Short notice given only substantially as follows: The KG-1 sports car concept from Eindhoven-based design studio KesselsGranger DesignWorks takes its inspiration from natural forms and materials - in this case the human body. The exterior of the car employs a TenCate carbon-fibre skin with embedded electrodes. This light, strong composite offers considerable savings in weight and greater mechanical strength. It is already being used in the structural parts of, for instance, ultra-light racing bicycles. A mesh of protective fibre is stretched around the composite frame like a second skin. It is sufficiently elastic, and yet extremely strong. This textile can already offer numerous functional characteristics. It can for instance be made water-repellent, dirt-repellent, heat-resistant, fire-retardant, UV-stable and perforation resistant. It can also be provided with high visibility characteristics or even a luminous capability. The KG-1 is therefore also water-resistant, dirt-resistant - rain cleans the car - and biodegradable. This is only the beginning of what Kessels and Granger see possible, believing solar panels can be integrated in the skin, the lights can be woven into the textile and the bodywork can move with the steering movement, as the skin of the human body follows the movements of the skeleton. There are also possibilities for durability and personalisation. It is possible to integrate moving images and sound into the texture of the textile. The colour can change in an instance. The car can lighten up in the dark. How do people often sit in cars? The driver sits upright, active. The passenger is passive, but sits in the same position. This is actually not that natural. Therefore we have created an asymmetric construction, where the passenger takes on a more laid-back position. The passenger's position, stretched out, is visible in the form of the car. As a result, the roofline has variations in height. On the driver's side the roof is higher than on the passenger side. The overall aim is to make forms of transport ever lighter in weight, without forfeiting safety or the strength of the structure. New textile materials make new design possible. This often relates to shapes and structures that could never have been achieved with aluminium or steel. The result is a reduction in fuel consumption and noise nuisance. The question is to what extent these developments will be used in the automobile industry and what new concepts lie ahead.
Sports car with human characteristics. The human body and anatomical functions were the inspiration for a new concept car with a TenCate smart textile frame
Future Materials - fm ; May ; 15
2009
1 Seite, 1 Bild, 3 Quellen
Aufsatz (Zeitschrift)
Englisch
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