Looks like a typical harmonic gear drive using magnet arrays instead of gear teeth.
Cool but nothing new.

https://www.semanticscholar.org/pap...llah/ec00459acd822e03f58e4ed586b9b678eb4495b5

 

I saw that the other day, pretty interesting. I wonder how its torque capacity and accuracy compares to a same-sized traditional geared gearbox. I imagine it has a lot of "backlash" (not sure if the term totally applies here) and sort of "spongy" - which may be a benefit in some applications, but in most, probably not.

 

I saw that the other day, pretty interesting. I wonder how its torque capacity and accuracy compares to a same-sized traditional geared gearbox. I imagine it has a lot of "backlash" (not sure if the term totally applies here) and sort of "spongy" - which may be a benefit in some applications, but in most, probably not.

In principle, it should be more efficient than a set of mechanical gears, and that probably makes it valuable for specific applications... although I cannot imagine any at the moment ...

 

In principle, it should be more efficient than a set of mechanical gears, and that probably makes it valuable for specific applications... although I cannot imagine any at the moment ...

Way cool.

As for applications: I can see it being used to drive screws into certain metals. When the screw is almost tight the gears can slip. No clutches, no break-over arrangements, just simple slip. Using one way the speed is increased. Using the opposite way the gear reduces. In this way I bet an even higher torque can be achieved. Depending on the strength of the magnets and how close they interface with each other, the amount of torque can be controlled. I definitely see application for this. And I've never seen anything like it before. But then again, I've not seen a lot of things.

 

In principle, it should be more efficient than a set of mechanical gears, and that probably makes it valuable for specific applications... although I cannot imagine any at the moment ...

I'll admit I don't fully understand the principle, but it seemed to have some cogging like when you manually spin an unpowered stepper motor. So traditional gears may still offer some competition in efficiency.

 

It uses a magnetic version of a Strain Wave Gear.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strain_wave_gearing
A magnetic version will be limited by the magnet spacing, strength and the non-magnetic components like the flexible spline. I've seen the mechanical versions in various types of robotics systems that are very efficient, smooth with almost no backlash moving heavy loads at high power.

 

In a motor - a changing magnetic field of the stator makes the rotor rotate. Whether DC or AC, it's sort of the same principal. With a permanent magnet motor you still change the fields of the rotor and there it goes.

 

Wouldn't that sort of magnetic flux interaction create eddy currents somewhere, like in the ferromagnetic cylinders between both ring arrays of magnets? And hence produce heat and affect efficiency?

 

Wouldn't that sort of magnetic flux interaction create eddy currents somewhere, like in the ferromagnetic cylinders between both ring arrays of magnets? And hence produce heat and affect efficiency?

You could use a magnetic Halbach array (used for ion beam focusing on semi production machines) to minimize unwanted flux interactions but it won't eliminate it completely.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halbach_array

https://www.kjmagnetics.com/blog.asp?p=halbach-arrays
https://cpb-us-e2.wpmucdn.com/labs.utdallas.edu/dist/9/93/files/2021/09/Axial-Halbach-IEMDC-2015.pdf

 

I honestly find the 2025 goal for a crewed test flight hard to believe. But it's a cool concept plane nevertheless:

China’s New Winged Rocket Can Soar From New York to Beijing in 1 Hour

​

A dramatic CGI video presentation on Space Transportation's website shows passengers board a plane attached to a large triangular paraglider-like wing featuring two large rocket boosters. After takeoff, the plane detaches from the wing and flies through suborbital space.

 

I honestly find the 2025 goal for a crewed test flight hard to believe. But it's a cool concept plane nevertheless:

Space Transportation says it aims to conduct ground tests by 2023 before carrying out its first test flight in 2024. All going to plan, a crewed test flight will then take place in 2025

If anyone could do it on that timeline, it would be China. For the same reason they can create GMO superhumans and we can't.

 

For the same reason they can create GMO superhumans and we can't.

Sorry, but I can't find the connection between their complete lack of a moral compass and the necessary science/tech expertise to accomplish the aforementioned space plane ... [/SARCASM]

 

Sorry, but I can't find the connection between their complete lack of a moral compass and the necessary science/tech expertise to accomplish the aforementioned space plane ... [/SARCASM]

The connection as I see it, is the codification (or not) of the moral compass. Easier to fast-track the flinging of live humans into lower orbit when you don't care if they live or die, and there are no laws on the books which say that you have to.

 

Gonna be cool hopefully.
https://www.theverge.com/2022/9/30/...ay-robot-elon-musk-prototype-optimus-humanoid

 

Simply wow! Never would have thunk of this:

 

An exothermic reaction. Don't breathe the fumes.

 

Sorry, but I can't find the connection between their complete lack of a moral compass and the necessary science/tech expertise to accomplish the aforementioned space plane

The connection is money and focus. Russia has more money and more resources, but zero focus on anything of value.

ak

 

 

When the topic of Blockbuster comes up, someone will say "I wonder why they went out of business" and someone else will offer the proliferation of streaming video as the answer. I agree mostly, but I have an additional explanation burned into that area of the brain that would probably survive a traumatic brain injury. When I was a kid I would stay with my dad in the summer and he would rent all the movies I didn't get to watch during the rest of the year (my mom didn't have a TV on purpose). One day I was waiting for him to come outside; we were going to town to exchange the movies and I had set the stack of 5 tapes on the front bumper of the truck since it was locked, and then gotten distracted by a cool bug or lizard or something. Fast forward 10 minutes and we are going down the highway and there's a loud clatter followed by an explosive cloud of VHS ribbon in our wake. My dad knew immediately what happened and what it meant (in dollars) but I didn't until we went in empty handed to "exchange." Then I understood why he got so angry. It was hundreds of dollars. I don't remember how many hundreds, just "hundreds." I remember the epiphany that "be kind, rewind" was a lie and they are actually hoping that you will lose the movie, forget to rewind it, return it late, whatever, so they can make more money. Blockbuster was no longer the wonderland that it always had been. It felt more like stepping into a lion's den. I wouldn't get more than 2 movies at a time after that. If my dad picked out a movie that he wanted, I would put one of mine back. I didn't explain myself to him but I think he knew.

 

When the topic of Blockbuster comes up, someone will say "I wonder why they went out of business" and someone else will offer the proliferation of streaming video as the answer. I agree mostly, but I have an additional explanation burned into that area of the brain that would probably survive a traumatic brain injury. When I was a kid I would stay with my dad in the summer and he would rent all the movies I didn't get to watch during the rest of the year (my mom didn't have a TV on purpose). One day I was waiting for him to come outside; we were going to town to exchange the movies and I had set the stack of 5 tapes on the front bumper of the truck since it was locked, and then gotten distracted by a cool bug or lizard or something. Fast forward 10 minutes and we are going down the highway and there's a loud clatter followed by an explosive cloud of VHS ribbon in our wake. My dad knew immediately what happened and what it meant (in dollars) but I didn't until we went in empty handed to "exchange." Then I understood why he got so angry. It was hundreds of dollars. I don't remember how many hundreds, just "hundreds." I remember the epiphany that "be kind, rewind" was a lie and they are actually hoping that you will lose the movie, forget to rewind it, return it late, whatever, so they can make more money. Blockbuster was no longer the wonderland that it always had been. It felt more like stepping into a lion's den. I wouldn't get more than 2 movies at a time after that. If my dad picked out a movie that he wanted, I would put one of mine back. I didn't explain myself to him but I think he knew.

Yes, I can attest that what you've just said is completely true ... their tardy fees, along with any other invented charges they could shove down your throat were absolutely draconian.