EDAG – one of the leading service providers in the automotive industry – has something very, very exciting up its sleeve. This week in Geneva, it presented a futuristic vehicle it has termed “EDAG GENESIS.” Inspired by the additive manufacturing revolution brought on by 3D printers, the company has designed a lightweight, single-component car body “based on the bionic patterns of a turtle.” Not surprisingly, the end result (which is decked out in chrome) looks like something straight out of science fiction.
I know I use that phrase a bit too much…but seriously. Just look at it, and tell me you can’t see a car like that driving on the roads of the distant future.
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According to EDAG, the manufacturing process they used to create GENESIS will leave traditional manufacturing techniques – including rapid prototyping- behind, adding a new and revolutionary dimension to classical manufacturing and design. With additive manufacturing, parts can be designed so that they’re “load-specific, multi-functional, and bionic,” ensuring ideal shape and thickness. Alright, so…plain English, what does all this mean for the average consumer?
Basically, what we’re looking at here is a complete overhaul in how machines – ranging from cars to farm equipment to construction vehicles – are constructed. With the sort of modular design demonstrated by GENESIS, vehicles can be manufactured part-by-part, with each individual component optimized to the point of perfection. This manufacturing method will give greater freedom to both designers and consumers, with modular, tool-free production ensuring an overall more efficient production process.
Of course, this sort of technology is still very much in its nascent stages. We shouldn’t expect to see a manufacturing revolution happen overnight. What EDAG has done here is give us a brief glimpse into our future. This new mode of manufacturing is going to catch on eventually, and when it does…
It’ll pretty much change everything.
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EDAG GENESIS Modular Vehicle | Gallery
