Flashlights in Sci-Fi

[2xTrinity]

]
On light railways, fact is rails are and always will be better for ground transport. Simple physics. Coefficient of rolling friction for steel wheel on steel rail is 0.0008 to 0.002. Bus tires are around 0.007, car tires around 0.01, SUV tires as high as 0.015. And the rails provide an inherent guideway so all the operator must control is the speed (making it essentially one-dimensional operation). The ride is much smoother also.

Another big physics advantage is air resistance. With a train, where all the cars are tied together, only the first must bear the brunt of the wind resistance. The rest all get to draft for free. Comparing the fuel consumptoin used to transport containers on rail, vs on trucks, wind resistance is by far the most significant factor (as it's the most significant form or resistance encountered while driving at highway speeds)

Oh, and light rail vehicles don't need expensive tire replacements or servicing of complex, breakdown-prone diesel engines. They can last 50 years in service with little maintenance while a bus with routine maintenance is lucky to last 20. Although people often like to push the new, and it sometimes prevails for a while, in the end the technology which is inherently best for the job always prevails. We're on the verge of seeing our 50 year love affair with rubber-tired vehicles and individual transport start to come to an end. The irony is that we'll probably have spent a ton of money tearing down and then replacing what already existed 100 years ago.

I would like to see some sort of car-to-train "ferry" system, where drivers could park on a train car to be transported for long-distance hauls. The biggest problem with trying to implement rail now is the fact that most cities have developed as de-centralized urban sprawl. Trying to get around without owning a car in Southern California for example is exceedingly difficult. Even if a whole bunch of trains were to be installed, it's getting from the train stop to your ultimate destination that would be the problem. In most cities, a bus trip a few miles might take longer than teh train trip that's 10x longer distance.

 

[jtr1962]

The biggest problem with trying to implement rail now is the fact that most cities have developed as de-centralized urban sprawl.

Uh, yeah. That's really a whole other topic in itself but I'll just say it took us 50 years to get into this mess, so it may take that long for settlement patterns to change enough to get us out of it.

 

[jimhoff]

Some who come from an audio background are accustomed to shaping sound with an equalizer. There should be such a thing called an Angstrom EQ where we can shape the distribution of wavelengths and amplitudes to get colors, true monochrome, tints, temperatures.

• Infinitely variable brightness
• Arbitrary color output
  • actually use a whole bunch of primary colors, not just RGB,
  • able to have broad-spectrum white of any color temperature,
  • wide selection of monochromatic colors, from Near-UV or Near IR.
  • These would all be fiber-coupled and mixed uniformly
• Adjustable beam profile
  • NOT simple de-focusing the light. I'd probably have two sets of each emitter, some collimated, some inherently diffuse. The ratio of power fed to each set would control the beam profile.
  • This means I could go with ALL flood (no spot), ALL spot (no spill)
  • No donut hole crap.
• Maybe that 5x higher energy density LiFePo4 vaporware will actually exist.
• I'd like to see total system efficiency, when set to ~4000k white, be 200lm/watt
• HSV (hue saturation brightness) interface, using physical dials or rings for tactile feedback.
  • No menu-driven touchscreen nonsense
  • Intuitive way to control color and brightness.

 

[2xTrinity]

Some who come from an audio background are accustomed to shaping sound with an equalizer. There should be such a thing called an Angstrom EQ where we can shape the distribution of wavelengths and amplitudes to get colors, true monochrome, tints, temperatures.

HSV is similar in practice to using a parametric equalizer. "H" being the center frequency, "S" being the width (high saturation -> narrow spectral line width), "V" being the amplitude.

A "graphic" equalizer method might be better for applications where it is not the apparent color that is of interest, but the actual wavelengths -- say for a spectroscopy experiement (where I would hope there is a better light source available than a crappy flashlight).

 

[StarHalo]

Something equipped with man-machine interfacing could handle your on-the-fly adjustment, but price is still a huge factor in these things and I'm still not sure what kind of emitter to use. I'm kind of thinking of some kind of LED with multiple microscopic dice that approximates a conventional power LED in die size, but produces a very broad spectrum white (with potential adjustability). Think of an MC-E with one white die, and RGB dies.

