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Laser Powered Paper Plane Takes Flight

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the now-all-i-need-is-a-co2-laser dept.

RobertTaylor writes: "Ananova is reporting that Japanese scientists have developed a laser powered paper plane. A blast of light from a commercial laser heats up a droplet of acrylic polymer or water on its surface which acts as fuel. Full story here" Nature also has a story on this advance.

107 of 206 comments (clear)

  1. Self Containment by KoopaTroopa · · Score: 1

    How big (surface area of wings perhaps?) do you reckon such a plane would have to be to actually support such a commercial laser for its drive?

    I guess such things (plus their power sources) would be quite heavy and it would be impractical, but kind of nifty.

    --
    Sharpies don't just sniff themselves.
    1. Re:Self Containment by Bohnanza · · Score: 1

      Does the laser really do anything but heat up the "propellant"? Why not just burn it? - Oh, wait, that's a jet.

      --

      -----

      Sorry, I'm only a 1336 h4x0r.

  2. Interesting Technology by shogun · · Score: 5, Funny

    using the laser to power its direction by, for instance, blasting off parts of the wings.

    Dont some airlines already do that though? Ie just dropping bits of its wings during flights. I wouldn't call it revolutionary, except in using a laser to do it rather than metal fatigue.

    1. Re:Interesting Technology by Throatwarbler+Mangro · · Score: 1
      Dont some airlines already do that though? Ie just dropping bits of its wings during flights.

      No, no. It's luggage you're thinking of.
    2. Re:Interesting Technology by dirvish · · Score: 1

      Planes drop bits of their wing during flights? That is some scary shit! I hope I never see a plane do that, especially if I am on it. Does that really happen?

      --
      FoundNews.com - get paid to blog.,
    3. Re:Interesting Technology by jerryasher · · Score: 1, Troll

      Which fucked up moderators thought this was funny?

    4. Re:Interesting Technology by Hard_Code · · Score: 2

      It is funny you stiff...

      --

      It's 10 PM. Do you know if you're un-American?
    5. Re:Interesting Technology by plastic_heaven · · Score: 1

      I can see it now... "Go left! No right! No LEFT! Aw crap, no more wings left..."

  3. It's not flying... by WetCat · · Score: 1

    it's going down...
    And it is made of aluminum foil, not paper...

    1. Re:It's not flying... by wadetemp · · Score: 2

      Hit in the ass by a laser
      Livin' it up when I'm goin' down
      Hit in the ass by a laser
      Lovin' it up 'til I hit the ground
      - Aerosmith

    2. Re:It's not flying... by mumblestheclown · · Score: 1
      The definition of flying accepted by most pilo ts, including myself is that flying involves the production of lift.

      Lift is produced (this is simplified, but run with this for now) by pressure diffential--lower pressure above the wing or rotor.

      By this definition, airplanes, gliders, and helicopters fly. Rocket ships do not--they are simply thrusted into space. Hot-air Balloons are likewise held up by the conversion of chemical potential energy to heat.

      Paper airplanes fly if their wings produce a reasonable amount of lift. Most do, and I suspect that our Japanese plane produces quite a bit in order to stay airborne. A crumpled up piece of paper produces next to zero lift.. it's ability to sail through the air is, again, based on thrust.. the conversion of chemical energy (hamburgers) into kinetic energy via your arm. it will otherwise more or less follow a classic newtonian parabola.

      - certified flight instructor / instrument instructor / multiengine instructor / airline transport pilot

    3. Re:It's not flying... by buck_wild · · Score: 1

      In my own opinion, flying is when you expend continuous force (think airplane), while gliding is a one-time energy expenditure (think space shuttle).

      Hope my thoughts are clear. It's about time to get another cup of coffee.

      --
      If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.
  4. propulsion in flight by crumbz · · Score: 2

    If they scaled this up to a practical size, I wonder how difficult it would be to have a ground based laser tracking the liquid supply and pulsing a beam to continue the flight?

    1. Re:propulsion in flight by NateSac · · Score: 1

      I think that the idea of laser propulsion is that the laser isn't based on the craft, but used as a remote power source.

      --
      ::i visited slashdot and all i got was this lousy sig::
    2. Re:propulsion in flight by tunah · · Score: 2

      I can only _assume_ that was the point, but they are engineers...

      --
      Free Java games for your phone: Tontie, Sokoban
    3. Re:propulsion in flight by Xaoswolf · · Score: 1
      The problem with remote poser is, unless you are going to pepper the flight paths with lasers, or throw up some laser satellites, you are going to have some seriously limmited range. Think about it, the earth is round, once you fly over the horizon, you can no longer be hit by the laser.

      I really don't think that the amount of power needed to activate a chain of extremely high powered laser's from say LAX to Midway, would be all that more efficent, let alone for intercontenental flights. And I really don't see the other nations of the world liking someone putting a high powered laser into space.

      And lastly, the plane was made out of aluminum foil, I'm guessing for two reason's, one, it's rather light weight, and two, it won't burn when hit with the laser. How much of the acrylic polymer feul is going to be needed to power an actual plane, and how big of a laser is going to be needed to get this thing to lift off. You'll note that the picture shows the plane just launching off of the pedistool, then falling.

