Rare earths are exotic materials used in everything from BlackBerrys to radars to hybrid vehicles.
"My interest is in how you can use the most exotic materials to construct vehicles that display truly exotic behavior, " he says.
This time, they used exotic materials to lower its weight, which included the then-new technique of creating carbon fiber tubes, and Kevlar -- a first for a Human Powered Aircraft (HPA).
It could also help with the design and assembly of exotic new materials and of molecular-scale machines.
Silicon photonics made with inexpensive silicon rather than expensive and exotic optical materials provides a distinct cost advantage over older optical technologies in addition to providing greater speed, reliability and scalability benefits.
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The idea of using a magnetic field as a solar sail was first suggested a few years ago, but it soon became apparent that creating a field strong enough to be useful would require exotic superconducting materials that, unfortunately, do not exist.
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There are thin-films of solar materials, some made from exotic combinations of materials, others still relying on silicon.
"It's a weirdly Earth-like place, even with this exotic combination of materials and temperatures, " Perron said.
Often times you should look at exotic or expensive materials that other brands are willing to include above and beyond mere steel.
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Both sapphire and silicon carbide are somewhat exotic, expensive materials.
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To compress the hydrogen to a manageable volume, Ford must make a fuel system good for 5, 000 pounds per square inch of pressure, using exotic techniques and materials.
But engines are already operating at levels above 2, 500 degrees Fahrenheit, the melting point of the turbine blades that propel the plane, forcing engineers to dream up exotic cooling systems and turn to special coatings and unwieldy materials like ceramics.
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The materials used for the barrel and caps can be quite exotic and include mammoth tusks, jade and exotic woods.
The new Corvette, for instance, incorporates lightweight materials to a degree not seen on even the most exotic cars, including a carbon fiber hood and removable roof panel, and a carbon-reinforced aluminum frame.
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