How Plausible Do You Think A Sonic Screwdriver Is? Im not talking the gizmo from Dr. Who that does it all, just a sc

[saitunes 0]

First off I'm not talking about the gadget that can do everything, the all in one that makes a funky noise. I am talking about a simple gizmo that undoes and does screws by emitting frequencies that would vibrate the screw enough to remove / do it up.I could possibly see one that only unscrews, but not screws, not to mention the fact they would all have different resonant frequencies... What does everyone else think? any ideas as to how plausible it could be?

[shadowx 0]

Impossible if you ask me. The screw needs to do more than just vibrate, it needs to spin. And as you said the frequency required would probably be different for every single screw and the wood or whatever material would dampen the vibration anyway.

[Forbez 0]

Nothing is ever impossible. I don't see this can't be done. If you were to vibrate something so much the indentation already created by the screw to go in will guide the screw to come out as it's the only way to go. The different frequency, no problem just allow the sonic screwdriver to be adjustable with a mini-guide one what frequency unscrews/screws in what.

[csp4.0 1]

Nothing is ever impossible.

That's like saying it will be possible for your computer to be able to prove that pi = e...

But with the idea of a "sonic" screwdriver, nigh impossible... It would probably be possible if it were a magnetic screw driver (though, I highly doubt it would be effective)...

Because, even if the screw needs a certain frequency just to move, it will move irregularly and won't spin, but it MIGHT be possible to have the screw instead of "screwing" into the material, but more of "locking" in to the material and the frequency is used to "unlock" the screw and allow it to be "plied" out...

[kudmus 0]

Impossible if you ask me. The screw needs to do more than just vibrate, it needs to spin. And as you said the frequency required would probably be different for every single screw and the wood or whatever material would dampen the vibration anyway.

I was going to agree with you totally but I think we'll only agree on the issue of the difference in frequencies. This can be very difficult because there cannot be two screws with the same resonant frequency. I'm sure even the same screw will change resonant frequency as it loosens. Lets just say the inventor knows how to make the gadget detect the frequency needed.

About spinning it I asked my self what would happen if the frequency was to be slightly higher than the one needed. Or slightly lower. What would happen if the wave is made in such a way that the 'ridges'-or whatever you call them- are higher than the the depth of the troughs? By this I mean we have for example a wave like the graph of f(X)=sinx+a where a is a constant.

I have told myself not to use the word 'impossible' too much coz my girlfriend has embarrassed me many times.

[kudmus 0]

Who would make such a thing anyway? What happened to our old physical? what are the advantages of such a mechanism?I'm sure this thing will have to waste a lot energy to deliver the power that you get with a screwdriver as your infront of your electric drill.

Edited September 8, 2008 by kudmus (see edit history)

[saitunes 0]

Yeah there is nothing better than using a bit of old elbow grease to loosen a screw, or fix something, I was just wondering what anyone else thought about how plausible it would be. I mean if the Mythbusters can put out a fire with noise, I just wondered if it was possible, and to see what other points anyone might come up with as to how effective it (hypothetically) would be.And they've got screw drivers with a ratchet-like mechanism, which makes things easier. That is fancy enough to show off in my books.