Sun, Mar 7, 2021 at 3:38 PM
David,
Relative to making the model 3D printing ready, well... just believe me there would be a LOT of work there. You are probably aware of this, but making a 3D form that will render in a pretty way doesn't necessarily mean it is anywhere close to being ready for 3D printing. But on to other matters...
So, yeah, the Creative Commons thing is perfect. There are definitely repositories for 3D models. If this project works out to any nice degree it would be fun to post a tiny 'show and tell' on one of the Blender forums. Might also be good advertising for the Stardrifter series.
Many thanks for the input on the drones.
I'm assuming that the cargo hauler would have a compliment of scoots on board for inspecting the cargo containers if required. Do you have an idea sketch of a scoot?
Even in null gravity, mass is mass. Starting and stopping large portions of cargo, moving them around might require more than just human muscle power. If a cargo chief entered a shipping container and had to redistribute portions of the load it speaks for the need of some mechanized assistance. Would that be in the form of AI-controlled robots or something simpler like powered exoskeleton rigs for the techs?
- Ignatz
Sun, Mar 7, 2021 at 5:03 PM
Ignatz,
Regarding 3D prints of the ship: this is something they seem to want. If so, I figure they can make it happen. You are doing enough work already.
Regarding the idea of a "show and tell": how does something like that look? Is it a video, a Blender tutorial, a blog post? I can help contribute to a blog post, at least.
Regarding moving cargo around in a box, I would think that some sections would have artificial gravity, since there might be some types of cargo that require it, but most would be in zero gravity. The box would be much like an automated warehouse, with robotic cranes and mass moving devices built in to each section, appropriate for the kind
of cargo found within. In addition, there's be cargo robots and exoskeletal equipment stored in there. Understand, it isn't the Cargo Chief's job to load or catalog the cargo, but they must have the right and capability to shift it around as needed. If, in their opinion, the freight has been loaded in an unsafe way, they have the power to omit a box from an entrained series of them, or in the case of a single box, to delay departure until the local shipping company has sorted out the problem.
Regarding scoots, I always tend to see them as little foldable things that look like a bunch of aluminum tubes. Do you remember the Segway? It's a two-wheeled personal vehicle that resembles an old-fashioned manual push lawn mower. People riding them look quite dorky, and they never gained much popularity.
What if a scoot looked like a cross between one of those, and Pogo-stick — only with tiny little nozzles here and there? You'd strap it to your calves, and maybe your waist. The handles would have all the controls. The device would possess a reservoir for reaction mass, maybe a small spot light that you could aim by hand, a tiny case for a battery and the electronics, a pulsing running light, and a small transponder.
Attached is a sketch of the scoot. Remember, this is only a vague idea. Feel free to alter or abandon it, as you see fit.
-David