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Remote-controlled Bolts and Screws

Posted by CowboyNeal on Fri Jul 30, 2004 04:33 PM
from the long-distance-disassembly dept.
Security Hardware Technology
Winter writes "SMT Magazine has an article on intelligent fasteners (screws, bolts...) that can fasten themselves or by remote control. Usage for this seems mainly to make sure normal people cannot change parts in their car themselves, and only allow for authorized parts and service. Of course, a hacker might also have fun and disassemble the neighbours car."
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[+] IT: Look Ma, No-Hands Fasteners! 200 comments
theodp writes "Inspired by a daughter who suffered a serious infection from an IV feeding apparatus, the Trib reports an Australian architect has developed high-tech bolts and latches, which can be operated remotely without being touched. The first commercial applications are intended for aircraft, allowing crews to quickly reshape interiors to maximize payload space. BTW, smart fasteners hit Slashdot's radar almost two years ago."
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  • Cool! (Score:5, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 30 2004, @04:34PM (#9848268)
    I always wanted a universal tool that could work like the Sonic Screwdriver from Dr. Who!

  • I've had this forever (Score:5, Funny)

    by Anonymous Crowhead (577505) on Friday July 30 2004, @04:34PM (#9848276)
    "Hey server monkey, come tighten these screws!"

  • Too much tech in cars already (Score:5, Interesting)

    by slusich (684826) * <slusich AT gmail DOT com> on Friday July 30 2004, @04:35PM (#9848277)
    There's already way too much tech in our cars already. I love technology, but there are some places where it should be kept to a minimum. I long for the days when you could work on your own car with a decent socket set and a few wrenches.

    • Re:Too much tech in cars already (Score:5, Funny)

      by Walt Dismal (534799) on Friday July 30 2004, @04:44PM (#9848350)
      Auto service writer: "Mr Jones, there's a $50 charge for the firmware upgrade for the bolts in your new Toyubishi. But if you don't get it, your nuts might fall off."

      Car owner: "You leave my nuts alone!"

    • Yeah, the only problem is that you HAVE to work on older cars more. Give me electronic fuel injection and computer-controlled coil pack ignition any day over a carburetor/coil/distributor setup. Carburetors are horrible; they are inefficient, cranky, troubleprone, difficult to adjust, etc. If you want to keep emissions down, you either put in a plumbing system from the late 70's that Rube Goldberg would weep over, or you go to computer control.

      Coil-pack ignition is the best thing since sliced bread. Di

      • Re:Too much tech in cars already (Score:5, Interesting)

        by Nagatzhul (158676) on Friday July 30 2004, @04:55PM (#9848446)
        Now you know why a lot of people enjoy motorcycles. We get to work on our own rides while keeping things as simple as we want to. I am sure that there are segments of the car driving population that still adhere to this. The Manx or buggy folks, perhaps? Older 4X4s as well?

        • Re:Too much tech in cars already (Score:5, Insightful)

          by Oliver Wendell Jones (158103) on Friday July 30 2004, @05:00PM (#9848481)
          Now if you guys could just invent a muffler that didn't make it sound like a jet engine on takeoff, you just might find that other people like motorcycles, too.

          • Re:Too much tech in cars already (Score:5, Interesting)

            by Nagatzhul (158676) on Friday July 30 2004, @05:08PM (#9848534)
            It isn't that..... Most non-HD mufflers come under 100dBs (which is a poor way to measure sound intensity, but that is another discussion). The Harley folks make them loud on purpose so you can hear them coming. Since those of you driving SUVs and talking while you are driving aren't paying much attention, can you really blame them? They can't dodge you like those who ride sport bikes can.

            I'm only being half sarcastic here. If there was demand for it, you could make them almost absolutely silent. The technology already exists, but when it was introduced a few years ago, the rider portion of the show boycotted the booth. They felt that being silent would make them invisible and thus even more ignored on the freeways.
            • Loud Pipes Save Lives

              • Re:The short version being... (Score:5, Insightful)

                by severoon (536737) on Friday July 30 2004, @08:14PM (#9849488) Journal

                Loud Pipes Save Lives
                This is indisputably true. That's why, because I don't happen to own a bike, I have a 220dB air horn installed on the roof of my 1986 Escort. I had to have special glass and insulation installed in the car, and I still need earplugs when I drive it (because I leave it blaring constantly whenever the car is running), but there's no danger of running over a kid!

