4 ms·

Exoskeleton? You mean monocoque construction (aka load bearing skin)?

• 6stringmerc 11y ago
  No, I mean like the chassis components were on the outside of the car, like a bug. That was the crux of their entry, mollified by some talk of aerodynamic efficiency. From what I recall, the rendered images of their concept didn't even have a method of entry for the driver/passengers. No doors. It was...well, frustrating, as my tone probably conveyed. Re: Monocoque - my entry cited that format to give additional strength to the chassis/panels mating. Bio-composites are approaching the tensile strength of carbon fiber, and could potentially be much easier to mass produce and at a lower price point. I thought the implication that in 10 years, with research, such an avenue would be viable. Instead, the second place entry was some proprietary kind of new metal that could be used to replace body panels...that's it. I remember calling that entry a "body kit" because that's what it reminded me of overall.
  • termain 11y ago
    Ah, ok. I can definitely understand your frustration since exoskeleton and aerodynamic efficiency don't generally mix.
    • 6stringmerc 11y ago
      Thanks for being interested / opportunity to clarify. The rendering actually looked like I-Beams curved into some kind of egg-like shape. It was mathematically sound, sure, but at first glance coming up with an answer "Where can research go with this?" didn't seem apparent. I tuned in to every Q&A session provided during the contest and time and again they reiterated certain principles for judging...when the results came in, yeah, pretty infuriating. Oh well...it did motivate me to finally meet with a Patent Attorney on a couple other ideas, so some lemonade did come out of it.