Found this interesting article, wonder how long it will be until someone actually uses it in the automotive field.


It's all over for brake pads and discs. Scientists have invented an amazing 'contactless' braking system that uses invisible magnetic forces to bring your car to a halt. What's more, it's set to revolutionise motoring, as in theory it can be used to power the wheel, too.

The system is known as 'eddy current braking', and it has already proved reliable on rollercoasters around the world for the past 20 years. "The advantage is that there are no moving parts to break down or pads to wear out," said Dr Mark Thompson, an expert from Harvard University, USA. He built the eddy current brakes for the Jurassic Park ride at Universal Studios.

But now US component giant Visteon has patented a design that could be used on cars. The key part is a metal collar that goes around the axle behind the wheel, fixed to the frame of the vehicle. The collar has a series of protrusions sticking out of it. Coils of wire are wrapped tightly around each of these, so when an electrical current is passed through them, a magnetic field is created around the axle.

If the force is strong enough, it can stop the axle spinning. Working in reverse, it's even capable of starting the wheel moving again. John Stubbs, head of technology at the AA Motoring Trust, told us: "It's a good solution because everything that uses friction is bound to wear out sooner or later. This will be one less maintenance operation."

Motorists will still push the middle pedal to slow down, and Visteon's system also features a normal brake for emergencies in case the electrics fail.

 

that sounds like a good idea, but im not to big on the magnetic field around the axle. I mean imagine putting that on a honda, the axles would snap easy. In that article yuo posted it said something about being able to move it forward if it had the power...what would stop them from having no tranny and no axles and just having one of these devices on the wheel hub and moving that back and forth? im sure they have already thought of that but still that would be tight.

 

Buy it from what guy ?

Visteon is a huge company and probably owns part of many brake pad companies.

Read the part about using this on roller coasters for the past 20 years ? Won;t take them long to utilize it on passenger cars.