3 ms·

Could this be combined with Theo Jansen's Strandbeest idea, to make a machine that (very) slowly melts a glass road through the desert, powered only by the sun

• patrickk 10y ago
  I wonder what possible applications could come out of using a fresnel lens+a stirling engine to drive pistons in a desert: https://youtu.be/CDCTANU8Tfk?t=1m1s https://youtu.be/CDCTANU8Tfk?t=1m1s
  • Teever 10y ago
    The goal of such a system would be self-replication[1]. So the material that the stirling engine is made from should be sourced locally from the environment. Perhaps iron or aluminium. Also make use of molten salt energy storage systems to keep the system running over night. Calculate your doubling time and extrapolate to determine when you've solved the worlds energy problems, or when you've turned it into grey goo. ;) [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDo2OeeimHA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDo2OeeimHA
    • nacnud 10y ago
      Ok, but one step at a time! :)
      • Teever 10y ago
        The key to this kind of a system is to reduce both part and element count. That way full-closure of hte system will be easier to achieve and full self-replication will be an easy step to take. Stirling engines and Fresnel lenses are the right path for both electrical and thermal energy production. If you can keep as much of the system as possible derived from sand and clay it's pretty much producable anywhere on Earth.
  • jsmcgd 10y ago
    A road surface would be useful.
• Intermernet 10y ago
  Short story by Cory Doctorow based on this idea. http://boingboing.net/2015/05/22/the-man-who-sold-the-moon.html http://boingboing.net/2015/05/22/the-man-who-sold-the-moon.h...
• radarsat1 10y ago
  I'm not sure that would be beneficial to the desert.
  • imaginenore 10y ago
    It would be beneficial to the people who want to drive through it.