      --
      Xaotik Designs
  5. Something else like this. by Galahad2 · · Score: 5, Informative

    I remember a while back reading about a laser powered metal disk that was going to possibly be an alternative to space travel. A laser on the ground would shoot at the center of the craft, which (being a mirror on the bottom) would reflect the light to the sides. The air would get so hot that it would "ignite" and force the craft up a few inches. The great thing about this is that the energy to get into orbit doesn't need to be carried by the craft, rather simply kept on land.

    Here's a link to an article about it.

    1. Re:Something else like this. by seann · · Score: 1
      "The great thing about this is that the energy to get into orbit doesn't need to be carried by the craft, rather simply kept on land."
      which is a very good thing, considering the amount of energy it takes for those laser blasts just to raise that small tin can up a few deca-meters.
      --
      I'm a big retard who forgot to log out of Slashdot on Mike's computer! LOOK AT ME.
    2. Re:Something else like this. by wadetemp · · Score: 2

      Actually, the last one I saw was achieving some pretty impressive heights. Supposedly it was up to 40 feet, but this was a while ago.

      And that is how many decameters? Suddenly, Pluto seems so close.

      I always dreamed of shooting my water powered rocket I had when I was in 3rd grade into space... it went 40 feet into the air, plus a few. But I accidentally launched my "research" into the lake (a primary fuel source) and it sunk out to far for me to retrieve.

      My guess is if I had a laser at that age I could have cooked off one of my fingers... er... I mean gotten it up to 50 feet... easy.

    3. Re:Something else like this. by tunah · · Score: 1, Flamebait
      I remember a while back reading about a laser powered metal disk that was going to possibly be an alternative to space travel.

      Instead of using our working technology to get into space, lets use a metal disk and try to get into space!

      --
      Free Java games for your phone: Tontie, Sokoban
    4. Re:Something else like this. by Erotomek · · Score: 4, Funny

      A laser on the ground would shoot at the center of the craft, which (being a mirror on the bottom) would reflect the light to the sides. The air would get so hot that it would "ignite" and force the craft up a few inches.

      Why does it remind me that kind of travel method when in cartoons someone gets a pin in the ass which gives him perpetual energy and he goes up until he gets the pin out of his ass?

      --

      Krótko: kady Erotomek
      W pimiennictwie ma swój domek.

    5. Re:Something else like this. by anshil · · Score: 1

      Well there was something similar, using a ground laser to bring up a rocket. The rocket has mounted solid burner on the back. (Like the modern booster which are used on the space shuttle or the ariane 5). Solid burner has a far better efficiency ratio than the convetional gas one based on hydrogen. However normally the problem with solid burner is that they aren't control able. A solid booster is ignited once, and then burns until it's empty so it can't be used to steer or stabilize. Thats a main reason why both space shuttles and arianes only use solid burner for extra burt, and rely basicly on the gas one, which can be turned on and off.

      Now the idea is to mount a different kind of solid burner on the rocket, one that is self distinquishing, meaning as soon you take away a heat source it distinquishes. Now on ground you have a huge laser with a far edged focus, which can be used to burn the solid fuel, this laser can be turned on and off, and used to steer the rocket up into orbit.

      --

      --
      Karma 50, and all I got was this lousy T-Shirt.
    6. Re:Something else like this. by 2ri · · Score: 2, Interesting

      And in space you can use photons instead of reaction mass. Yes, photons _do_ have an impulse. This would work like sailing on top of the laser beam. Got to get rid of the heat though, preferably as radiation directed towards the beam.

    7. Re:Something else like this. by Buck2 · · Score: 1

      Wow, now that was impressive.

      --

      As my father lik@(munch munch)... ....
    8. Re:Something else like this. by makohund · · Score: 1

      Something doesn't sound quite right...

      -snip-
      >alternative to space travel
      -snip-
      >The air would get so hot that it would "ignite"
      -snip-

      How does firing a laser to ignite the *air* keep you going once you leave our atmosphere? (Which is sort of required to consider this "space travel".)

      OK, so maybe it moves you fast enough to escape our gravity and just keep going. But then what?

      Unless you're packing something else along, this is a one-way ticket straight off to who-knows-where. Any volunteers? :)

    9. Re:Something else like this. by John+Harrison · · Score: 2
      A solid booster is ignited once, and then burns until it's empty so it can't be used to steer or stabilize.

      Actually you can steer with a solid burner. The nozzles on the shuttle motors have a flex bearing which is a bunch of layers of rubber and metal sanwiched together. The nozzle can then be pointed in different directions. So you can use it to both steer and stabalize. You just can't turn it off once it is on.

      Yes, I spent a year as a contractor at Thiokol. Yes, the tour was very cool. It was even better than the Mercedes Benz tour.

      --
      Lasers Controlled Games!
    10. Re:Something else like this. by Galahad2 · · Score: 1

      Erm.. I was joking. I guess it makes a lot less sense when typed rather than said. Sorry.

    11. Re:Something else like this. by Galahad2 · · Score: 1

      Well, it wouldn't be used for much more than getting out of the atmosphere. Placing sattelites and the like. And who's to say that you couldn't put a conventional spacecraft on the top of the disk? 90% of the fuel that spacecrafts carry is just to get out of the atmosphere. Imagine how much more weight could be carried if you don't have to worry about fuel. And cheaper, too.

    12. Re:Something else like this. by makohund · · Score: 1

      I figured as much. (Note I said you'd need to bring something else along.)

