If you wish to look at something very futuristic and revolutionary, then you should catch a glimpse of the semi-rigid car by Emergent. This stunning concept car from Los Angeles designers is fabricated out of cartilage and it has the capability of making its own fuel out of algae. The surprising fact is that this concept car need not to be assembled, in fact, it grows along with bonnet and doors fabricated with synthetic skin. The car’s chassis folds up similar to a limb, making the vehicle easily transportable.
The design of this semi-rigid car explores groundbreaking manufacturing processes. It will be printed in 3D, in a single piece, with a blend of polymers, resins, rubbers, silicone, as well as organic materials. Systems like tendons will control the doors of the car, which will curl back with the chemical signals that the owner emits. Variable color, opacity, rigidity and ductility work together simultaneously. This opens up the scope for integrating energy systems, structure and visual effects all through the varying material matrix. A sort of synthetic thinking is the source of the design of this semi-rigid car (SRC).
An all-new material mix based on composite materials and compositing synthetic replaces the mechanical look and actions of glass, steel, fasteners and sheet metal. Modular arrangement will be utilized in place of layers. The aesthetics of rubbers, resins, polymers, cuticle, cartilage and silicone challenges the worn-out “frame-and-infill” designing model. When it comes to structural design of the previous century, as well as its fluctuations amid unibody models and vector frame, the latest blend of multi-materials provide an excellent substitute for both machine logic and mineral logic.
The range of multi-material starts from soft, semi-rigid up to rigid. This is applied through the skin and the discontinuous chassis of the car. Silicone, being the base material, varies in density and thickness across the car’s body, which converts into partially rigid synthetic cartilage sectors at times. Some semi-rigid segments also occur because of plate-life structures or strands.
The vigorous springiness of this semi-rigid build replaces the “crumple-zone” designing model in unibody creation for crash safety. This car will flex and rebound from impact. As compared to the traditional mechanical motions of the hoods and the doors, which include hinges and frames, the gaps in this car are hinge-less and boneless. The doors are actually blocks of synthetic skin, which are activated by actuators like tendons.
The fuel that this futuristic car will use is a renewable resource like vegetable oil. The most important feature is that the car itself produces the fuel. LED lighting used in the reservoirs allows bio-fuel production around the clock and also generates a profound glow, via the gel matrix that is like silicone, even in the dark.
This car will not only be super flexible, but also super rigid, which will be attained by propelling a gaseous medium into the car’s hollow chassis. Last but not the least, the wheels of the car combines tire and rim into a constant rubber gradient to stiff resinous biopolymer. The replacements of the car can also be printed in 3D.
Via: Dezeen