                This "You can hear 'em coming" argument is the most arrogant, self-centered, thoughtless, and logically inconsistent argument I've ever heard. As if it's my responsibility as a pedestrian to dodge motorized vehicles, and not theirs to make sure they conduct themselves in a way that leaves me unharmed and with comfortably non-ringing ears.

                • Umn.. It's so folks in cars and trucks can hear them. Not pedestrians.

                  When you're on the highway on a bike, you want the guy on his cell phone in the BMW next to you to know you're there, so he doesn't pull out into you.
                • Oh, please. Most Harley riders are piss-poor white trash who cannot afford to replace the crappy exhaust and carburetor systems that the low-end Harley motorbikes come with. That's why the bikes are so loud, and why the rider must constantly engage in revving the engine whenever the bike is at a stop

                  LOL. Never been into an HD dealership, have you? The biggest, loudest Harley's cost somewhere in the range of 40-50 grand. The kind of dough you could by THREE cars for, and that's WITHOUT paying extra for th

            • Re:Too much tech in cars already (Score:5, Insightful)

              by TYC (689542) on Friday July 30 2004, @05:31PM (#9848698)
              The Harley folks make them loud on purpose so you can hear them coming.

              I've had Harley riders insist that this is the reason why they have to have the "Look at me! I'm an attention whore!" straight pipes while cruising in residential neighborhoods; yet even while watching them come and listening for them, I never hear them from very far away. You can always hear them as they roar by, and as they rumble off, though. I think the whole "hear them coming" excuse is a crock.

              One of these same Harley riders insisted, during the very same conversation when I asked him about the mental rider fatigue all that extra noise must put him through, that he never hears his own pipes while cruising. "Hmm..." I asked him, "How can you hear them coming if you can't even hear them from 3 feet away?" "The wind carries the sound away before it gets to my ears" was the answer.

              They felt that being silent would make them invisible and thus even more ignored on the freeways.

              I've found that quiet bikes are much easier to stay alert on, especially in routine rides such as to work and back, and also as the miles add up on long road trips, and that's a far bigger safety factor in this world of sound-insulated luxury cars and SUVs. Most anyone with their windows up won't hear you anyway, unless you're riding with a half dozen others with straight pipes.

              I don't bitch about straight pipe riders much, but I don't have a positive opinion of them, either.

              They can't dodge you like those who ride sport bikes can.

              They can if they're alert, competent riders.

                • If they didn't work, then sirens on emergency vehicles wouldn't work either.

                  Hmm, the pipes on a motorcycle are directed to the rear and emit a fairly low frequency sound.

                  The sirens on emergency vehicles emit a much higher alternating frequency sound and are directed towards the front. Yeah, good comparison.

                  I live in an area popular with bikers, along a major road. I assure that I hear a bike for the first time about the time it roars past my house, and then I hear it for along time as it recedes loudl

                • Unless he has exceeded the speed of sound then the sound energy will still reach him. The source and the receiver are moving at the same speed, so in your river analogy they move together. Even if the receiver was stationary, so long as the current is slower than the wave speed, waves will still arrive at the receiver.

                  5/10 for coming up with a reasonable model. 0/10 for thinking it through. You fail it.

          • ... a muffler that didn't make it sound like a jet engine on takeoff

            I wish I had mod points for you, because this is +5 Insightful (if a little off topic). The mentality that drives unnecessarily and excessively loud motorcycles (HD rumbly types) reminds me of people blaring the car stereo with windows down. The only purpose is to cause others grief. And don't get me started about the kids on my lawn.

                • However- I've got to admit that the super quiet Police BMW only caught my attention when he turned his Red & Blue lights on to give me a ticket- but the Harley driver 10 miles further down the road had my attention as soon as he got within 200 feet of my car. That's pretty empirical when you consider that the #1 cause of motorcycle fatality (at least according to the AMSF) is indeed not being seen by larger vehicles.

                  Now, beyond that, I can think of several other ways to make enough noise than tuning m
        • I am sure that there are segments of the car driving population that still adhere to this.

          Oh yeah. Anyone with an older Little British Car (Triumph, Rover, MG, Austin Healey, etc) knows all about self-maintenance. Perhaps we know a bit too much. ;). If you have one of those cars, you're either a mechanic yourself (pro or hobby), or have way too much disposable income going to support a British car mechanic.

