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Post by srbrant on Nov 4, 2017 21:34:48 GMT
I was thinking that, as a radical defense against EMPs, hacking and other forms of intangible skulduggery, of having a ship that relied more on clockwork or otherwise analog mechanisms that won't get completely screwed during a battle. It may also have the added benefit of a reduced heat signature but the deficit of being heavy in mass for both the parts and the extra crew. I dunno, I've got a cold or some bug. Thoughts?
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Post by Rocket Witch on Nov 4, 2017 22:39:29 GMT
Seems entirely sensible. The moving parts will have to be designed around the issue of cold welding themselves together.
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Post by srbrant on Nov 4, 2017 22:46:38 GMT
Seems entirely sensible. The moving parts will have to be designed around the issue of cold welding themselves together. Dip 'em in space-age plastic! |
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Post by thorneel on Nov 5, 2017 0:20:42 GMT
The difference engine of Charles Babbage could only perform manipulations with polynomial functions yet that thing was absolutely massive. I imagine the functions required for even the most basic operations in space are far, far more calculation intensive. The mass one would need to devote to that would be insane, and any advantage you get from it would be offset by the maintenance and damage control difficulties. It would be much easier to just have a separate and redundant computer network that could work in the event that the first one was damaged. Mechanical computers could be considerably improved compared to XIXe tech, particularly with high-tech materials. However, a mechanical digital computer would still be massive compared to what we are used to, and may be too big for space use. Which is why analog computers would be used instead. Those are specialized and can only perform one type of operation (each), but they are much faster and much smaller than an equivalent digital computer for a given use. For example, during WWII, many weapon systems had analog computers, particularly for targeting. The US military liked those so much in fact, they keep them well after digital computers had starting to take over the world. That said, electrical or at least electro-mechanical computers would probably be used instead of purely mechanical, I'd guess. It is inherently impossible to hack those (they are built, not programmed), and this is independent of whether they are mechanical or electronic. As for EMPs, electrical circuits can be shielded, and the cost and mass of the shielding would most probably be inferior the difference with pure mechanical. And they are naturally robust to EMPs compared to electronic anyway. Also, a miniaturised mechanical system may be fragile to shocks or even simply wear and tear, due to the many tiny moving pieces. Clockwork systems still have uses if for some reason you simply cannot use electrical circuits. For example, NASA has plans for a clockwork rover for Venus as making electronic circuits that survive Venus surface conditions for any reasonable amount of time, while possible, is very challenging (meaning expensive - and NASA budget is strained by budget cuts and the Senate Launch System enough as it is). It would use a toggle reflector to communicate in binary code with the orbiter, which would radar beam it and look at the reflection. |
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Post by treptoplax on Nov 6, 2017 15:15:00 GMT
WWII US Navy instructional videos for introductory training on mechanical fire-control computers. Really neat if you like that sort of thing, some ingenious stuff here... Mechanical Computers (navy series): www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9cQ2Ddo6YCwNcDh15h2IheFHzXiHH8QFThere may be better copies of this, not 100% sure if this is the same one I saw a while back. |
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Post by n2maniac on Nov 7, 2017 4:17:14 GMT
I feel like you would be just as well off taking somewhat normal computers but with limited network functionality, one-time programmable memory, and enough EMI shielding/hardening to render it resistant. Barring pulses of penetrating radiation causing everything to glitch out, that should be sufficient (though nukes may cause this from direct radiation bursts, affecting just about any transistor via the photoelectric effect). Hmm...
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Post by newageofpower on Nov 7, 2017 18:10:16 GMT
I laughed so hard. Thank you, thorneel. |
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Post by CIber on Nov 9, 2017 4:54:33 GMT
Check out microfluidics.
They have made fully functional cpus for guiding missiles using this entirely emp proof technology.
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Post by linkxsc on Nov 12, 2017 2:30:30 GMT
WWII US Navy instructional videos for introductory training on mechanical fire-control computers. Really neat if you like that sort of thing, some ingenious stuff here... Mechanical Computers (navy series): www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9cQ2Ddo6YCwNcDh15h2IheFHzXiHH8QFThere may be better copies of this, not 100% sure if this is the same one I saw a while back. Well there goes an hour of my life edit, 3 hours. God what is it with these instructional videos from the 30s and 40s. |
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