(Credit:
Alion Science )
The U.S. Navy has selected two companies to develop a Transformable Craft capable of ferrying heavy tanks from ships at sea, through the surf, and onto beachheads around the world.
The Office of Naval Research (ONR) wants a T-Craft that does 40 knots, carries at least six tanks, and is able to survive 57-knot winds and 60-foot waves. It must also mitigate wave motion, to allow the transfer of vehicles from one ship to the other while rocking on the high seas.
To accomplish that, the companies Alion Science and Umoe-Mandal will need to develop and deploy some combination of new propulsion system, experimental hulls, exotic composites, "variable-geometry" bows that adjust to different dock set-ups, and retractable skirts for under-hull air cushions.
Also, the thing has to float. So ONR will be scrutinizing seal design (PDF).
"The T-Craft ship supports the rapid transfer of Army and Marine Corps equipment ashore," said retired Vice Admiral Scott Fry, vice president of Alion. "This is game-changing technology. This capability does not currently exist. This ship can go across the ocean and link up with a large logistics ship and take on some of the roll-on, roll-off cargo, and then land it on the beach."
The Sea Base Connector Transformable-Craft program is an integral part of the military's "sea basing" concept (PDF), in which floating bases fill-in where land bases are unfeasible or real estate prices are just too high. This would allow U.S. forces to reduce reliance on foreign ports, friendly or otherwise (PDF).
The transformer will be able to operate in four modes: from "open ocean transit" to an amphibious mode that can negotiate sand bars and mud flats.
This is phase II of the program. The companies will build full scale models for evaluation and testing. The best design may go on to full production in Phase III.
(Credit:
ONR)
Nifer Fahrion is someone who doesn't mess around when she's interested in something.
Rather, she'll put her heart and soul into what she's doing, and she is well known in the San Francisco alternative arts scene for her involvement with one crazy, wonderful activity after another.
Last year, at Maker Faire 2006, Fahrion took a felting class, that is, lessons on how to craft things out of felt.
She fell in love with the medium.
In the succeeding months, Fahrion took to playing with felt on her own, and developed enough of a proficiency with the fabric that she decided to start a small business selling some of her creations.
Nifer Fahrion poses with her felt Flying Spaghetti Monster
(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET News.com)Now, she is at this year's Maker Faire selling her wares, what she calls NifNaks. Among her whimsical goods are small Flying Spaghetti Monsters, little mushrooms and morels--which I have to say are among the cutest things I've ever seen--and all kinds of other silly items.
But I was just struck by the idea of someone taking an idea from last year's Maker Faire and turning it into a business that she effectively unveiled publicly at this year's event.
But given that it is Maker's Faire, and that this is thousands of people showing off their "maker" cred, I shouldn't be surprised. And in fact, there are no doubt many more such example.
Yay makers!
- prev
- 1
- next
