GATR-com inflatable satellite ball goes where other satellite dishes can't

The hits just keep coming out of Popular Science's Invention Awards -- we already checked out the ring mouse and "slidingly engaging fastener," but Paul Gierow's GATR-com (which stands for "ground antenna transmit and receive) inflatable satellite ball has got to be the most sci-fi invention of the bunch. Designed to provide communications in otherwise inhospitable environments, the six or eight-foot sphere contains a plastic satellite dish that unfolds when the ball is inflated and can be targeted to within one-tenth of a degree. When collapsed, the GATR-com weighs just 70 pounds and fits into two backpacks. The $50,000 ball has already been tested in disaster areas, helping a Red Cross station secure medicine during Hurricane Katrina, and Gierow says he's been inundated with potential clients. We can see why -- not only does this thing dial up a T1 speed connection, it's perfect for exercising your Wookiees. Peep a vid of the ball setting up after the jump.

[Jared Gibbs @ May 22nd 2007 10:15AM]

Wow. Gotta love the innovation!

[Antonio Rosario @ May 22nd 2007 11:17AM]

Except that all you need is one good breeze and it'll look like a crazy scene from "The Prisoner!"

[paul gierow @ May 22nd 2007 3:07PM]

Antonio,

The key to making this work is to tie it down really good. A sphere has 1/2 the wind load of a flat plate dish. If you want send me your address and I'll send you a video of it in 40 MPh winds.

[brassready @ May 22nd 2007 11:52AM]

Ohhh Great, here come the adament claims of UFO sightings.

[johnzilla @ May 22nd 2007 12:21PM]

Finally, an invention that makes sense and isn't just some wackjob's idea of a solution looking for a problem.

[hvacigar @ May 22nd 2007 1:35PM]

I believe this was an idea in the book Spin by Robert Charles Wilson.

[Gil @ May 22nd 2007 3:00PM]

I love it when the person in the article adds his comment.
You have a really good idea there. But I have two questions:
1. Why 50000$? Is it the targeting accuracy that gives it the steep price?
2. Why does it inflate so slowly? Is it a requirement of the design or could you just go BAM and have it filled in 2 minutes?

[paul gierow @ May 22nd 2007 3:13PM]

The price is based upon the precision in which the antenna has to be made, integrated and certified for transmission. Turns out it is about 1/2 the price of a deployable terminal and for users that ship large equipment around the world the cost is paid for after about 3 trips. Maybe one day the expense will come down after the 10,000th unit.

It takes about 30 minutes to come up on the satellite. You could inflate it fast, but we'll save that until version 3.0

[Antonio Rosario @ May 22nd 2007 4:26PM]

I should have mentioned that my comment was totally tongue in cheek. The image in the story reminded me of this image:

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/41030000/jpg/_41030784_prisoner203.jpg

Sure, send me the video. email is amrjunk ( a t ) g m a i l (do t) c om

[ark_v2 @ May 22nd 2007 8:21PM]

Am I the only one who though that it was about another 4-letter phone from motorola when reading the RSS feed?

[drtekger @ May 23rd 2007 12:37AM]

So can I play with this thing on the beach in my free time too? Sold!

[Ian @ May 23rd 2007 11:40AM]

Look at all those fully operational battle stations...