如果說3D虛擬現(xiàn)實(shí)（VR）和增材制造（AM）象征著顛覆性的制造技術(shù)已經(jīng)進(jìn)軍航空航天領(lǐng)域，那么另外一種令人覺得不可思議的創(chuàng)新技術(shù)，則會(huì)讓您覺得是科幻電影中的某個(gè)橋段。
航空材料與生物科學(xué)領(lǐng)域中的新興技術(shù)融合，首次讓人們對(duì)未來能夠“種植”組件、系統(tǒng)，甚至整架飛機(jī)的充滿了無限期待。這是一個(gè)非常激動(dòng)人心的突破，這種“種植”技術(shù)在未來可望降低新型航空產(chǎn)品的價(jià)格的同時(shí)進(jìn)一步促進(jìn)可持續(xù)發(fā)展，以此應(yīng)對(duì)不斷減少的傳統(tǒng)原材料供應(yīng)，以及不斷增長(zhǎng)的市場(chǎng)需求。
作為共享技術(shù)與科學(xué)思維的方式作為開放創(chuàng)新的一部分，由BAE 系統(tǒng)公司共同提出的一系列的全新概念?；蛟S正是受到“藍(lán)天科學(xué)研究”的挑戰(zhàn)，眾多由來自高校的科學(xué)家、研究人員及畢業(yè)生所組成的創(chuàng)新型公司正在經(jīng)歷著快速成長(zhǎng)，他們代表了創(chuàng)新的新浪潮中的一些最具創(chuàng)新性的驅(qū)動(dòng)力。
藍(lán)天研究（也稱為藍(lán)天科學(xué)）：是在“真實(shí)世界”應(yīng)用不是立即顯現(xiàn)的領(lǐng)域的科學(xué)研究。 它被定義為“沒有明確目標(biāo)的研究”和“好奇心驅(qū)動(dòng)的科學(xué)”。它有時(shí)與術(shù)語“基礎(chǔ)研究”互換使用。這種科學(xué)模式的支持者認(rèn)為，意想不到的科學(xué)突破有時(shí)比議題驅(qū)動(dòng)性研究的結(jié)果更有價(jià)值，預(yù)示遺傳學(xué)和干細(xì)胞生物學(xué)的進(jìn)展作為例子，最初被視為純理論范圍的研究，并無法預(yù)見其價(jià)值。由于投資回報(bào)率固有的不確定性，以及無法獲得更可靠的利潤(rùn)或?qū)嵺`研究，藍(lán)天項(xiàng)目在政府和商業(yè)層面上均不受歡迎，往往得不到資金的支持。
想象一下，有一臺(tái)機(jī)器能夠從分子層面開始合成化學(xué)元素，運(yùn)用所合成出來的材料再“種植”另外種機(jī)器。雖然這聽起來像是天方夜譚，但事實(shí)上這樣一個(gè)極具顛覆性的概念已經(jīng)出現(xiàn)，并期望使用可持續(xù)材料快速制造一大批專用小型無人機(jī)，支持軍事行動(dòng)。此外，這種技術(shù)也可以運(yùn)用于制造大型飛機(jī)的多功能組件。
英國(guó)格拉斯哥大學(xué)（University of Glasgow）皇家欽定教授（Regius Professor）Lee Cronin正在研究飛機(jī)“種植”技術(shù)所面臨的技術(shù)挑戰(zhàn)，他的工作得到了BAE系統(tǒng)的支持，后者可隨著研究的推進(jìn)適時(shí)提供行業(yè)意見。2015年，Cronin教授的公司Cronin Group PLC從格拉斯哥大學(xué)取得了該技術(shù)的知識(shí)產(chǎn)權(quán)，并開始著手以此為基礎(chǔ)開發(fā)一種名為Chemputer（商標(biāo)）的自動(dòng)化通用數(shù)字合成引擎（autonomous universaldigital synthesis engine），旨在利用數(shù)字化技術(shù)推廣化學(xué)工藝的應(yīng)用范圍。
皇家欽定教授（Regius Professor）：由英國(guó)女王欽定，獲得者均是在英國(guó)大學(xué)里開展了高水平學(xué)術(shù)研究的專業(yè)。
Cronin教授認(rèn)為，隨著Chemputer的革命性化學(xué)工藝的不斷加速，未來這種技術(shù)將具備“種植”復(fù)雜小型飛行器的能力。對(duì)比來說，3D打印機(jī)是通過一層層的材料疊加來打造物體，而Chemputer則是以可持續(xù)材料為原料，以高級(jí)化學(xué)過程為手段，從分子層面開始一點(diǎn)點(diǎn)“生長(zhǎng)”飛機(jī)的主體結(jié)構(gòu)和部分復(fù)雜電子系統(tǒng)。Cronin指出，Chemputer可以將小型飛機(jī)的設(shè)計(jì)和制造過程從幾年時(shí)間縮短到短短幾周，從而快速有效支持各種軍事行動(dòng)的推進(jìn)。他說，“這是化學(xué)工業(yè)發(fā)展進(jìn)程中一個(gè)非常激動(dòng)人心的時(shí)刻。”
如此一來，只要有需要，Chemputer隨時(shí)可以在飛行器使用地點(diǎn)的附近快速制造一大批設(shè)備，而不用在倉(cāng)庫(kù)中堆積大量庫(kù)存。
“我們一直在尋找實(shí)現(xiàn)數(shù)字化合成與材料化學(xué)的道路，希望未來可以‘從無到有’地組裝復(fù)雜物體，或盡量減少這一過程中需要的人工。”Cronin表示，“打造小型飛機(jī)這個(gè)任務(wù)非常具有挑戰(zhàn)性，但其中所使用的創(chuàng)造性思維和大量數(shù)字化技術(shù)，將最終帶領(lǐng)我們實(shí)現(xiàn)復(fù)雜化學(xué)與材料系統(tǒng)的數(shù)字化編程。”
If 3D virtual reality and additive manufacturing (AM) are indicative of one direction that disruptive developments are taking the aerospace engineering sector, then another, even more radical innovation may make these technologies look like mere stepping stones within a generation. The fusing of emerging technologies from the aerospace materials sector and biological sciences are now, for the first time, heading toward the prospect of growing parts, systems, and, ultimately, perhaps whole aircraft. This is an exciting breakthrough that might help keep the development of new aerospace products affordable and at the same time more sustainable in a future world where the diminishing supply of conventional raw materials might struggle to cope with market needs.
