Group 17: Steve Olsen -- Z1581435 Luis Nunez -- Z1573341 Ryan Vath -- ??? William Norman -- ??? Jonas Odonnel -- ???  <<current field tech and research>> http://nanotechweb.org/cws/article/tech/22597 http://www.nanotechbuzz.com/50226711/carbon_nanotube_bike_now_available.php http://gizmodo.com/162457/bike-frame-uses-nanotube-technology-light-as-five-cellphones Carbon nanotube usage in bikes would possibly be improved by putting the nanotubes in bundles that are all oriented in the same direction. This would be conducive to a more rigid structure, and would most likely result in less material being used in certain points of the bike, while maintaining structural integrity. Of course, if less material is used, the bikes will be made even lighter yet. Aerodynamic quality would also increase as the bike frames shrank in volume, as these two are directly related. This increase in aerodynamic qualities would probably be more noticeable of an upgrade than the weight of the bike decreasing. This is because the bikes are already so light, and move so fast. The benefits of using carbon nanotube technology in bikes are relatively obvious. The lighter weight of carbon nanotubes is an extreme benefit in a sport like biking, where weight plays such an important role. This is magnified by the fact that so much of the material in a bike is replaceable by carbon nanotubes. The frame, being the heaviest part of the bike, is currently taken down to roughly 2 lbs. Nanotubes can, however, be found elsewhere on the bike, in places such as the front fork and handlebars. The nanotubes also help make the bike more durable and rigid, both very good things for competitive biking.  http://www.eastonbike.com/PRODUCTS/TECHNOLOGY/tech_cnt.html Making a bike out of carbon nanotubes is not yet a very cost efficient endeavor. Because of this, nanotube bikes are not yet available to anyone who's price ranges falls short of "Extremely High". The bike frames currently cost about $3500 - $4000. This being said, it follows that one of the major focuses of this field is, at the moment, to refine the methods that are used in the manufacturing of the frames. This will make them more readily available to the average consumer on a budget. <<Marketing>> --target market |