      You're right, it would be a major fuel saver. (I just wanted to bring attention to the fact that it wouldn't be a total solution by itself.)

    13. Re:Something else like this. by Buck2 · · Score: 1

      I knew you were joking.

      Unfortunately, you just lost all the cool points you gained for using "sass" in a joke by following it up with an explanation and an apology.

      You're just going to have to try again someday, I guess.

      *sigh*

      --

      As my father lik@(munch munch)... ....
  6. I think I've heard this one before. by Saoshyant · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I'm pretty sure I've heard about using lasers to power spacecraft. The idea is that, rather than having spacecraft lug around a S%$tload of expensive fuel, keep the fuel back here on earth, and beam a laser at the craft. The craft harvests the energy in the laser, probably using photovoltaic cell technology. The beatiful part is that the craft will never outrun the power source.

    1. Re:I think I've heard this one before. by steveha · · Score: 3, Interesting

      rather than having spacecraft lug around a S%$tload of expensive fuel, keep the fuel back here on earth, and beam a laser at the craft.

      Well... almost.

      You can make an airplane that works this way: it sucks in cool air, a laser provides power to heat the air, the hot air jets out the back of the airplane engine and makes the plane go. The plane pushes itself along using air. We can call the air "reaction mass".

      If you want to power a spacecraft with lasers, you need to do pretty much the same thing. However, in space you cannot suck in cool air, so you need to carry some other sort of reaction mass to jet out the back of the rocket. The laser provides energy to accelerate the reaction mass.

      But the best, most practical application of lasers to transportation would be to make a vehicle that goes to space, using the airplane trick to get the vehicle started and then switching over at some point to more conventional rockets. As long as the laser is working and you can suck in cool air, you can jet out hot air and get some lift. This would mean your vehicle can carry less fuel and still reach orbit.

      None of these will happen this year or next year.

      steveha

      --
      lf(1): it's like ls(1) but sorts filenames by extension, tersely
    2. Re:I think I've heard this one before. by Erotomek · · Score: 1

      The idea is that, rather than having spacecraft lug around a S%$tload of expensive fuel, keep the fuel back here on earth, and beam a laser at the craft. The craft harvests the energy in the laser, probably using photovoltaic cell technology. The beatiful part is that the craft will never outrun the power source.

      That's actually nothing new. You beam a laser at the craft, the craft harvests the energy in the laser, and accelerates in millions of different directions. The beatiful part are those flashes of light. It's nothing new, every sci-fi movie has lots of it.

      --

      Krótko: kady Erotomek
      W pimiennictwie ma swój domek.

    3. Re:I think I've heard this one before. by Zathrus · · Score: 2

      The general use of lasers for interstellar flight is nothing even vaguely close to this... most proposals for a large space based laser platform powering a spaceship involve the use of light sails - superlight materials spanning a thousand kilometers or so to capture light and use the photon impulse to gain momentum.

      Go read some of Robert Forward's books (Indistinguishable from Magic is more science than SF; Dragonfly is more SF than science) for some examples of solar/light sails and possible usage. A terawatt microwave laser could push a 16 gram lightsail craft up to ~0.3C in about a month, and using tacking you could even have it come back home instead of just having it transmit data.

    4. Re:I think I've heard this one before. by Aceticon · · Score: 2

      Well... almost. ( sorry couldn't resist )

      Anyways, a space vehicle can actually be propelled by light alone (no reaction mass needed - Solar sail).

      This is due to the fact that light actually exerts pressure on any surface it shines on (altough very little) - thus, the idea is to deploy a big sail in a spaceship (in space, not inside the atmosphere) and use the pressure of solar radiation to propel it.

      Due to the fact that the pressure per unit of area is proportional to the intensity of the light (Formulas for the mathematical inclined), a (really powerfull) laser can be used to provide a significant boost to said solar sail, with a much smaller decrease of the radiation intensity versus distance than the one you get from the sun's radiation (ie when the ship gets to Pluto, the Sun's radiation is very weak, while the laser's is still strong).

    5. Re:I think I've heard this one before. by DJPsychoChild · · Score: 1

      Didn't see this information on the site, but it is important to this line of research: the proposed solar sail, in it's current state, would never survive our solar system. If a hole the size of a quarter were punched in the sail by debris, the sail would collapse. Last I read, they were looking into using the NASA equivalant of tin foil (what is it with them and tin foil?).

      --
      CODITO, ERGO SUM: I Code, therefore I am.
    6. Re:I think I've heard this one before. by Buck2 · · Score: 1

      > It's nothing new, every sci-fi movie has lots of it.

      Man, you're cranky.

      --

      As my father lik@(munch munch)... ....
    7. Re:I think I've heard this one before. by Coos · · Score: 1
      > However, in space you cannot suck in cool air, so you need to carry some other sort of reaction mass to jet out the back of the rocket. The laser provides energy to accelerate the reaction mass.

      Not so. In space, you can set up a huge 'solar' sail and the impact of the photons from the laser provides the thrust without requiring the vehicle to lose mass. The problem is keeping a coherent enough beam back home to provide thrust at light-minute ranges.

      Fictional applications of this include the "Crazy Eddie Drive" from The Mote in God's Eye, and the beam rider ships in Tron.