      • Re:Too much tech in cars already (Score:5, Interesting)

        by severoon (536737) on Friday July 30 2004, @08:00PM (#9849398) Journal

        Amen. I don't think I've heard anyone complain that they can't flush their own coolant anymore since cars went to 100k mile closed coolant systems. I used to be able to do it...and I used to HAVE to do it. Now I don't keep cars long enough to ever have to do it. That's alright by me.

        I would point out, though, that intelligent fasteners are not likely to make anything that is currently operable last longer...imagine if this were applied to the oil pan plug and oil filter. Do I have to take my car to the dealer and pay $80 for a $5 filter and 4 quarts of oil? That would totally piss me off, but I trust the free market to fix it...or the government.

        (Just kidding about that last one.)

  • Screw.. (Score:2, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward
    yea well..SCREW THAT!

  • Bring 'em on (Score:4, Informative)

    by Fux the Penguin (724045) on Friday July 30 2004, @04:36PM (#9848282) Journal
    I've been interested in these devices for a while now. As a design engineer, I don't see much how these new intelligent fasteners will differ much from today's dumb fasteners. Since they are mechanical fasteners, the joint strength considerations remain the same. All fasteners still have to transfer a force, and the concepts of tension, shear, and clamp load don't change with the addition of an embedded system. I suppose that any joint strength you can achieve with a traditional fastener, you can achieve with an intelligent fastener.

    There will be differences, of course. On the plus side, they promise to provide additional design freedom. Tool access and assembly sequences often dictate the fastener locations as much as joint strength does. Now you can put a joint anywhere you want because of the built-in actuation, which can also eliminate some of the tolerance or orientation issues associated with assembly tools. Cross threading could be a thing of the past.

    They also shouldn't present any packaging difficulties, despite their onboard electronics. These fasteners tap into a product's existing wiring and electronics. Digital commands take up far less space than a physical tool. I think that smart fasteners can attain much smaller sizes than conventional mechanical fasteners--in part because they overcome traditional spacing constraints and in part because smart materials will allow them to be smaller, perhaps even down to the nanotechnology scale. Cool stuff indeed.

    • Re:Bring 'em on (no thanks) (Score:5, Insightful)

      by nyrk (779328) on Friday July 30 2004, @04:42PM (#9848335)
      What happens a few years around the road when a little corosion sets in, and the little motor attached to the screw can no longer back it out. If you took advantage of the fact that it does not need access how do you remove it when the mechanism fails? I work on my vehicles, and often have to use a cheater bar to gain leverage on stubborn bolt. You would have to throw away the whole car, Starting to sound like "Brave New World"
    • Thanks for the commentary. For some reason, after I read the article I didn't quite get the design freedom point, or why the hell you would want to have self-actuating fasteners. I mean, to the average joe, I'm sure they'd say, "For the love of God, it's just a screw! Leave it alone!"

      But anyone who's worked on a car to any appreciable degree knows what a PITA it can be to get to some of the screws and bolts, and that's definitely something I can relate to.

      If this technology can be applied so that I don'
  • This is going to give "Hardware Store" a whole new meaning. :)

  • Well (Score:4, Interesting)

    by mfh (56) on Friday July 30 2004, @04:36PM (#9848284) Journal
    Of course, a hacker might also have fun and disassemble the neighbours car...

    While it's moving, no less. Yet another brainless idea from the money-men.

  • Obligatory Clippy Joke (Score:5, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 30 2004, @04:37PM (#9848286)
    "I see you are trying to install a screw. Would you like to install a screwdriver?"

    • Re:Obligatory Clippy Joke (Score:4, Funny)

      by franksp (570748) on Friday July 30 2004, @04:49PM (#9848383)
      Or better yet:

      System: "Your screwdriver screwdriver successfully installed the new Phillips 00 screw number 128696. Your car may not function correctly until you restart it."

      User: WTF! The breakes aren't working!!! AAARRRGH!!

  • Stupid idea (Score:4, Insightful)

    by Mz6 (741941) * on Friday July 30 2004, @04:38PM (#9848298) Journal
    Jeez... This is ridiculous!

    So... This is just another scheme so that they can sell you a part to actually work on your car. Or even worse, make you go to the dealer *shudder*.. I can see it now...

    "Well sir, the bolts to your air filter are remote controlled... You need this $300 remote to take the cover off and replace the filter"

    What's next, the same tool to be able to take the gas cap off, because that too is locked down? Only this time they sell it as a dealer add-on rather than a part?

