This amazing machine comes to us via DesignBoom.com, and is the work of Max Greenberg, Sameer Yeleswarapu, and Ian Cullimore. Dubbed “Cirin,” the car was designed for Formula E racing at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA. Battery power operates the steering and braking systems and a Tactic radio system controls the car, but propulsion power is derived entirely from energy stored in a wound rubber band that measures sixteen feet long before winding. Top speed exceeds 30mph, and the car can travel a few hundred feet per run. SolidWorks was used for the mechanical design, and the unique, organic-looking chassis was created using Rhino and T-Spline programs. Design team member Max Greenberg explains, “We drew inspiration from mid 1950’s formula 1 cars as well as the truss structures found inside the bones of a bird’s wing. These structure are both light and rigid, ideal properties for the car we wanted to design.” It shows–this thing is beautiful.
You can bet a power drill is used to wind that rubber band. Doing it by hand would take for-ev-er.
Granted, there’s no suspension to clutter the design, but it sure does look sleek. The chassis was 3D-printed using a laser-sintered nylon powder material. There’s no way such an intricate design could be constructed as a single piece using injection molding techniques.
Aluminum bevel gears transfer rubber band power to the axle. If the tires look familiar, it’s because they’re Pro-Line Ions.
This exploded view shows the carbon-fiber tube that runs down the car’s center. The tube withstands the tension of the tightly wound rubber band, so all the chassis has to do is support the weight of the car.