    8. Re:I think I've heard this one before. by Syberghost · · Score: 2

      If you want to power a spacecraft with lasers, you need to do pretty much the same thing. However, in space you cannot suck in cool air, so you need to carry some other sort of reaction mass to jet out the back of the rocket. The laser provides energy to accelerate the reaction mass.

      He's probably thinking about a light pressure drive, where you basically use a big damn sheet of mirrored plastic and just shine a laser at it, using the miniscule pressure of the photons (but you make it up in volume! volume! volume!) to push the ship.

  7. Re:schwul by lowtekneq · · Score: 1

    Translation, Whats going on with you guys? All MCs are gay in Germany... With that cleared up a big BOOOOO to that poster

    --
    Carpe meam simiam!
  8. Still classify as origami by Gerrioholic99 · · Score: 1, Offtopic

    I don't think lasers count as origami.. whatever happened to the simple fold, point at your friend across the room, poke and eye out method?

  9. Lazer + Paper plane? by Kelerain · · Score: 1

    Does anyone else think shining a comercial strength laser at a paper plane may not be the best idea in the world? Maybe its just me...

  10. "Paper" plane? by breon.halling · · Score: 1

    Can you really call it a "paper" plane if it's made out of aluminium foil?

    --
    "Yeah, well, Dracula called and he's coming over tonight for you and I said okay."
  11. would be cooler by Satai · · Score: 2

    This would be a hell of a lot cooler if it were done with Radiation Pressure... Unless somebody can explain where my understanding goes awry, isn't this basically just another method of igniting normal fuels?

    1. Re:would be cooler by Keeper · · Score: 2

      Nothing is burning or being ignited.

      The neat thing about this is that the energy souce isn't present on the craft; it exists back on the ground.

  12. Further examination by Kelerain · · Score: 1

    On further examination this article is quite poorly titled..

    " Laser powers 'paper plane'

    Japanese scientists have developed a laser powered paper plane."

    "The tiny plane is just a few centimetres across and made from folded aluminium foil."

    Hmm... :) still an interesting thought..

  13. How lame is this? by Decimal+Dave · · Score: 1

    According to the article, this isn't laser-powered flight... it's just a a laser-powered launch. The aluminium "paper" plane glided downward after being launched.

    This is like saying that an arm-launched paper plane will someday navigate a volcano, powered only by passengers who will tear off fragments of the wing to control it's direction.

    --

    "Leave the strategizing to those of us with planet-sized brains." -Tycho
  14. In other news... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...fanatical Muslim zealots hijacked a paper plane fully fueled with five drops of water and crashed it into a scale-model skyscraper built out of playing cards... approximately 4 people received horribly disfiguring paper cuts in the ensuing collapse of the structure.

    An army of rescue workers has descended on the scene and is engaged in what has been described as "52 pick-up, one thousand times over."

    SEC officials are looking into massive short-selling of United States Playing Card Company and Hammermill stock in the two days prior to the incident.

    1. Re:In other news... by foniksonik · · Score: 2

      heheheheeheheh that was soooo good!!!! still laughing DDDDDDD

      --
      A fool throws a stone into a well and a thousand sages can not remove it.
  15. Fuel... A nit to pick by Embedded+Geek · · Score: 5, Informative
    ...heats up a droplet of acrylic polymer or water on its surface which acts as fuel...

    Actually, it's be reaction mass, not fuel. The water/polymer itself isn't releasing energy to propel the plane. The laser provides the energy to power a state change (liquid to gas) which pushes the sucker along.

    I think the "fuel" (liquid cessium??) in an ion engine is the same way, providing reaction mass while the real energy is from the electrical source.

    --

    "Prepare for the worst - hope for the best."

    1. Re:Fuel... A nit to pick by adrenalinerush · · Score: 1

      Exactly... if the water/polymer was actually considered fuel then it wouldn't be laser-powered, it would be water-powered.

    2. Re:Fuel... A nit to pick by Erotomek · · Score: 1

      The water/polymer itself isn't releasing energy to propel the plane. [...] I think the "fuel" (liquid cessium??) in an ion engine is the same way, providing reaction mass while the real energy is from the electrical source.

      So... The fuel is simply coal in the power plant? So someone invented a coal-powered machine? So the headline should be Coal Powered Paper Plane Takes Flight? Wow, how futuristic idea! :)

      --

      Krótko: kady Erotomek
      W pimiennictwie ma swój domek.

  16. Disquieting elements by Throatwarbler+Mangro · · Score: 1
    Although none of the articles makes specific mention to this ever being used in commercial flight, I'm willing to ignore that for the sake of the following observations:

    It's unnerving enough to consider flying on a craft that being shot at. Especially in light of the comment in the article about bits of the wing being shot off to guide flight.

    But what really worries me is this quote from the nature article:
    Then, in 1997, researchers at the US Air Force Research Laboratory in California used a high-power infrared laser to propel a saucer-sized aluminium craft for a few seconds.

    Forget about the inevitable nutcase X-files type eferences; I'm not ever planning on boarding a Flying AOL disc .

    And you can quote me on that.
  17. Easier method by Torgo's+Pizza · · Score: 2, Funny

    Wouldn't it be easier just to throw the paper airplane into the air?

    1. Re:Easier method by tunah · · Score: 2

      No. The violent movement might dislodge the water or acrylic polymer.

