IE application

Question 6: If you could invent something what would it be and why?

by Luka Ivezic

May

, 20

14

1

Summary

Slide 3: scope of the question/rationaleSlide 4: what would I inventSlide 5-10: how could this invention be used?Slide 11: why did I pick this particular invention?Slide 12: My personal stake/reasons to pick this invention.

May

, 201

4

2

Scope of the question/rationale

3

I took on the scope of this question not as a question which asked me to think up of the most fantastical inventions such as a warp drive or a fusion-power energy generator but rather a question which seeks to find out what I would like to invent on a smaller/more personal scope

Thus I have decided to pick an invention which is a bit more realistic and closer to my personal interests.

May, 2014

What would I invent?

Source: http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/153063-graphene-aerogel-is-seven-times-lighter-than-air-can-balance-on-a-blade-of-grass4

I would invent a material (lets call it material X) which is: Lighter than air Easy /economical to produce in large quantities Viable to use in airplanes/airships due to strength and other

such building material qualities

This material would in effect be similar to graphene areogel or areographite but would be more economical and easier to use in terms of construction. Pictured: Graphene

Areogel

May, 2014

How could Material X be used?

5

The principal use of this material would of course be in making planes lighter- thus increasing fuel efficiency dramatically

This material could also be used in creating a new generation of airships or hybrid airships

Depending on its recyclability the material could also be used in car construction and buildings.

Finally if it is durable enough the material could also be used to make yet further advanced artificial limbs. May, 2014

How could Material X be used: better planes

6

With more fuel efficiency not only will air travel become cheaper and possibly faster but it would also be more environmentally friendly.

This would lead to more tourism, more travel and an even more interconnected world.

May, 2014

How could Material X be used: Airships

7

If I hadn’t chosen the material as a preferred invention I would have chosen hybrid airships (airships which combine elements of airplanes as well as normal airships) as the invention I would most like to have made

What airships can be used for: mass environmentally friendlier aerial transport of people and goods, aid delivery, surveillance, peace-keeping.

Airships can bypass the need for infrastructure and as such have been hypothesized as a solution for Africa’s lack of decent transportation infrastructure

Airships could be used in peacekeeping/charity operations as a mixture of an AWACs plane for surveillance, cargo plane for delivery of aid and as a deterrent to attackers.

May, 2014

Pic 1: http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/lockheed-martin-still-pursues-hybrid-airship-future-346882/8

Pictured: Lockheed Martin Hybrid airship

May, 2014

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2416809/Return-zeppelin-Firm-unveils-gigantic-airship-revolutionise-goods-carried-world.html9

Pictured above: areosoft experimental transport airship

May, 2014

How could Material X be used: car and building construction

10

Much like carbon fibre took the world of supercars by storm, the creation of another light-weight but strong material may prove to be a boon for car manufacturers to develop ever lighter cars either for the purpose of speed or for the purpose of fuel economy

This material could be used as an addition or substitute for steel or wood in construction if it proves to be durable enough, economical to make and to some extent recyclable as well.

May, 2014

Source: http://knowledge.allianz.com/mobility/infrastructure/?2133/What-is-graphene-good-for

11

Pictured above: new light-weight graphene derived materials such as material X can have the potential of being used to make newer generations of even more economical and “green” cars

May, 2014

Why did I pick this particular invention?

12

My primary interest as stated before is in the potential to improve our transportation capabilities both in terms of cost and in terms of environmental friendliness.

Due to having lived in many different countries over the course of my life (5) I have seen the importance of both tourism and interconnectedness in the way they open up our economic opportunities and perspectives thus allowing us to empathize and understand better other cultures and peoples.

And furthermore the increase in our capability to transport goods and people by air, and the increased viability of airships could prove to be an immensely important boon for far off places with bad transportation systems such as central Africa, western Indochina, etc. This could also change the dynamics of charity/aid and peacekeeping operations as previously mentioned.

May, 2014

My personal reasons to pick this invention

13

Finally, my personal interest in this application of the material is as somebody who has been living in Australia and Asia for the last 8-9 years I have missed out on countless times that I could have spent with my extended family/grandparents due to the high costs of air travel.

Thus an invention which could lower flight costs would aid me greatly in keeping in contact with my family as I don’t intend to settle down in any particular location after graduation (which is one of the main reasons as to why I am so interested in doing an international business course, which is more likely to give me the flexibility to continue this semi-nomadic lifestyle I appreciate and have gotten used to.)

May, 2014