New concepts have been developed by BAE Systems collaboratively as part of an open innovation approach to sharing technology and scientific ideas. Many such spin-off companies, often formed by and employing former university scientists and graduates, are experiencing rapid growth and represent some of the most innovative drivers of the new wave in innovation, possibly as a result of coming at challenges with blue-sky ideas, unconstrained by convention.
Imagine a machine that can synthesize chemicals and materials to grow another machine from a molecular level upwards. It sounds like pure science fiction but such a unique disruptive concept has emerged and it envisages the use of environmentally sustainable materials to support military operations where a swarm of small unmanned air vehicles could be built quickly for a specific purpose. Such a technology could also be used for making multi-functional parts for large aircraft.
Regius Professor Lee Cronin at the University of Glasgow is pioneering a technology that investigates the challenge of growing an aircraft and BAE Systems is supporting his work by providing industrial advice as that work proceeds. In 2015 his company, Cronin Group PLC, acquired intellectual property from the university to develop the Chemputer (the trademarked name) as an autonomous universal digital synthesis engine, which is intended to open up chemistry to a wide user base via digitization.
By speeding up evolutionary processes and chemical reactions in the Chemputer, he anticipates that one day it could be capable of growing a small-scale, complex aircraft. Unlike a 3D printer, which places layers of matter to build up an object, the Chemputer will draw on advanced chemical processes to build up aircraft structures and some of their complex electronic systems from the molecular level, using environmentally sustainable materials. Cronin points out that such small aircraft could be designed and created in a matter of weeks, rather than years, and could support a wide range of military operations quickly and effectively. “This is a very exciting time in the development of chemistry,” he said.
Large stocks of such machines would not have to be held in storage areas but could be produced close to where they might be used and when required at relatively short notice, depending on the need and specific requirements, which might cover a range of missions.
“We have been developing routes to digitize synthetic and materials chemistry and at some point in the future hope to assemble complex objects in a machine from the bottom up, or with minimal human assistance,” said Cronin. “Creating small aircraft would be very challenging but the creative thinking and convergent digital technologies will eventually lead to the digital programming of complex chemical and material systems.”
Author: Richard Gardner
Source: SAE Aerospace Engineering Magazine
這張效果圖描繪了未來Chemputer工廠“生長(zhǎng)”小型飛機(jī)的場(chǎng)面，看起來完全就是電影《外星人》中的情節(jié)。
BAE系統(tǒng)與Cronin集團(tuán)正在開發(fā)的Chemputer技術(shù)將可用于“種植”包括飛機(jī)在內(nèi)的復(fù)雜設(shè)備。
簡(jiǎn)單來說，3D打印機(jī)是通過一層層的材料疊加來打造物體，而Chemputer則是以可持續(xù)材料為原料，以高級(jí)化學(xué)過程為手段，從分子層面開始一點(diǎn)點(diǎn)“生長(zhǎng)”飛機(jī)的主體結(jié)構(gòu)和部分復(fù)雜電子系統(tǒng)。