      --
      Free Java games for your phone: Tontie, Sokoban
  18. Read the story by wadetemp · · Score: 2

    "Ananova is reporting that Japanese scientists spent an afternoon making a laser-launched tin foil plane. A blast of light from a commercial laser heats up a droplet of acrylic polymer or water on its surface, which blows up and knocks the plane off the desk. Although I just told you basically the whole thing, full story here"

  19. Yes by wadetemp · · Score: 3, Funny

    Can you really call it a "paper" plane if it's made out of aluminium foil?

    Only if it's aluminum paper.

    1. Re:Yes by Afrosheen · · Score: 2

      Could be a bad translation. Consider the thickness of paper and the thickness of aluminum foil. Not hard to imagine it coming out as 'paper plane' when it's made out of paper-thin aluminum in the form of a paper airplane.

  20. I developed one of these also. by wadetemp · · Score: 5, Funny

    I made a laser powered paper airplane once. Actually it was made out of aluminum, not paper. Well, actually one of those little foil gum wrappers, I'm not sure if it was aluminum or not. And I guess it wasn't really a laser, I guess it was my finger flicking it... but I was holding a laser pointer in the other hand and was guiding the plane to the target using it! (And then after I made a few of those and threw them into a big pile, I made a beowulf cluster out of them just for good measure.)

    1. Re:I developed one of these also. by Hard_Code · · Score: 2

      That's nothing, I made a fuel-cell powered paper football...

      --

      It's 10 PM. Do you know if you're un-American?
    2. Re:I developed one of these also. by Billy+Catfish · · Score: 1
      Mine really was paper, but I used a 20 gauge shotgun as the power source. Man would that plane go. Later on I started using a .22 caliber rifle to control its flight by blasting off bits of the plane.

      Needless to say, I suspended test flights do to saftey concerns after shooting out the tire of my Nova.

    3. Re:I developed one of these also. by RKloti · · Score: 2, Funny

      Congratulations! You may already be entitled to taxpayers' money. Just answer these questions:

      Would you like your funding grant with, or without (an) honory PhD(s) from accredited institutions?

      Would you like to purchase an Order of the British Empire for just £49.95? If not, is it because you hate the limeys/pommies or because you dislike the (E/I)nglish?

      Would you like your name on Sunset Boulevard? Shall mere human beings be allowed to walk over it? With their _shoes on_?

      How many Nobel Prizes would you like? Also, please specify the prize catagory and the amount of baseless hype you would like to recieve from Scientific American and/or News of the World.

      Would you like any celestial bodies named after you? If so please choose: a.) Large supergiant that is about to become a humanity-destroying supernova b.) Massive, irregulary shaped asteroid that has a 20 km radius, a density of 50 g/cm, a velocity of 80 km/s and is about to impact with a major capital city c.) cute looking constellation that palm readers say will bring you good luck and virality.

      Would you like any horrible diseases named after you? If so, please chose: a.) Ebola b.) HIV c.) BSE d.) Yet undiscovered genital rash.

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      Would you like your name to be maddeningly misspelt by everyone, especially secretaries, especially the one who is going send you a pretyped response to this inane form?

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      We thank you for your cooperation. Please post this to office #5835327.953A of the department of administrative affairs. Please allow between 10^5 and 10^6 years for a reply, since at the moment we have a shortage of office space and mindless office drones.

  21. zerg by Lord+Omlette · · Score: 2

    Despite the fact that wadetemp posted three times before I posted this which automatically disproves my original conjecture, I'm going to ask anyway:

    Am I the only person who read the blurb and blurted out "What the flying fuck?!"?

    --
    [o]_O
    1. Re:zerg by wadetemp · · Score: 2

      Don't worry, I'm done now. I just got excited when I found out that I'm not the only person who makes paper, er, I mean aluminum foil, airplanes.

    2. Re:zerg by wadetemp · · Score: 2

      Oh, yeah, and I agree... definitely zerg. And also dude... you stole my idea for armies of borg pikachus (pikachi?).

  22. Followup story... by kcbrown · · Score: 1
    Tokyo, Japan (Reuters)

    An experiment with using laser propulsion on aircraft saw a serious setback today.

    The experiment involves using a laser to heat up a droplet of water on the surface of the aircraft. The conversion of the water to a gas is what drives the aircraft.

    But today the prototype aircraft was destroyed.

    "We fired the laser and POOF, the airplane went up in a puff of smoke!" said the aircraft's chief designer, Takashi Yabe.

    Traditionally, lasers have been associated with shooting aircraft down, but this research is attempting to prove that they can be used to propel them as well.

    "Unfortunately, today, we managed to prove that lasers really can be used to shoot airplanes down. At least paper ones!" Yabe said.

    The researchers are all set to try again. "Whoever decided that we should use paper was obviously a moron", Yabe said, but the other researchers only nodded and Yabe turned red with embarrassment immediately after saying that.

    A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Defense had no comment on today's incident, but word from our sources is that the President will attempt to convince Russia and Europe to start building airplanes out of paper sometime this week.

    --
    Use 'slashdot stuff' in the subject line in any email you send me if you want to get past the spam filter.
  23. Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle in "Footfall"... by teamhasnoi · · Score: 2
    talk about this technology to launch space craft. They (alien guys) sit on top of lasers, shoot it up the tail pipe, and the vaporizing block o' motor propels the craft up, up and away.

