Submitted by Mehrdad Khorsandi, Biomimetic Self-fueling transportation system offers a futuristic concept vehicle where its movements are not limited by four wheels. You can read Khorsandi’s detail explanations below.
Why cars must have four wheel? Why they need fuels for moving? I think we need a revolution in our transportation design. So, I designed the Biomimetic Self-fueling transportation system based on the movement of Ant and Slug. In design of this bionic transport system, the ankle and upper limbs of Ant and Slug and the biological behavior of these organs are used. Each of them have their own characteristics. All details included in this project are based on the description of these organs.
The ant’s legs are composed of different parts. Each of them have a definite connection with other parts and all of them help to move and stack up the ant on smooth, sloping, and even opposing gravity surfaces. Like other insects, the ant has the legs of the strapping, which provides a better orientation and also spreading the ant weight on the desired surface. But what makes an ant moves easier on smooth and even glossy surfaces? Most insects, including ants, have small paws at the ends of their legs. They can climb on top of different levels by these hooks, similar to a climber. The ants also have special sticky pads between their paws which called Arolia. Ants can easily fit into the desired surface by these sticky pads.
Because there is no vacuum between the pad and the surface when sticking, the pad by the sucker status completely adheres to the surface. These pads are the same plastic parts that we see in various products and we use them to fix products on surfaces.
The lower part of the Slug that is used as a foot acts like other organisms in the family of Gastropods, such as a rhythmic cylinder caused by muscle contraction. The limb forms a Mucous layer, which makes it slippery and adhesive to the surface and eases the movement of the Slug. This material secretes from the Mucous glands below the Slug’s lips. It also provides a protective coating that prevents damage to the tissue under the Slug.
Each pumping unit has an arm to hold the car at various angles. These arms are mechanical and retractile and have ability to detach from the pump and fitted with the suckers at the end to the desired level and cause the car to remain stable. On the other hand, each pump has a tube which connects to the main fluid transmission pipe. The main tube is connected to the liquid tank, which all of these joints transfer fluid to the pump head.
More images of Biomimetic Self-fueling Transportation System:
Green light on the arm to ensure complete opening of the mechanical arm with the spring inside it to resize the arm. In the back of the pump we have special part for opening and closing the lid of the mechanical arm to fold and open the arm. It also has several joints between the motor system, main body and Special compartment.
Each sucker and arm parts are connected to other parts with a spherical connection which makes 360-degree rotation. At the end of the mechanical arm there are 4 small arm. Each arm has a sucker at its tip that causes the car to stop. The rubber part of the liquid outlet in the pump head causes the fluid pouring, and makes the vehicle slip over the surface for movement.
Steps to open and close the mechanical arm in a pump.
Step One: In this case, the door of the mechanical arm is closed and only the liquid is secreted from the outlet to out and it creates a slider layer on the desired surface, which causes the car to move.
Step two: As the vehicle speed decreased, the liquid outlet pipe is closed and the mechanical arm door opens and the arm comes out and sticks to the desired level and causes the car to remain steady. To move the car again, the arm goes into the compartment and the movement continues as step one.
Designing the main components of this transportation system has many challenges, but nature always have many inspirational examples for using in design world. So I decided to design this product with paying attention to the limbs of Ant and Slug. Thus this product has a special container for conducting fluid into the pipes and this part also has holders for connecting to the body. A rail to rotate the pumps and keep them in motion while moving. It also has a main pipe for transferring fluid into the pumps. Each liquid transfer pumps have a special motion arms to hold the car at various angles.
Tuvie has received “Biomimetic Self-fueling Transportation System” project from our ‘Submit A Design‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their design/concept for publication.
