PRODUCT LIBRARY
a simple tap at the temple of the frames activates rich directional sound, allowing wearers to 'seamlessly press play on the soundtrack of their lives'.
connections: 73
no, volkswagen isn't changing its name to 'voltswagen' in the US.
connections: +530
virgin galactic designs its spaceship III with a modular design that will lay the foundation for the manufacture of future space planes.
connections: 78
the wind catcher by KiteX — which comes in two versions — works in conjunction with solar panels or separately by generating power in situations when solar power is not enough.
connections: 49
We never claimed to invent the inflatable greenhouse, I’m sure it existed long before 1964. We just were utilizing one of NASA’s module formats to try and have a space that we could develop our crop systems in that had a high degree of mission fidelity. We were challenged by NASA to provide a system that could be deploy autonomously and have crops growing by the time the crew showed up.
Robert [Bob], No money was wasted, but much time, energy and money was invested to reach this new desing.
This is Gene [[email protected]] formerly faculty at Rutgers Agricultural Engineering Dept., who mentored by and who worked with Bill Roberts and Dr. Dave Mears from 1980 – 2000 on many aspects of greenhouses as controlled environments for food production. Yes, they created the first air-inflated, double-polyethylene covered greenhouse, which is now standard of the industry of flexible film covered greenhouse structures. They also established other standards of greenhouse design for example in an air-supported structure, not just an air-inflated covering of a mechanically supported structure [2 different designs]. I have discussed this with them, and have their publications. There were others, such as the Ohio greenhouse air-supported structure for covering the farm field and growing tomato crops in the soil, too. See efforts of Dr Ted Short and Bill Bauerle from OSU.
But what is missed most in your interpretation is that it was the historical experiences of greenhouse design, as well as hydroponic crop production [my interest since 1980] that could be transformed into a new format, for a new client [NASA] and provide plant production in a semi-automated way that with much materials development in the future may ultimately bring life-support and food production to people living on another planet.
Finally, what is regularly missed within most brief writings about a popular subject for the media is that typically one person or institution is given credit. It is simpler and easier to do, and besides raising the hackles of the collaborators it does not affect the quality of the story. It is the sad truth.
As for the Lunar Greenhouse since 2004, Mr. Phil Sadler of Sadler Machine Company has be the driving force and the creator of the design. He and I , and now with Dr. Roberto Furfaro [current Principal investigator on the project] have had 30 – 40 students, faculty, staff, national and international collaborators, all too many to mention.
With all due respect, inflatable greenhouses have been around since 1964… (Search Rutgers inflatable greenhouse)
This is just a new way of shaping one, making it air tight, and then finding a new use…
Don’t get me wrong, any publicity for the ag-engineering field is good, however, I wonder how much money was spent/wasted on this, when the design already existed. And also the lack of credit given that I could find on the original sites is disappointing.