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Security Hardware Technology

Remote-controlled Bolts and Screws 318

Posted by CowboyNeal from the long-distance-disassembly dept.
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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Remote-controlled Bolts and Screws More

Remote-controlled Bolts and Screws

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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@gmRASPail.com minus berry> 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!"

    • 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.

      Well, you still can do a lot. The engines aren't that different. Granted, software problems can be a PITA, but I think people are generally more scared of them than they should. I think intelligent fasteners sound like a good idea; encryption and encoded serial numbers w

      • 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.

            • 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.

          • ... 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.

            • The only purpose is to cause others grief.

              Incorrect, at least in the case of motorcycles- it's a safety issue. One could make the case however, that there's another way to accomplish this, hooking up a bullhorn to an MP3 player with a touch screen interface and all sorts of interesting messages for your average SUV driving idiot.
        • A lot of new bikes seem to use the same ECU/MAP/Injection system that cars do, making them simpler by virtue of fewer parts, but not electronically much simpler.
        • 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.

      • Yeah, but when the software goes wrong... Man does it go wrong. I've read some real horror stories about BMW 5 series software bugs...
    • I'll have to agree here. After a 40 - 60 hour week writing code I go home to my air cooled, carburated, 1968 912. There is still a lot of use that can be had from Bugs, Busses, and old Porsches. They are easy to work on and get insane mileage when treated right.

      It's nice to be able to work / play on something so simple when my day job involves things so complex.
      • I'm with you here. My car does not have a single transistor and maybe not even a diode -- it has a generator, not an alternator and the diode (if it exists) is in the fuel pump. I've driven it for 7 years now. It's never stranded me. It's fun to drive. It's cheap, but it was made in Britain, not Germany and a decade before your Porsche. What's more, parts are very easy to find and cheap.
    • 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

  • 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"
      • 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?

        Not only that, but what if the encryption scheme gets messed up somehow (password recovery anyone?). There's quite a few hurdles they'll have to overcome before this will be completely viable. It's a cool idea nonetheless though.

        I say we just start using
      • Nah, it's not brave new world till you are encouraged to have sex in the back of your disposable car while driving to play electro-magnetic golf and taking drugs.
        Damn, maybe Huxley was on to something.....
    • Judging from the photos on the site, those look like nice big bolts of the size one would use to attach an engine head to the block. Would the actuator mechanism really give enough of the torque for such an application???

      If this can get space-qualified though, I can see those fasteners used on satellites or space stations (attach something outside without a need for a human spacewalk).

      Paul B.

    • Re:Bring 'em on (Score:2, Insightful)

      by SageMusings ( 463344 )
      What I took away from this article is not how cool and useful intelligent fasteners might be, but how they promise to keep you from having control over the vehicle you purchased and legally own.

      Something like this might spell the end of any non-factory automotive service, especially those who would like to save a few of their precious dollars by performing their own maintenance.

      What happens if a bolt registers a "tamper event" and you are threatened with either a voided warranty or legal action when you n
    • "Digital commands take up far less space than a physical tool."

      Remember, you would need the electronics AND the actuator. I know that all the bolts I've fastenned on my car with 45 ft-lb or so would require a bigger actuator than the size of my socket wrench. But, it's probably safe to assume they wouldn't use screws held by friction in the end.

    • Re:Bring 'em on (Score:3, Insightful)

      by cryptor3 ( 572787 )
      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) Homepage 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.
    • ...like when that little shit with the subwoofers goes blaring past my windows at 2AM. Goddamn, will it feel good to press the "disassemble" button on my remote control!

  • 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?"

  • I use (Score:2)

    by Ogrez ( 546269 )
    Thumb screws you insensitive clod!!
  • ..."normal people cannot change parts in their car themselves..!

    Or to prevent terrorists sneaking bombs into aeroplane service hatches? This isn't an entirely anti-consumers-rights technology. Judge it by its useful applications as well as its possible abuses.
  • Somebody cuts you off, you instruct their car to disassemble. Or, you can have rolling chop shops, you drive down the street, instruct the cars to disassemble, then come back and pick up the parts.

    A safe use, the police can have the car open itself when there is a suspect in the car.

    • I think it's safer to have a big guy with a gun open the door for the suspect rather than a 13 year old brat with a remote. That's my preference anyway...

  • 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 kind of stuff angers me to the point that I would not purchase a car with these kind of proprietary lock-ins, just as I wouldn't buy a computer that had to be sent back to the manufacturers to be fixed (Note: I don't own a laptop :).

      It's amazing that car companies think they can get away with this kind of stuff. Thank god for anti-trust legislation, as ineffectual as it is (glare at Microsoft), at least it's something.

      Hopefully, cars with stupid lock-ins like this will receive a public perception

  • 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.
    • I'm sorry Carbide and diamond cutting tools will now be banned under the DCMA.
    • Sure, you can do all of that but will you? The auto maker can price their parts just below what you will charge for all of your effort. Don't forget that they are also going to be using bogus IP laws to make sure there's no competition in the air bag maker's market. So, the customer will be faced with you messing with their car to put in the same part the dealership will without "damage" and in less time, perhaps for less money. It's hard to fight a rigged system physically.

      A better solution is to hack

  • 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
  • What happens when these bolts rust as all bolts do? Time to break some more screw extractors?