  • Government (Score:5, Funny)

    by TheSexican (796334) on Friday July 30 2004, @04:38PM (#9848301)
    If the government gets their hands on these, then we're all screwed!
  • Unless the fastener costs less than a few cents, they are only going to have very specialized applications. Further, with a vibrant aftermarket repair and service industry it will be impossible, legally, to prevent people from understanding how to actuate these fasteners.

    Of course, a hacker might also have fun and disassemble the neighbours car. While driving. On the freeway.

    It'll be nice for the one or two niche applications that it was meant for. Beyond that, it's nothing more than a curiosity.

    -Adam

  • I an see it now... (Score:3, Funny)

    by riptide_dot (759229) on Friday July 30 2004, @04:38PM (#9848304)
    FTA:

    Seatbelts. Wireless or satellite signals from emergency control centers could release seatbelts, infant restraints and seating systems, enabling instant release of trapped or injured passengers from their cars in emergency situations.

    Woman stuck in seat because seatbelt won't release: "Hello Ford? I'm in my car, it's about to fall off a cliff, and I can't get out of my seat - can you release my seatbelt please?"

    Ford Customer Service: "Hold please ma'am - we're experiencing some slowdowns with our computer system. We'll just need to verify a few pieces of information with you first..."
  • Sure remote-controlled fasteners for cars and such is really nifty...

    But wake me up when they get remote-controlled brassiers. You will know its true love when she trusts you with the remote...

  • New way to lock out mechanics (Score:5, Insightful)

    by mikeswi (658619) * on Friday July 30 2004, @04:40PM (#9848324) Homepage Journal

    Just when Congress appears ready to force auto makers to stop locking nondealer mechanics out of the car's diagnostic computer, they come up with a way to lock them out of changing parts. If they prove to be resistant to the average screwdriver or wrench, we'll know for sure what's up.

    Microchips embedded in fasteners respond only to encrypted signals, restricting access to service procedures. These procedures would be stored in fastener control software, ensuring installation of authorized replacement parts. A central database would retain information on fastener status and maintenance history. All data would be accessible instantly to document warranty claims.

  • This is just soooo bogus (Score:3, Funny)

    by johnlcallaway (165670) * on Friday July 30 2004, @04:41PM (#9848331)
    Keep me from removing my air bag? I think not, this method presents nothing that a drill and appropriate sized bit can't resolve. Make the fastener internal so it's not exposed?? Carbide or diamond cutting wheels and torches can take care of that little problem? I'm taking it apart, who needs to put it back together again!

    Never under estimate the ability to take something apart that was not designed to be taken apart.

  • Hollywood must have these (Score:5, Funny)

    by steveha (103154) on Friday July 30 2004, @04:43PM (#9848345) Homepage
    Hollywood must have these because they have already appeared in the movie Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle. At the beginning of the movie, the Lucy Liu character is hidden inside a crate, but then we see wood screws spinning by themselves and popping out of their holes. Then Lucy Liu unfolds herself and climbs out.

    I always wondered how she got those screws to come out, especially given that her hands were folded to the bottom of the crate and the screws were on the top. Now I know.

    steveha

  • Yeah but... (Score:3, Funny)

    by Billy the Mountain (225541) on Friday July 30 2004, @04:46PM (#9848361) Journal
    Can they program the fasteners to reveal their crack at various times and swear like a sailor?

    Click, whir, thunk! Hmmm, yep, there's number 1 piston now. Won't be too long now, Mrs. Jenkins.

    BTM

  • Gonna be great for pit crews... (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Zocalo (252965) on Friday July 30 2004, @04:48PM (#9848379) Homepage
    This has got to be worth a second or two off pit stop times. All the pit crew has to do is tell the bolts to undo themselves as the car comes to a halt and they can proceed directly to changing the tyres. Of course, there are probably going to be a few amusing incidents when they trigger the release too soon as well... :)

  • Talk about vendor lockin (Score:3, Insightful)

    by steveha (103154) on Friday July 30 2004, @04:50PM (#9848392) Homepage
    One of the major features touted in the article is security, as in "you can't remove the fasteners without the secret code". As in "you can't install replacement parts unless you buy them from the original maker".

    Forget DMCA tricks. This will force you to get all your parts and service from a single source, the company that originally made the product.

    Thanks, but no thanks.

