Is 'It' Driven by Genuine Innovation or Media Hype?IN/ENTOR FOR Dean Kamen's top secret project, dubbed "Ginger," is supposed to change the world. It has stirred a media feeding frenzy feed·ing frenzy n. 1. A period of intense or excited feeding, as by sharks. 2. Excited activity by a group, especially around a focal point: , and most people speculate that Ginger, also known as "It," is a revolutionary, clean-fuel-burning engine. But should we believe the hype? "The potential is there," said Alan Niedzwiecki, who heads up Quantum Technologies Inc., a subsidiary of Cerritos-based alternative fuel systems technology provider Impco Technologies Inc. "But am I skeptical? Yes." After Kamen registered the domain names StirlingElectric.com and StirlingScooter.com, rumors flew that he was developing a version of the Stirling engine Stirling engine, an external combustion reciprocating engine having an enclosed working fluid that is alternately compressed and expanded to operate a piston, thus converting heat from a variety of sources into mechanical energy. . Stirling engines, invented by Rev. Robert Stirling The Reverend Dr Robert Stirling (October 25, 1790 – June 6, 1878) was a Scottish clergyman, and coinventor of a highly efficient heat engine. Nearly all closed-cycle regenerative gas engines are Stirling engines (also see Ericsson cycle). in 1816, work by using heated and cooled gas to move pistons. Noting that the engines are quiet and environmentally clean, scientists have tried to adapt them for cars, but they haven't been able to overcome some technical glitches. The engines have also proven slow to start and costly to run. But if Kamen has improved on the engine, the impact could be profound. Niedzwiecki said that the Stirling engine, if refined, has the potential to be a clean engine for many applications. "Several individuals during the last several decades have worked with Stirling engines and promised to save the world," Niedzwiecki said. "Perhaps he found the missing link, but a lot of details are missing." Quantum has been a bit more forthcoming about its breakthroughs. The Impco subsidiary develops enabling technologies for alternative propulsion Alternative propulsion is a term used frequently for powertrain concepts differing from the standard internal combustion engine concept used in petroleum fueled vehicles. Definition The term alternative propulsion and energy, which are increasingly in demand by major automobile manufacturers. Quantum announced last week that it is on the verge On the Verge (or The Geography of Yearning) is a play written by Eric Overmyer. It makes extensive use of esoteric language and pop culture references from the late nineteenth century to 1955. of inking a deal with General Motors Corp., which is developing fuel cells that run on hydrogen extracted from gasoline. The extraordinary attention lavished on Ginger reflects widespread interest in the kinds of alternative-fuel engines that Quantum's existing technology enables. "What we're seeing are major investments in alternative propulsion systems, energy issues and environmental issues worldwide," Niedzwiecki said. "I've never seen these kinds of investments coming from automobile manufacturers. That provides a signal of what's to come in the future." Whether or not Kamen's Ginger will have a place in that future remains to be seen. The scientific community is paying close attention to Kamen, a respected inventor. He has invented a wheelchair that can go up stairs See Upstairs in the Vocabulary. See also: Stair , over sand and raise its user to eye level with standing people. That invention, code named "Fred," won Kamen the National Medal of Technology last year. Ginger has out-hyped Fred. A proposal for a book about the top secret project was reported in Inside magazine and generated a wave of media coverage. The proposal included tantalizing tan·ta·lize tr.v. tan·ta·lized, tan·ta·liz·ing, tan·ta·liz·es To excite (another) by exposing something desirable while keeping it out of reach. quotes from moguls like Steve Jobs Steve Jobs - Stephen Jobs of Apple Computer Inc. and Jeff Bezos Jeffrey Preston Bezos (born January 12, 1964 , Albuquerque ) is the founder, president, chief executive officer, and chairman of the board of Amazon.com. Bezos, a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Princeton University, worked as a financial analyst for D. E. Shaw & Co. of Amazon.com, who declared that Kamen's invention would revolutionize the world. Besides the news coverage, Web sites like TheGinger.com and TheItQuestion.com have sprung up to disseminate the latest rumors. Even Kamen said in a recent interview in Brill's Content magazine that the coverage was "hype about a product that doesn't even exist yet." |
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