  • 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... :)
  • Yet another example of the growing trend toward the consumer not owning what he buys. Soon "buying" something will be more like leasing it, in that you'll only be able to do with it what the manufacturer wants to let you.

  • 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

    • 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.

      There's already a law [ftc.gov] on the books that prohibits them from doing that.

  • 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.
  • Quick- somebody take out a patent on remote-controlled WD-40!

  • 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

  • How many times have we used the car analogy when talking about the right to work on and tinker with your own hardware and software? "...it would be like Ford putting a seal on my hood and telling me I can't change my oil or upgrae my carbuerator..." Sounds like they want to do that.

    So what do we do about it? Worse, what analogy do we use to describe this travesty?

  • As usual, the submitter is a sensationalist fucktard. The first thing the article does is describe several uses for these products It lists six different categores, including optimizing manufacturing assembly, and sensing impending problems. Yes, restricting access is one thing that they _will_ be used for. But it's not even close to the only thing.

    The article goes into pretty significant detail about the operation of the fasteners. The site is the web presence of a manufacturing industry rag, so it's not

  • Huh. Looking on the non-paranoid side of things here, these little things could come in awfully handy. I mean, how nice would it be to have a self-unscrewwing drain plug on your oil pan? Just slide under your car, put the bucket under the plug, grab a wrench, crack the plug (probably wouldn't want to burn out the tiny motor on an overtightened thread). Then stand back, hit a button, and presto! Plug unscrews itself, falls into the bucket with the oil right behind: And you don't have to scald yourself or let
    • The idea is though, that you will not ever have the ability to unscrew anything yourself. Remember the story about the car with a welded-shut hood? I don't think anybody has a problem with the remote control access in and of itself, but there are some technical issues that are horribly annoying with them (What powers them? What kind of hell of wires will have to be added to power each fucking screw in the vehicle? So now I can never work on a car without having a battery connected? What if I'm working
  • Why stop with disassembling your neighbor's car?
    Take a trip to the dealership, and just walk up and down the rows of cars... >=)

    I know the trouble you'd get in would be astronomical, but it just might say something to the dealers about "remote control" screws.
  • For the market in "kit" cars?

    I'm not talking about the car from a certain older TV show, but rather those cars you can order in pieces from catalogues. The less control the average consumer can exercise over his own property, the more demand will be generated for the build-it-yourself models among people who care. The list of reasons to build grows:

    1. Avoid airbags, nasty explosive pillow takes me out of control of my vehicle when I could be avoiding additional damage.
    2. Avoid smog controls. Most sta

  • Luddites all around (Score:2, Insightful)

    by eericson ( 103272 )
    Why is it that on a site that's supposedly for Techies/Geeks/other lovers of the Bleeding Edge that every new invention creates an automatic wave of "That'll never work, and it's a bad idea!"?

    This isn't part of some vast conspiracy to bilk you out of your money. It's just a screw that works itself, and more importantly it's not necessarily meant for every application.

    Sheesh. /rant
  • Saturn 3 (I had to google up the name). Its about two people (played by Fawcett & Kirk Douglas) that are stationed on a remote research post. A disassembled robot (with a human brain) is sent to the station along with a specially selected trainer. The trainer puts the robot together and starts training it. Problems ensue with the robot so it is dismantled. The robot reassembles itself, Big problems.

    Farrah is really hot in this circa 1980 film.

    Anyway - the thought of these self fastening fasteners b

  • What happens when.. (Score:2, Interesting)

    by CodeTRap ( 176342 )
    your car get's hit by lightning?
    You have to boost another car and get the wires mixed up?
    Some guy like me comes along with a localized EMP generator?
  • This would be useful for situations where a screw is used for varible tensioning, like tuning on a guitar. Especially in a hostile environment.
  • Kind of interesting, my dad was working on a project at Honeywell (then Allied Signal) to design a very similar bolt with built in torque sensor for space applications about 15 years ago. That bolt eventually found its way onto the ISS (the bolt to be used on the ISS was probably designed and built at least another 6 or 7 years ago) and now, car manufactures are looking to mass produce this technology and put it in in millions of cars. Course its nothing new that this is how it happens with technologies,
  • The raticle talks about networking these.

    By my estimate, there will be approximately 37.904 gazillion of these in use within 10 years. That's about 10 years before IPv6 will be widely deployed, so maybe we should just jump to IPv16 right now.
  • The Hillman Imp had self-untapping screws according to an article I read in some article.

    Apparantly DC10's would jetison cargo all by them selves. Nobody undid any screws, locks or retainers.
    Although on a DC10 I was on, a stewardess noticed that the exit door was open, as we were taking off...

    Some engines have self-adjusting tappets.

    Imagine that you had to argue a case with an intelligent fastner to convince it that it was very important that it let you remove it...

  • All I could think about was the screw in the movie rolling around and beeping when I read this :) Can't wait for this to come into being, and then the inevitable experation period when your car falls apart after 60k miles.
  • Keap it Simple, Stupid. Everyone out there knows that, and being an auto mechanic for ten years now, I'd hate to have to track down a problem to a fastener that intermitently lost its connection, decided to to losen itself, or over torque itself and break, or strip its threads. This will never work for two reasons, first off, I don't see how it can ever be cost effective, these things can't be cheap. Second is weight, the reason automakers have all been crying about how they're going to switch to 48 volt sy

  • 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)
    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 . c om> 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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