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Fuels & Lubes International Quarter Three 2015
iteration slowly makes it more affordable for mass-
market adoption. It is likely that nanoadditives will go
through the same cycle as computers, which started
out as incredibly expensive niche technologies, but soon
transformed into ubiquitous consumer-products.
Pico technology also has the potential for innovation
in industries such as biotechnology. In a paper on
biomedical science, Thomas K. Webster, professor
and chair of Chemical Engineering at Northeastern
University, explained how the use of nano and pico
molecules has been used to revolutionise medicine,
particularly in the “improved prevention, diagnosis and
treatment of numerous diseases.”
To date, nanomaterials have been used to “minimise
cell interactions, inhibit infection and increase tissue
growth,” all of which contribute to healthier tissue
growth. Pico technology facilitates even greater
innovations, as it could allow scientists to alter electron
distributions around atoms, thus promoting increased
surface energy, tissue growth, decreased inflammation
and a decreased chance of infection. Two of the more
common medical procedures to enhance life expectancy
are medical device insertion and organ transplantation.
However, these options are hindered by high cost and a
lack of donors respectively.
Furthermore, current technology has not allowed
for the degree of accuracy necessary to emulate the
properties of natural tissues. Nanomaterials were a
step towards attenuating these shortcomings, but they
are not without their limitations. Chief among those
limitations is the potential for toxicity within the body.
According to the paper, “having control over electron
distribution may greatly change surface energy and,
thus, the way that proteins absorb onto a material.”
Essentially, the technology could allow for a greater
control over a material’s desirable properties.
MOORE’S LAW
Moore’s Law is a well-known observation that throughout
the history of computers, the number of transistors in a
circuit has roughly doubled every two years. Though many
theorists, including the law’s namesake, have speculated
that we are fast-approaching the point where this pace
can no longer be maintained. Moore himself said in an
interview that the projection “can’t continue forever. The
nature of exponentials is that you push them out and
eventually disaster happens.” Moore went on to explain
that the limit for miniaturisation would likely be the size of
atoms—or in other words, pico technology would be the
limit in terms of scales.
THREE MOST IMPORTANT TRENDS
According to Pete Badovinac, executive vice president
of the Horizon Die Co. in East Dundee, Ill., U.S.A.,
the three most important trends within the industry
三大趋势
美国伊利诺州East Dundee的Horizon Die Co.公司执行副总裁Pete
Badovinac说，业内最重要的三个趋势是，“不断提高燃料效率的需求，
其次是绿色环保，最后是通过功能来不断推动差异化的汽车。近来，功
能特性方面的发展主要是电子部件，从倒车探头到防撞系统。”但部件
的小型化说起来容易做起来难。Badovinac解释说：“设计新的小型部
件的难度，要比拿一个以前的验证过并使用过的设计进行改进要难得
多。”在一辆车上，纳米技术和微微技术在两个方面可以产生重大影响。
显然小型化会对每辆车产生影响，但机械部件可以缩小到的尺度一定会
比汽车电池或相关的车载计算机大许多。
根据物理学会的观点，一辆现代汽车的计算能力要比美国航空航天
局把航天员送上月球时所用的超级计算机强大得多。一辆汽车为什么
需要这么多的计算能力？有两个因素。首先，现代的排放法律，要求精确
地控制一辆车排放的污染物。车载计算机可以控制经催化转化器的空
气/燃料混合比来减少排放。第二个因素则更广泛，体积较小的计算机使
制造商放入更多的功能特性。现在，现代汽车可以向驾驶员提出碰撞警
告，显示实时车速，协助泊车，提醒驾驶员突然转向，在挡风玻璃上投射
显示内容提供有关汽车的信息。
汽车业的另一个令人激动的发展如大众开发的概念车所体现。大众
的Nanospyder上应用了众多的微型技术，如其声称的，“氢燃料电池，
太阳能动力，安装在车轮上的电动马达和膨胀性有机车身板形成的异
形两座概念。”根据Santa Monica设计团队所说，“Nanospyder可以由
数十亿个直径小于半毫米的微小可编程纳米设备采用网格方式构成。每
个微小设备都可以通过编程提设计为强或弱，这也就意味着形成主动
溃缩吸能区。”
强劲的势头
同样，小型化也可以对世界上最活跃的领域——消费电子——产生重
大影响。手机、笔记本电脑、平板电脑拥抱小型化。如果说现代汽车的
计算能力比登月时还强，那么高端智能手机的计算能力就更强了。在大
量的文献介绍了在手机领域计算和处理技术的微型化，但纳米技术的一
项应用与表面有关。此类应用之一在一款名为Liquipel的产品上已经实
现，这是一种超级疏水涂层，可以在分子水平上附着在设备的所有内、
外部件上。这家公司（Liquipel）称，Liquipel比人的头发薄一千倍，这
种防水涂层不会改变手机或平面电脑的外观和手感。
自动驾驶汽车
可能说现代汽车中最花哨的功能就是自动驾驶了。谷哥就是这方面的
探路先锋。但是，汽车如何实现自动驾驶？答案是非常先进的计算机
加上非常精确的软件。谷哥自动驾驶汽车团队的映射负责人Andrew
Chatham说，“与其去研究世界是什么样的，每次启动软件后都从头开
始，我们告诉软件在一无所有的时候世界应该是什么样的。然后软件
就负责比较真实世界与预期中的世界的不同之处。这样就使问题得到
很大程度的简化。”虽然微小而强大的车载计算机承担了大量的计算工
作，还是有一部分信息交给技术巨头的远程计算机阵列去完成。汽车
本体可以识别街沿、人行道、其他汽车、交通信号灯、甚至道路施工和
绕道标志。最令人印象深刻的是汽车的安全记录。到目前为止，自动驾
驶汽车的唯一一次事故是因为人的错误，是其他汽车部件因人为错误
而造成。
