I have a dream about extraterrestrial materials handling. It involves a ribbon elevator to space. Up this 3-foot-wide ribbon of carbon nanotube material will climb 7-ton, photocell-powered chambers the size of semi trailers, ascending at 120 miles an hour. They'll carry payloads weighing as much as 13 tons. What's at the other end of the ribbon to accept these payloads? That will be determined as my dream comes true.

Until then, there are enough applications for carbon nanotube material today that one only needs an imagination. The materials handling world alone is full of great applications. Mind you, for those who aren't motivated by weight considerations, steel's strength and cost may be more appropriate. However, once you start caring about weight, carbon nanotubes can be a cost-effective alternative.

Nanotubes are bonded-carbon cylinders billionths of a meter wide, extremely strong and are highly resistant to heat, chemicals and decay. Woven into fibers, nanotubes could create a fabric 50 times sturdier than steel, and a fifth the weight, making them ideal for components in some materials handling applications.

If you build a shipping container and use a fraction of the material to make it, the cost can come closer to conventional materials while the strength and durability of this material could increase capacity by a factor of two or three. Plus you could save money on shipping costs.

Conveyor belts and rollers could be lighter and quieter. That may also improve efficiencies. The belt could last twice as long, it could move twice as fast and carry heavier payloads. It may also cause the system to use less electricity and therefore make a system cheaper to operate.

I can even see using this material to make lighter-weight lift truck forks to improve load capacity.

The journey to my space ribbon is a long convoluted road, not a direct path. There will be many projects springing up along the way. If anyone wants to talk materials handling to me while I'm traveling that road, I welcome them to join the journey.