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Fancloth

Material which uses microscale engineering to allow flight.

Paracopter
Image from Steve Bowers
A Paracopter lifting a human aeronaut


Fancloth A lightweight, smart fabric mesh with powered microfans installed within approx. 1.5 mm mesh openings, used to provide lift in moderate gravity environments.

Fancloth can be used as sails or wings capable of carrying small vehicles or individuals; one common configuration is the Paracopter (see this page).

fancloth
Image from Steve Bowers
Fancloth uses microscale motors and miniature fans to provide lift
Fancloth mesh size is affected by several factors; molecular motors can be made which are much smaller, but very small fans would be choked by atmospheric dust. Similarly, fancloth with mesh larger than 1.5mm create turbulent airflow and lose efficiency. Also important in fancloth use and design is the smart control system that allows the fancloth array to control each fan individually, ensuring smooth flight.

Fancloth can also be used in reverse to generate power as a form of wind turbine.

Omnicraft
Image from Mysfytt
An Omnicraft in flight mode, using an array of fancloth wings
This material was first suggested by Information Age imagineer J. Storrs Hall, who also formed the original concept of Utility Fog.
 
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Development Notes
Text by Terrafamilia
Initially published on 09 November 2005.

 
 
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