The interface wouldn't need to be complex at all, picture something akin to an iPhone that has an exterior that picks up on physiological response, an interface cam that can monitor ambient conditions and can understand facial expressions, and can also respond to voice commands. Attached to the top/front of this is the emitter unit, about the size of a playing die (which is mostly for heatsinking). You could just say "Simulate household bulb" and it'd promptly shift to a 2700K tint with a nicely rounded color curve, while the display shows you all the relevant charts and data on the light being emitted. Or if you're using the light in a modestly-lit area, should the ambient conditions suddenly go completely dark, the computer/emitter instantly compensates and the user doesn't even notice the difference where the light is pointing. All kinds of possibilities here..

I picture the emitter unit to be a multi-die single-emitter, similar to the MC-E in size, but with five dice arranged like an inside-out star (thick sides out, thin pointing in; picture the wheels of the current Dodge Challenger) for better heatsinking. An emitter each for R, G, B, IR, and UV. The RGB dice together handle white light duty (or all five for full-spectrum light as seen by our enhanced human). This emitter sits inside the playing-die-sized cube which is mostly solid metal, a super-heatsinking alloy, which then is clipped/attached to the top/front of the handheld device, synchronizing it.

Something weakly simliar to this could of course be built now at great expense and complexity, but our futuristic protagonist could probably put the whole thing together for a few hundred dollars with how inexpensive these components will be by then.

 

[Chrontius]

What about heat pipes? They're common in computer heat-sinks, and could be used to great aesthetic effect even in modern lights. And you know, even better thermal effect.

Actually, I suspect that halogen tactical flashlights doped with mercury(?) may come back in vogue - they're cheap, reliable (EMP weapons), and pretty broad spectrum when the halogen is doped for UV production.

I imagine that a lot of programming would be done separately from the light, which for simplicity's sake would be limited to just a few modes that could be set with a PC or pocket computer. Taking this in two different directions, at one extreme is an Inforce Kroma derivative, with three dials, a two- or three-stage tailcap, a USB port, and every spectrum seen by man. Then we have something that could be considered a tactical light (most don't have antidazzle optics, so it's still a valid tactic) - is it still going to be one big button on back with everything else out of the way? I'm imagining some low-profile switches under a rotating cover that choose which spectra are radiated, or just something that blasts everything in the expanded visual range like the doped halogen light.

The middle of the road (prosumer-level 'nice lights') will probably have only a few modes...
IR - UV - phosphor white - true white (equal power at each wavelength) - broad spectrum
And a brightness dial in three to five steps, spaced logarithmically.

The ones filling the MagLED niche might be using RGBPhosphor white MC-E equivalents with an on-star driver. I really want to know if Cree can make RGBPhosphor MC-E diodes right now, actually

 

[LEDninja]

Slept on this overnight.
Why would a cyborg need a flashlight?
The optical sensing system and illumination system would be built into the "six million dollar" bits.
Actually they have done that with the Borg. Every time a Borg turns around a red (including IR?) beam sweeps the screen.

 

[StarHalo]

In the near future, everyone will carry in their pockets what we now consider a supercomputer. This is to some degree taking place now thanks to the popularity of multi-function cell phones; consider going back to 1980 and showing someone an iPhone - they would be dumbfounded by the processing power, connectivity, and number of uses/possibilities it has. A technical person of that age would recognize it as being capable beyond the supercomputers of that day.

So take into account what our current supercomputers can do (atmospheric modeling, pretty good AI, etc), take that up a few notches, and that's what the pocket device of 2040 will be like.

Taking that into consideration, there's no reason you wouldn't use this computer as a tool for inventions and specialty devices you might create yourself. In flashlight terms, you could build a flashlight as we know it now, then use this device as a multimeter for current measurements, then use it as a light meter to gauge performance, use it as a thermometer to monitor emitter temps, etc. Basically anything you do now that requires something electronic would all be consolidated down into this one small package.