    It also talks about using something else, but don't want to give away the cool ending...;)

    1. Re:Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle in "Footfall"... by wadetemp · · Score: 2

      All this talk about sitting on top of lasers and being shot up the tail pipe... I'm thinking I don't want to know what this "cool" ending is. :)

    2. Re:Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle in "Footfall"... by pknoll · · Score: 1
      There's a similar concept in The Mote in God's Eye, where lasers are used to propel a lightsail spacecraft across interstellar distances over a number of years.

      And, a short story (unfortunately I can't remember the title) about the first Kzinti invasion has reference to a light-powered spacecraft which uses its engine as a weapon.

  24. And when the laser misses? by RebelTycoon · · Score: 1
    Zap... no plane... Yup.. This is what I want... to have my ass pierced by an industrial strength laser...

    --

    Tournament Management Online &

  25. Commercial applications by wadetemp · · Score: 2

    So, I'm thinking this could be used to power commercial airliners. Each city could have a laser (hereafter known as that city's "laser base,") which could be used to propel planes. And next, the secretary of defense issues a statement that there is a "credible" report that Al Quada members are trying to buy alot of metallic paint and weather balloons...

    1. Re:Commercial applications by ProfMoriarty · · Score: 2
      So, I'm thinking this could be used to power commercial airliners.

      Maybe it's just me but ...

      They are now looking at ways of using the laser to power its direction by, for instance, blasting off parts of the wings.

      I really don't know if I'd want to fly on one of these ... chunks of planes with blasted off parts just doesn't seem right ...

      --
      Karma? Karma? I don't need no stinkin' karma.
    2. Re:Commercial applications by RKloti · · Score: 1
      chunks of planes with blasted off parts just doesn't seem right ...

      Of course it's not right. You need to blast off pieces of aircraft left, right and centre to maintain balance and stability.

  26. Re:This doesn't solve anything... by benzapp · · Score: 1

    How does a simple story like laser powered aircraft strike up the communist naderite fury?

    Why do these people think anyone gives a fuck about the majority of the worthless scum that inhabits this earth? We just want laser powered ANYTHING dammit. We remember laser tag. We remember buck rogers. We want lasers and we want them now.

    The sooner we can toast some third world excuse for humanity, the better. Then snivelling fools like this won't have any more sob stories to take up our bandwidth.

    Lasers = no population problem.

    --
    I don't read or respond to AC posts
  27. Laser powered airplanes... by Bowie+J.+Poag · · Score: 2, Funny



    I have discovered that if I strap wings on my dog and shoot him with a high-powered laser, he will heat up and fly around my backyard as well.

    Cheers,

    --
    Bowie J. Poag

  28. In other news....... by TastySiliconWafers · · Score: 1

    November 13, 2013

    Today, the new laser powered Concorde XIII crashed during it's maiden voyage over Scotland when a very large cloud came in between the ground-based laser beam power source and the craft, resulting in a total loss of propulsion. No survivors have been reported at this time.

  29. Oh my... by Mika_Lindman · · Score: 1

    Erhmm.. I quess they run out of power when this shot was taken? I've made paper gliders that fly better. In preschool.

  30. Two months earlier... by Anonymous+Squonk · · Score: 1
    Submitted this articlewhen it appeared on the Japan Times back in April:

    2002-04-24 04:19:23 Jet of future powered by water? (articles,science) (rejected)

    Oh well...

  31. Excuses? by dr_dank · · Score: 1

    Its designers hope the plane may one day be used to monitor the climate or volcanic eruptions.

    Look, I tried that excuse in junior high and it still didn't save me from getting detention for throwing paper airplanes.

    --
    Where does the school board find them and why do they keep sending them to ME?
  32. Umm... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    The tiny plane is just a few centimetres across and made from folded aluminium foil.

    Theres something fishy about this paper plane, but I just cant put my finger on it...

    "Do you MOCK me, sir?"

    1. Re:Umm... by Afrosheen · · Score: 2

      I think they stole this whole idea from a MacGuyver episode. Blatant plagarism if I've ever seen it..you have the laser, you have the aluminum foil, only thing missing is the chewing gum and a pair of shoelaces.

      Maybe that's their next project.

    2. Re:Umm... by sheean.nl · · Score: 1

      no, no, no, no! Thele is absolutely no connect with any MacGuyvel-film, we have independitely developed this gleat piece of science and papel-lasel-plane is completly supelioul to MacGuyvel-plane! Ha-Ha-Ha! How deal Aflosheen to confuse those two with each othel!

      --

      If at first you don't succeed, then sky diving definitely isn't for you.
  33. Radiometer by danonb · · Score: 1

    I have a radiometer at home. It consists of 4 fins. One side is white and just reflects the radiation (sunlight), and the other is a special black paint that absorbs and re-radiates causing the fins to spin.
    If they coated the underside (or rear) of this plane with that stuff, wouldn't that cause the same effect and also allow for extra thrust during flight by zapping it again with more radiation?

    1. Re:Radiometer by wadetemp · · Score: 2

      DanOb, this is the FBI. We have a warrant for your arrest for trying to build a dirty bomb. We found your post on a website called Slash Dot which made mention of radiation, more radiation, "special" paint, and fins. Please come with us.

