4 ms·

Dean Kamen Making the 'Segway' into Hybrid Cars

6 points by gibsonf1 18y ago

gibsonf1 18y ago
"I think what Darwin was really saying was: It's not the fittest, not the smartest, not the strongest; it's the ones that can adapt to change. And big industries that have long histories, particularly successful long histories and a lot of ingrained infrastructure become the least adaptable to change."
- dangoldin 18y ago
  Very similar to the Innovator's Dilemma argument.
StrawberryFrog 18y ago
Worst headline today: this is not a segway car with two side-by-side wheels, it is a car with a new (Stirling) engine, from Dean Kamen, whio is the Segways's inventor.
- josefresco 18y ago
  Dude ... that went right over your head.
  - noonespecial 18y ago
    He might not be a native speaker. For the many here who are not, its a word play using this word: se·gue (sgw, sgw) intr.v. se·gued, se·gue·ing, se·gues 1. Music To make a transition directly from one section or theme to another. 2. To move smoothly and unhesitatingly from one state, condition, situation, or element to another: "Daylight segued into dusk"
    - StrawberryFrog 18y ago
      I am a native speaker. "segue" is pronounced like the "segway" scooter? (Wikipedia concurs - it's apparently from the Italian) That's what I get for reading English at a higher level than it is spoken to me.
josefresco 18y ago
Completely and utterly way off-topic but who else enjoyed watching Fox news the day after the election just to watch in pure joy the 'news anchors' talking about how Obama won? I don't think I've ever watched so many hours of Fox news with a bigger smile on my face. -- Back on topic, I think this current vacation from oil price increases is obviously temporary, and is only delaying the inevitable move to new technologies until the economies around the world fully recover. Expect to see prices rising again fast as soon as economic indicators start improving, which will cause everyone once again to start looking into alternative energy.
khafra 18y ago
This is interesting, if it's truly practical (Kamen's brilliant, but sometimes has an unorthodox view of "practical"). Stirling engines have traditionally been more efficient, but also more expensive(1) and much heavier(2) than competing technologies. The second factor, especially, impacts automotive applications. (1) http://www.gulfcoastchp.org/WhatIsCHP/Technologies/Power/Stirling http://www.gulfcoastchp.org/WhatIsCHP/Technologies/Power/Sti... (double the $/kw of ICE) (2) http://scitation.aip.org/getabs/servlet/GetabsServlet?prog=normal&id=APCPCS000880000001000466000001&idtype=cvips&gifs=yes http://scitation.aip.org/getabs/servlet/GetabsServlet?prog=n... (even NASA only hopes to develop a 77lb, ~7hp Stirling, not the greatest power to weight ratio).

6 points by gibsonf1 18y ago

"I think what Darwin was really saying was: It's not the fittest, not the smartest, not the strongest; it's the ones that can adapt to change. And big industries that have long histories, particularly successful long histories and a lot of ingrained infrastructure become the least adaptable to change."

dangoldin 18y ago
Very similar to the Innovator's Dilemma argument.

StrawberryFrog 18y ago

Worst headline today: this is not a segway car with two side-by-side wheels, it is a car with a new (Stirling) engine, from Dean Kamen, whio is the Segways's inventor.

josefresco 18y ago
Dude ... that went right over your head.
- noonespecial 18y ago
  He might not be a native speaker. For the many here who are not, its a word play using this word: se·gue (sgw, sgw) intr.v. se·gued, se·gue·ing, se·gues 1. Music To make a transition directly from one section or theme to another. 2. To move smoothly and unhesitatingly from one state, condition, situation, or element to another: "Daylight segued into dusk"
  - StrawberryFrog 18y ago
    I am a native speaker. "segue" is pronounced like the "segway" scooter? (Wikipedia concurs - it's apparently from the Italian) That's what I get for reading English at a higher level than it is spoken to me.

josefresco 18y ago

Completely and utterly way off-topic but who else enjoyed watching Fox news the day after the election just to watch in pure joy the 'news anchors' talking about how Obama won? I don't think I've ever watched so many hours of Fox news with a bigger smile on my face. -- Back on topic, I think this current vacation from oil price increases is obviously temporary, and is only delaying the inevitable move to new technologies until the economies around the world fully recover. Expect to see prices rising again fast as soon as economic indicators start improving, which will cause everyone once again to start looking into alternative energy.

khafra 18y ago

This is interesting, if it's truly practical (Kamen's brilliant, but sometimes has an unorthodox view of "practical"). Stirling engines have traditionally been more efficient, but also more expensive(1) and much heavier(2) than competing technologies. The second factor, especially, impacts automotive applications. (1) http://www.gulfcoastchp.org/WhatIsCHP/Technologies/Power/Stirling http://www.gulfcoastchp.org/WhatIsCHP/Technologies/Power/Sti... (double the $/kw of ICE) (2) http://scitation.aip.org/getabs/servlet/GetabsServlet?prog=normal&id=APCPCS000880000001000466000001&idtype=cvips&gifs=yes http://scitation.aip.org/getabs/servlet/GetabsServlet?prog=n... (even NASA only hopes to develop a 77lb, ~7hp Stirling, not the greatest power to weight ratio).