Day VIII – Splitting up the Cad model for CNC Milling
Now that the model was properly knitted, and converted into a solid without too much difficulties, time for splitting it up into parts which can me CNC milled. To make a physical model out of timber /soft wood, the 3 axis CNC router in the RMIT workshop demanded every single part / piece to be less than 90 mm – coz thats what the depth of the Drill bit was…..still it was recommended by Paul, the one man army at the workshop – that the parts should be 80 mm deep to be on the safer side.
And off course………..after all the above parts will be milled and glued together…….and with the wheels in their respective place…the car should look very close to what we see below -
Keep looking for more….
Day VII – Cad Model
So with most of the surfaces and knitting done – it was time to do a solid model of it…….and some minor fillets and adjustments as well……..so that the model could be converted into IGES file and the work on the physical model could be started as soon as possible.
Interview with Flexicar CEO – Monique Conheady
Interview with Ms.Monique Conheady, CEO of Melbourne based car sharing company – explaining all the details about car-sharing – a concept that has recently taken off in major metro cities, proposing car as a part of city’s public transport , in order to say NO to private car ownership………….Melbourne, Sydney,Adelaide, Perth, London,Boston,Toronto,Paris……….just almost 5 years old…..and its growing fast worldwide…….
Public Transport
Integrating Car Sharing into MYKI
Plan to make Melbourne a car free city
Competition in car sharing
Expansion of Flexicar
Branding
Maintenance of flexicars
Academic and Industrial interests
Governement support
Car parked as a street-light
Imagine an urban future where no cars are ever parked blocking the curb, but instead are ‘parked’ by being perched atop large pole where they would act as streetlamps at night. Is this a brilliant idea, or what? We’re big fans of designer Ross Lovegrove, and were blown away when we discovered his new project. It isn’t just the solar power roof or the smart design that got our attention, but rather the sheer imagination of using parked vehicles to provide illumination to the city at night.
Lovegrove’s idea calls for a four passenger vehicle, which is basically a large transparent bubble in which the four passengers sit in a circular fashion. There is no driver, as the vehicles are controlled by satellite and GPS navigation. As for fuel, the vehicles are powered by solar panels installed in the roof, and one presumes, four independent electric motors, one on each wheel. The brilliant part, or the one which definitely caught our eye (as if the sci-fi inspired bubble cars weren’t enough) was his proposal to stick each vehicle at night on top of a pole in order to both save space at the ground level, and to illuminate it!
Ross Lovegrove always brings an interesting and fresh outlook to his projects, and his “car on a stick” is no exception. As always, it isn’t just the brilliant design that we admire, it is the combination of imagination and sensibility that always attracts us to his projects.
One more Concept
This is another concept that i am working on right now – its again a 4 seater , with the electric motors located in the hub of each wheel. The LEDs located in the alloys glow ON and OFF to indicate which motor is providing the power to the vehicle, and which one is dormant. The rear end of this cross-over is made out of reinforced fabric, which can be opened out in a fold-out fashion for carrying large objects like a bike, or musical instruments, which otherwise wont fit inside the vehicle boot. 
The front of the vehicle contains a storage space for temporary luggage, like shopping bags etc…which also adds to its function of serving as an utility vehicle.
BMW Welt – Opening – Video
The Most Amazing Invention
Please dont sell it to any big company – specially car company !!!! They will kill this invention !!
Smart Automotive Materials by GM
Its called the Shape memory Polymer ( Plastic )…….and very useful in replacing the complex hydraulic mechanisms and hundreds of small motors used for leverage and deployment of essential automobile components……….
Check out this video
PHA Plastic – The GODsend from Taiwan !
The completely bio-degradable Plastic invented by the scientists of taiwan is one and a half times cheaper than our normal available plastic…..and its bio-degradable as well !!
ZELFO – The Material of the future !
Visit Zelfo Australia for all the information about this sustainable material
Zeoform is truly a revolutionary new material containing only 100 recycled cellulose fiber – sourced from paper, plant or fabric waste. Using a patented nano-technology, the ZEO process converts waste or recycled cellulose (without glues, binders or chemicals of any kind) into a non-toxic pulp that can be colored, poured, sprayed, molded or shaped into flat, curved, cylindrical or spherical forms.
ZEOFORM is then dried, worked, finished and coated, resulting in a strong, high-tensile, plastic-like substance with densities ranging from a resilient translucent skin (for lighting) to an ebony-like hardness for building materials, furniture and home-wares, jewelry and fashion accessories, speakers and musical instruments, electronics, toys and craft items, with endless applications in myriad industries and product and automotive sectors.
The Air powered car is nothing new now !
Here is my contribution to the Air powered community …..the video is self-explanatory…
TOYOTA HUMAN TOUCH !!
Check this out….when a car manufacturer gets down to adpot extreme measures to prove that its up close with the humans…and not just another machine !!
1/X th of the conventional Car !!
One of the concept cars exhibited by Toyota at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show is the environmentally-friendly 1/X concept car.
Based on a concept of reducing vehicle weight to “1/Xth” that of other vehicles in its class, the 1/X was reduced in weight to 420kg, which is about one-third that of the Prius. Fuel efficiency that is almost double that of the Prius was also targeted while maintaining an interior space comparable to the Prius.
As an FFV (Flex Fuel Vehicle) that can use bioethanol in addition to gasoline, the 1/X is based on a 500cc engine and also features a plug-in hybrid system that allows charging from an external power source.
The power unit is located beneath the rear seat for a midship, rear-wheel-drive system.
The body frame features lightweight, high-rigidity carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) to ensure superior collision safety performance while allowing narrower pillars for a wider field of vision.
The 1/X is a four passenger vehicle with an overall length of 3.9m, an overall width of 1.62m, an overall length of 1.41m, and a wheelbase of 2.6m.