  34. Water as fuel (OT) by Embedded+Geek · · Score: 2
    You know, for a few hundred dollars I'll send you the blueprints for a water powered airplane I got from an old issue of Popular Mechanics. Uses the same technology that UFOs used to build the Pyramids, as a matter of fact.

    *GRIN*

    --

    "Prepare for the worst - hope for the best."

    1. Re:Water as fuel (OT) by Hard_Code · · Score: 2

      "Uses the same technology that UFOs used to build the Pyramids, as a matter of fact."

      I'll give you the technology right now: hype + vapor. It was also used to fuel many dot-coms.

      --

      It's 10 PM. Do you know if you're un-American?
    2. Re:Water as fuel (OT) by yesthatguy · · Score: 1

      Vapor...that's a codename for water, right? Somebody get this guy some VC! I think he knows what he's doing.

      --
      Yes! That guy!
  35. Been there done that by rworne · · Score: 1
    Research has already been done on self-powered paper/balsa wood airplanes.

    These remain powered in flight. AND these are also commercially available and far cheaper than the Japanese solution.

    --
    I tried every decent and legal way I could think of to resolve the issue w/the business before I rented the chicken suit
  36. Laser Powered Cell Phone by NateSac · · Score: 1

    This might be a bad idea, but I can see one possible commercial application of this technology. Put a GPS transceiver in my phone, use that for orbital targeting of the laser, and when I'm low on juice, just blast me some more power.

    --
    ::i visited slashdot and all i got was this lousy sig::
    1. Re:Laser Powered Cell Phone by RKloti · · Score: 1

      Boy, I'd like to blast some cell phones with high powered lasers. Preferably during use.

    2. Re:Laser Powered Cell Phone by buck_wild · · Score: 1

      So. How does cell-phone envy feel?

      --
      If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.
  37. Why do I have a feeling.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    We are all discussing an article from the Japanese equivalent of The Onion?

  38. Flying ? by nonos · · Score: 1

    According to the shot, this paper plane is more crashing than flying !

  39. Misnomer! by JohnPM · · Score: 1

    Just to point out the obvious, this paper plane is
    no more made from paper than your typical 747.
    In fact it's made from the same stuff as a 747 -
    aluminium. I think it would be much more fun to
    run the experiment with paper. That way it would
    be a Flaming Laser Powered Paper Plane.

    --
    Karma police, I've given all I can, it's not enough, I've given all I can, but we're still on the payroll.
  40. Lightcrafts are old by BerntB · · Score: 2, Informative
    I don't get it.

    Why isn't Lightcraft Technologies discussed here?

    Look in Google groups after e.g. 'Leik Myrabo' or 'lightcraft'.

    It seems they never got enough money to get off the ground. :-(

    --
    Karma: Excellent (My Karma? I wish...:-( )
  41. Beat the aliens! by MavEtJu · · Score: 1

    If this turns into the future way of flying, I finally don't have to worry about alien invasions anymore:

    Human pilot: "I can't shake them loose, they're going too fast for us!"
    Alien pilot: "I shoot this laser straight through his ship!"
    <<<ZOT>>>
    Human pilot: "Turbospeed! Thank you, come again!" and flies off, delivering the nuke to the alien mothership.

    --
    bash$ :(){ :|:&};:
  42. Raining Luggage. by Soulslayer · · Score: 4, Funny

    My Uncle used to design automated systems used for package and luggage sorting at various institutions. Often he was called in to observe and suggest solutions to previously installed systems. Here are some of the things he encountered in airport luggage handling systems:

    1) A second terminal was added to a small airport and they needed to find a way to send bags to the correct terminal with minimal effort and cost. So a couple of maintainence staff scavenged a large piece of aircraft aluminum (essentially it was part of an airplane wing) and mounted it onto a swing arm so that it would divert luggage down one ramp or another as they approached.

    In order to sort the luggage what they did was put a scanner ahead of the fork if a bag destined for a different terminal than the current path allowed headed down the ramp; the wing would swing to the other side of the conveyor.Well the problem was the staff had mistimed the gate. So a package would happily wander down the conveyor till it hit the sensor. The senor read the package's destination as the package continued along till about the time it came even with the tip of the wing being used a diverter. The wing would then finally move, late, crushing the bag against the far wall. When the next package came down destined for the now blocked path the wing would move freeing the first package (now headed down the wrong ramp) and crush the new package.

    Changing the timing of the gate was a simple fix, but it was scary how long it had lasted before anyone bothered to get look into it.

    2) Another example was at a modern large city airport. They had installed a super deluxe expensive baggage handling system with the usual barcode reading sorting machines to ensure luggage arrived at the correct gate.

    My Uncle was called in to survey the problem that the airport was having(what the problem was they were being rather cagey about). When he arrived they lead him to the baggage sorting area where the system was currently turned off.

    The airport rep handed my Uncle and his co-workers hardhats (never a good sign) and hit the start switch for the system. Klaxons and flashing lights then ensued. As the observers raised their eyebrows in question and concern, the first pieces of baggage started moving along on the upper wall conveyor heading for the gravity fed ramps to the individual gates.

    As the baggage reached its designated gate a big push plate at the top of each ramp would shove the packages down the ramp. At first everything seems to be operating smoothly. But the force needed to propel a 50lb suitcase off a ledge and down a ramp is not the same as that needed for a 5lb vanity case. And in short order baggage was soaring through the air; sometimes clear passed the end of the baggage catches at the end of the ramps. Often bags tumbled even further off course.