    Hmmm. There has to be some tool that will remove a fastener without the security code, because what happens when a fastener breaks in such a way that it doesn't accept any code? "I'm sorry, you need a new engine, because the fasteners on your oil pan are broken. They don't answer the commands to unfasten." Not likely! So I guess if you are willing to go to a great deal of trouble you could pry out all the secure fasteners and put in your own.

    Of course that would be a DMCA violation, but at least I can hope that the DMCA will be dead long before these fasteners are actually practical for widespread use.

    steveha

  • They'd be great on PCs too (Score:5, Insightful)

    by exp(pi*sqrt(163)) (613870) on Friday July 30 2004, @04:50PM (#9848398) Journal
    They'd see when people had voided their warranties or even prevent unauthorized (by Microsoft of course) people opening PCs so as to switch to a non DRM-enabling BIOS.

  • Could have some interesting uses (Score:5, Interesting)

    by YouHaveSnail (202852) on Friday July 30 2004, @04:53PM (#9848425)
    The article cites labor costs as the main impetus for creating these self-fastening fasteners, but I think it's much more interesting to consider new applications.

    One thing about nuts and bolts is that in order to use them, you have to place them where you have access and enough clearance to be able to attach a tool. You couldn't use nuts and bolts to fasten two blocks together, for example, unless you have holes extending through at least one of the blocks. With these things, you can bolt two blocks together with no obvious access points, and you can unbolt them at any time.

    The benefits of totally blind fastening aren't completely obvious because we've worked out other solutions to the problem. Basically, we either weld things together, or we use some sort of snap-fit system, or we leave access holes if we might need to reverse the attachment. But I expect there will be some interesting applications for these things in the future.

  • Microsoft windows (Score:3, Funny)

    by Greg@RageNet (39860) on Friday July 30 2004, @04:55PM (#9848443) Homepage
    Using windows as compared to open source is like buying a car where the manufacturer sealed the hood shut; how rediculous would that be? Oh, nevermind....

    -- Greg

  • You have got to be fu*king kidding... (Score:3, Insightful)

    by Mnemennth (607438) on Friday July 30 2004, @05:37PM (#9848735) Journal
    ... remember that feeling you got when the legs sprouted out of that guy's head in John Carpenter's "The Thing" ?
    That's the feeling I get when I hear about something as stupid as this... I mean, I guess it's the illogical evolution of the entire "tamper-resistant" fastener craze of the modern automotive industry, but as a professional mechanic for almost 20 years, I know from experience that fasteners with funny heads on them do not deter the fools and thieves out there from trying to take things apart - they only serve to provoke them into doing much more damage than they would have done had you simply used a normal bolt.

    It's just bulls#it, plain & simple.

    Mnem
    It's impossible to make anything foolproof - the fools are too damned inventive."

  • Oh the fun one could have! (Score:3, Interesting)

    by TyrranzzX (617713) on Friday July 30 2004, @05:37PM (#9848740) Journal
    Now nerds can screw over bullies cars even easier than ever! I can just see it now.

    *Nerd presses a few buttons, cars tires flatten and fall off, engine and components fall into a heap, seats, chairs, and straps fall down off of the interior, car trunk pops open and then flings off.*

    Needless to say, whoever thought up this was is a fuckin moron. Why the HELL would I trade my screwdriver's torque for a couple small magnets?

  • right on! (Score:3, Funny)

    by Tumbleweed (3706) * on Friday July 30 2004, @06:02PM (#9848922) Homepage
    Now I can at last have self-sealing stem bolts! Exxxxxxcellent...this will be better than sharks with frickin' laser beams.

  • Realistically... (Score:4, Informative)

    by trainsnpep (608418) <mikebenza@gmail.cWELTYom minus author> on Friday July 30 2004, @10:39PM (#9850198)
    That isn't amazingly useful. Think back to your Physics class...Torque? Torque is cheap (when you have a big pole). You couldn't use it for anything significant to the operation of a car since most of the bolts there need to be torqued, usually to something more than 30+ ft/lbs. Big things are sometimes torqued to 500+ft/lbs. Lets work with 30ft/lbs.

    Assuming the head of this thing has a whopping 1" radius from the center of the bolt, that's 360 lbs of force the fastner needs to apply. And the largest volume that this fastener will take up? 3.14 in^3? 6.28?

    These screws will only be useful for detailing unless they can tap power magically from anywhere they want.

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