raise up", succsefully bringing up your compression ratio, or the camshafts that can morph its lobes to whatever you want by a push of a button.

Sounds good, but not in our lifetime :(

I also wish that aluminum molecules on the top of the pistons could "raise up", succsefully bringing up your compression ratio, or the camshafts that can morph its lobes to whatever you want by a push of a button.



A pretty good idea, actually. You never know how fast technology will grow. Hmm. Maybe one day, we'll all have computers in houses that will fit inside a single room! :bighead:

or the camshafts that can morph its lobes to whatever you want by a push of a button.

Sounds good, but not in our lifetime :(

Solenoid actuated valves anyone?

They already have plastics that can heal themselves when cracked. First consumer applications should be cell phones, mp3 players, etc.

I think it's going to be faster than we thought...I read a magazine about nanotechnology and it's supposed to be first deployed within 30 years, the article also talked about a factory that can only be seen under electron microscope(few gears/rods and it can "do something"). Just the other day FOX reported that downloading info into your brain will be a typical thing by 2075.

>>>In year 2100..."Man I blew some fiberoptic wires in my anti-gravity N* Deville doing only about 500mph, I guess that new fusion power generator is too much for my electron propellers!."

They already have composites and metal mixtures that can heal themselves. I can't remember what the name of the one I'm thinking of is in particular, but it's blue, very expensive, and will literally heal a crack or scratch in a short while. Now that has some automotive application if you ask me.

Brian

ive seen paint that heals itself , its quite remarkable ...

as for the rest ...ill be long gone before a car i own heals itself

Wasn't aware of that in paint technology...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4734507.stm

Here's a possible cure for cancer through nanotech. Interesting.

http://www.janes.com/defence/news/jcbw/jcbw050801_1_n.shtml

Here's a scary thing ...

I used to work with self-healing polymer matrix composites.
All it is, the plastic contains tiny little spheres that contain liquid resin.
When the material gets cracked, the capsules leak out the epoxy and into th crack then hardens (heals) not even close to nano-scale, not even micron-scale.

As for paint, my buddy has electroconductive polymer based "paint" that changes 'color' (light absorbtion frequencies) when the apploed voltage is varied....the first thing I said to him was it should be sprayed on cars so that you can change the color of the car based on your mood.

I think the most likely first nano automotive applcation would be nanocomposites, fiber reinforced composites with nano consitutents (like nano tubes) that will basically act like tiny fibers helping to trabsfer loads....my colleague at NASA and XXX are working on this, but its all pretty murky yet.

Its hard to talk about making these things when you can;t even see them.....its only recently that tunneling electron microscopes have allowed some 'sensing' or 'veiwing' of nano structures......its still a long road.