    Through all of this baggage handlers in hardhats are running across the open space of the sorting room in a crouched position trying not to get pummeled by ballistic luggage.

    My Uncles company wrote up a proposal to fix the problem but the airport decided that it was too expensive and left the system as is. I never found out what airport it was, but my Uncle said that as of a few years ago the system was still operating the same way.

    No wonder luggage gets destroyed or "lost" so frequently.

    --


    Once more unto the breach dear friends...
  43. Theres fuel, then there's fuel by oliverthered · · Score: 1

    Fuel is
    1. Something consumed to produce energy.

    So the water is Fuel,
    1: lazer hits water, (the lazer is already energy!)
    2: Potential level of the water rises,
    3: Water turns to vapor and
    4: pushes the plane along
    the 2->3 potential/reaction mass is the fuel being used here.

    --
    thank God the internet isn't a human right.
    1. Re:Theres fuel, then there's fuel by Embedded+Geek · · Score: 1
      I guess it comes down to the chemist's definition of fuel (I'm not one, but I guess I adopted that role in my post) and the logistics (or systems engineer, maybe) definition. A chemist would define fuel as "a comsumable used in flight that contains energy". Someone concerned with logistics/systems engineering would use "fuel" as a blanket term to describe any consumable used to produce the energy - fuel, oxidizer, reaction mass, etc.

      Again, I understand where you're coming from, but it all depends on your definition, which in turn depends on your viewpoint (and, no, I'm not going to dust off my copy of Websters on this one).

      ...and I did warn everyone in the title that it was a "nit" to begin with. ;)

      --

      "Prepare for the worst - hope for the best."

  44. Same idea, but without the laser... by fingal · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Many, many, moons ago I got a job working here while I was doing my A levels and one of the things that they where working on was propulsion systems for extremely high speed planes. If my memory serves me (which is not guaranteed cos I was only humble code monkey and not privee to the finer arts of engineering theory and it was a long time ago), then they where planning to use conventional propulsion methods up to their maximum effective threshold and then start spraying fuel onto the trailing edge of the wings directly, which due to the intense heat and pressure due to the (already quite unfeasibly high) speed would spontaneously ignite thereby generating more thrust without all the hassles of trying to force an extremely unpredictable fluid down a tube at high speed. Absolutely no idea of whether or not they made any progress on this or whether or not I would be prepared to fly in one if they did...

    --

    The only Good System is a Sound System

  45. commercial laser? by joostje · · Score: 1

    What is a commercial laser? Does this mean
    it's been done years ago already with communist
    lasers, but this is the first time it's been done
    with a commercial laser?

  46. leeetle teeeny weeeny volcanos? by new+death+barbie · · Score: 1

    "Its designers hope the plane may one day be used to monitor the climate or volcanic eruptions."


    Huh? Does Japan have little teeeny volcanos?


    Exactly how does an aluminum foil origami project, launched with less energy than a finger flick, somehow scale into a volcano exploration vehicle?


    "Well, first, see, you climb up to very lip of the erupting volcano -- look out for the boiling lava! and the huge flying boulders! ...and then you fold up this tin foil, right, into an airplane -- remember to bend the tip of the nose in, you don't want to poke somebody's eye out! and now I'll hold it very still, while you aim the laser at it...you DID bring the laser, didn't you? Ahhhh DAMN DAMN DAMN!"
    --

    It's supposed to be completely automatic, but actually you have to press this button.

  47. I took one of Myrabo's classes... by G-Man · · Score: 2

    ...back around 1988. Everyone called him "Leik the Flake". He was my Prof for "Theory of Propulsion", and all he talked about were 'lightcraft', which was all well and good, except we didn't learn much about such 'ancient' technologies as piston and jet engines. He managed to get a lot of grant money though, since these were the SDI years and his research involved ultra-high power lasers tracking hypersonic targets (just for different purposes). Of course, if the guy turns out to be a visionary, I'll be ahead of the curve on all this new-fangled laser rocket science!

  48. Is it just me... by Charlie+Bill · · Score: 1

    Or is the stop-action flight arc of the plane less than impressive. My dad had a book by Scientific American where they did some serious trials of planes and most of them did nearly as well at the same size, composition, and without hi-fallutin' laser propulsion.

  49. Re:The future, a sci-fi branch off... by Qrlx · · Score: 1

    Your fantasy about the deaths of thousands of innocent American civilians during our time of war demonstrates that you are a terrorist.

    Your current status under U.S. law is "enemy combatant." Secret evidence, which you will never see nor be able to challenge, is being compiled even as you wet your pants in fear. Start packing for Camp X-Ray, you freedom-hating AC!

  50. I like this: by Freddy_K · · Score: 1


    http://www.americanantigravity.com/

  51. Thats progress by oliverthered · · Score: 1

    The idea of fuel died with storable / transferable energy sources. Fuel is normally used 'A Gas fueled power station' Gas is a fuel.
    Power is used for the transferable energy e.g. plug you pc into the power outlet.
    So a gas cooker is fueled and an electric cooker is powered.

    all a bit to fuzzy for me!

    --
    thank God the internet isn't a human right.