Our enhanced human would not have to create an interface for a flashlight, since he and everyone else already has a powerful computer in their pockets; he'd only have to create the emitter that meets his specifications. It wouldn't make sense to have a very complex emitter capable of endless output types and variations mated to a button-and-bezel flashlight body as we currently know it; if you already have a computer on you, it's just a matter of using the computer to fully exploit the emitter's abilities.

Since connectivity in this age would be completely wireless, you could operate the emitter using the computer without wires or even physical contact, however a good emitter needs a good power source, thus I envision the emitter being connected to the computer just to draw power from it. You could technically also attach the emitter unit to a battery source, like our modern flashlights, and then continue controlling it with the computer remotely.

Edit: You didn't mention if our enhanced human's brain is augmented - if he has a neural wireless interface, he could just control the emitter/battery combo using his thoughts.

 

[Chrontius]

I'm going under the assumption that cables are still popular due to RF interference or outright hacking... and wires are cheap. In this case, 'wireless' might be provided via induction pads in the palms of his hands.

Also, not everyone carries the computer - beyond the basic neural interface, which is just interface hardware mated to a bit of DSP and a plug or two. Even there, not everyone has it - but the majority do. Pay-terminals are widely available like payphones in their heyday, and you can definitely get a very nice computer in iPhone form factor... but again, not universal, and sensors cost extra.

LEDNinja, such things are available, but often surprisingly crude. Lots of people are still mostly meat and don't want surgery for a flashlight, others, while having crunchy bits in which something can easily be bolted, have better things to do with the space. They're also expensive for what you get, being designed as implants or cyberlimb additions jacks up the price to the point where Surefires are competitive with built-ins.

Probably should mention: I'm assuming society is still largely capitalist.

 

[jtr1962]

Probably should mention: I'm assuming society is still largely capitalist.

Honestly, with the coming robotic revolution I think capitalism's days are waning. Without the need to work you need to find another way to fairly distribute goods and services besides putting a price on them. Who knows what that will be but it's way OT for this discussion.

 

[Woods Walker]

If anyone ever took a look at the flashlights or for that matter any other outdoor gear on an average "away team" it is downright pathetic given the mind blowing fantasy technology. They can digitally store a whole human and convert the mater to energy and reform the person intact but the darn crash happy shuttle never seems to have raingear, ER shelter like a tent/bivy or anything else I pack. Come to think of it no one carries a pack and their clothing does not even have any pockets. Seen a few flashlights and I can assure everyone I got better. Why not crazy contact lenses that magnify light so a person could see in very low light conditions like some critters can. Or little personal probes with their very own micro super bright flashlight hovering over and around each person. If you can keep a singularity inside a bottle than this should be no problem.

I think if the writers spent more time in the woods they would not be writing stories involving a person with a Mylar blanket forced to heat rocks with a ray gun to avoid freezing to death. Just my 2 cents.

 

[brucec]

So, I'm working on a story set around 2040 where it's entirely reasonable for cyborgs to be able to see in frequencies from high UV to low IR and even thermograph. What sort of portable lighting should I expect them to use? I'm leaning toward something like a Kroma or Inova Inforce, with IR and UV secondary beams. Alternately, something that can put the main frequencies on neighboring dice like the MC-E or Golden Dragon might work too. Pocket HIDs in a 6P? What do you all expect in thirty-odd years?

Wow, if they can see from UV to far IR, I don't think they would really need any kind of illumination at all. And if things were too dark, they could just turn up the gain on their sensors. Of course, I'm assuming that their main reason for the portable lighting is for things of an aggressive nature (i.e. dealing with zombies, eradicating normal humanity, combating robot hunter-killers) and not for let's say, reading Charles ****ens in bed. Aside from snow monsters, I would think most of the future's likely evil creatures would emit plenty of IR for aiming an EM gun or whatever.

 

[brucec]

I think if the writers spent more time in the woods they would not be writing stories involving a person with a Mylar blanket forced to heat rocks with a ray gun to avoid freezing to death. Just my 2 cents.

I disagree. I would trade my pack, tent, water filter, sleeping bag, all flashlights, my cell phone, and all of my clothes for a phaser.

 

[Chrontius]

Low light level TV and cranking up sensor gain introduces all kinds of noise into a picture, for one.

For two, not everyone has (or likely will have) upgraded vision at all, and some may only have one or two bonus features.

For three, regarding aggressive light use, reasons are twofold: blinding one's foes, and identifying targets. "Know your target - and what's beyond it" and all that.

Four, LOL star trek. ****-poor prior planning preventing proper performance, perchance?

 

[Chrontius]

The middle of the road (prosumer-level 'nice lights') will probably have only a few modes...
IR - UV - phosphor white - true white (equal power at each wavelength) - broad spectrum
And a brightness dial in three to five steps, spaced logarithmically.

Aaand, that's not far from this year's hot new product. Given that nobody uses UV light in combat, I'll forgive their lapse, and given that this is made for combat, I'll forgive the lack of ... no, wait, the dedicated forend has a low beam.

 

[Burgess]

So, I'm working on a story set around 2040 . . . .

Gee, perhaps by then,

we might be able to purchase most of those

fancy new flashlights which are featured in the

2008 SureFire catalog.




_

 

[saabgoblin]

Silly humans, I feel deep sorrow for your limited abilities if you only knew that by 2040 we will have conquered your teeny planet and are cultivating your carbon based bodies for charcoal to grill Kreshil, our favorite delicacy.

As for your puny photon devices, you are obviously no longer in need of them whereas we just utilize our inherent bio luminescence quality and direct our photons at will.

 

[balou]

In the near future, everyone will carry in their pockets what we now consider a supercomputer. This is to some degree taking place now thanks to the popularity of multi-function cell phones; consider going back to 1980 and showing someone an iPhone - they would be dumbfounded by the processing power, connectivity, and number of uses/possibilities it has. A technical person of that age would recognize it as being capable beyond the supercomputers of that day.

Well, that would require quite some technological advancement to put it mildly. A Cray Y-MP, one of the fastest supercomputers of 1992, is about the size of two refrigerators and consumes 6kW of power.
Fast forward to 2008: the IBM BladeRunner, fastest supercomputer in the world. It's the size of a football field (but I guess they're cheating and only counting the space of the computer nodes, not including the A/C and the power distribution), and consumes a whopping 2.5 Megawatt of energy.

The BladeRunner is about 85'000 times as fast as the Cray. But power efficiency has only gotten 250 times better in the last 18 years.
So let's assume there's some crazy leap in efficiency, let's say by a factor of 10'000. That'll still be 25kW. And is also quite unrealistic - no getting around the basic laws of physics. And batteries have also a maximal theoretical limit (and nah, I don't think portable fusion power will be around in 31 years)

And, if that weren't enough, there's also another limit: It's hard to make circuit traces smaller than one atom wide Currently there is 45nm lithography for producing chips - with traces only a couple of atoms wide. 11nm seems to be the practical limit for silicon chips. The BladeRunner seems to use mostly 65nm chips, so there's a maximum of 6 fold decrease here. BL uses 18'000 CPU cores of each about 200mm² each (actually, 199mm² for the opterons, 220² for the cells).
18'000 x 200 x (1/6) = 600'000mm², thats about a 77x77cm square (or 30x30 inch for the people in Liberia, Myanmar and the US ). That of course doesn't include interconnects or RAM or mass storage. And of course that 77x77cm square would account for the most of the energy dissipation. Instant vaporisation fun, .

Ok. Sorry that this reply got a 'bit' longer than initially expected
I just wanted to give some explanations why this probably won't be happening. But I guess now everybody knows that I'm a nerd

 

[hamheart]

i think that 30-40 years in the future we will have a device that will let us see the full spectrum. but i also think that we will have a micro hover craft that can fly 10-15 feet in the air, project holograms, and have 10-20 million microscopic leds that can that all together can produce the full spectrum of light.

 

[Tomcat!]

Gee, perhaps by then,

we might be able to purchase most of those

fancy new flashlights which are featured in the

2008 SureFire catalog.




_

Optimist!