Interview about Explorer Scientific Research Vehicle, winner of the A' Futuristic Design Award 2023
The explorer scientific research vehicle is a large-scale survival all-terrain vehicle used for scientific research and investigation in extreme environments. Its color scheme is inspired by chameleons, and its modular structure is derived from the bionics of frog bones. The explorer scientific research vehicle has spacious living and scientific research compartments, and various modular driving modes. By analyzing different natural terrains and climates, it can adapt to various harsh environments and provide researchers with better living and scientific research space and driving experience.
View detailed images, specifications, and award details on A' Design Award & Competition website.
View Design DetailsStrong light environment: In a strong light environment, such as under the scorching sun in the desert, the research vehicle can change the color of the body like a chameleon to make it brighter. This is because bright colors can reflect more light and reduce the heat absorbed by the vehicle. Just like in the hot desert, wearing white clothes feels cooler than black clothes. This can prevent the temperature in the car from being too high, reduce the burden on the cooling system such as the air conditioner in the car, and also help protect the delicate scientific research instruments in the car from being damaged by high temperature.Weak light environment: In a dark environment, such as deep in the forest or near a cave, the research vehicle can dim the color of the body. On the one hand, the dark body is not easy to be found in a weak light environment, which plays a certain concealment role; on the other hand, the dark color can better absorb the weak light around, so it is possible to use these absorbed light to provide additional energy for some low-energy devices of the vehicle, such as powering some small sensors or indicator lights.
Challenge: The structure of frog bones evolved for their biological movement and survival needs. The shape, size and connection method of its bones are complex and irregular, which is very different from the standardized and regularized structures and materials commonly used in mechanical manufacturing, and it is difficult to imitate and replicate directly.Overcoming method: In-depth analysis and simplification of the frog bone structure, extract its key structural features and mechanical principles, such as the distribution of bones, the location and function of connection points, etc., and transform these features into forms that are easy to implement in mechanical design. At the same time, standardized module shapes and connection interfaces are used to facilitate manufacturing and assembly. Finally, through a large number of mechanical experiments and numerical simulations, the vehicle structure inspired by frog bones is optimized to ensure that it has good mechanical properties and reliability under various working conditions.
Vertical space utilization: In the limited space inside the vehicle, the potential of vertical space is fully tapped. In the scientific research module, multi-layer shelves are set up to store experimental consumables, spare instruments, etc. The height of the shelves can be adjusted to facilitate the access to items of different heights; in the living module, hanging cabinets are used to increase storage space to store lightweight items such as clothing and toiletries to avoid occupying ground space, making the layout inside the vehicle more compact and orderly.Easy maintenance design: Considering the complex field environment, the internal layout of the vehicle focuses on easy maintenance. The module adopts an independent packaging design. When a fault occurs or parts need to be replaced, it can be disassembled and repaired separately without disassembling the entire vehicle layout. For example, if a problem occurs with an analytical instrument, you only need to open the corresponding instrument module shell to repair it, which greatly improves the maintenance efficiency and reduces the risk and difficulty of field operations.
When the Explorer research vehicle enters a snowy environment, the wheels can deploy anti-skid chains through a deformation mechanism. These anti-skid chains are usually stored inside the wheels. When the vehicle sensors detect snowy road conditions, they automatically pop out and fix on the tire surface, increasing the friction between the tire and the snow, effectively preventing the vehicle from slipping.In mountainous environments, the vehicle tires will become off-road tires with stronger grip and deeper treads, which can effectively bite the rocks and soil of the mountains. At the same time, the vehicle's suspension system will be adjusted to a mode suitable for mountain driving, increasing the suspension travel so that the vehicle can maintain good ground contact when passing through rugged mountain roads. For example, when climbing a slope, the suspension system can automatically adjust according to the change in the center of gravity of the vehicle to ensure that all four wheels can stably contact the ground.
Accurately grasping the diverse needs of the scientific research team is the most important moment in this stage. This includes understanding the special requirements of different scientific research fields (such as biology, geology, meteorology, etc.) for vehicle functions, as well as working conditions in various extreme terrains and environments. For example, for geological research teams, the vehicle may need to have strong sample collection and storage capabilities, and be able to drive stably in rugged mountains and Gobi environments; while for biological research teams, the vehicle may need to have a sterile environment suitable for immediate processing of biological samples, and have good mobility in wetlands, forests and other environments.
Dark green and emerald green are both common colors in nature, especially in areas with rich vegetation, such as forests, jungles and wetlands. The design that gradually evolves from dark green to emerald green allows the vehicle to better blend into these natural environments. For example, in a forest environment, when the vehicle is parked between trees and bushes, this color change can simulate the different levels of green under the shadow of the trees, echoing the light and shadow changes of the surrounding vegetation. The dark green part may blend with the dark trunks or shadows of the trees, while the emerald green part can be close to the brighter leaves and grass colors, thereby reducing the probability of the vehicle being visually discovered.
As scientific research continues to deepen and diversify, the functional requirements for extreme environment research vehicles will also increase. The modular design allows the vehicle to easily add new functional modules to meet the needs of different scientific research tasks. At the same time, the modular design is conducive to the timely integration of the latest technological achievements into the extreme environment research vehicle, realizing the rapid upgrade of vehicle functions. Finally, the modular design allows the extreme environment research vehicle to quickly replace or combine specific modules according to different environmental requirements to better cope with the challenges of specific environments.
The unique modular design concept is adopted. Each functional module can be freely combined and quickly replaced according to different scientific research tasks and extreme environmental requirements. This is a creative design idea. Multifunctional integrated modules are designed. For example, multiple scientific detection instruments are integrated into one module, which not only saves space in the vehicle, but also realizes the simultaneous collection and analysis of multiple data, reduces interference and errors between different instruments, and improves scientific research efficiency. This is the embodiment of creativity in improving scientific research functions. Moreover, these modules can play an important role in different environments and tasks and are very practical.
The Explorer research vehicle is equipped with efficient solar panels, whose area and angle can be automatically adjusted according to the position of the sun to maximize the absorption of solar energy. In extreme environments such as the polar regions during the polar day, solar energy resources are abundant, and these panels can provide continuous energy for various equipment on the vehicle. At the same time, a small wind turbine is installed on the top of the vehicle, and wind energy can be used to generate electricity when the vehicle is in a windy area (such as high mountains, coastal areas, etc.). This combination of solar energy and wind energy can reduce dependence on traditional fossil fuels. The Explorer research vehicle is equipped with an advanced environmental monitoring system that can monitor various parameters of the surrounding environment in real time, such as air quality, water quality, soil quality, etc. In the process of extreme environment research, these data can not only provide important basis for scientific research, but also be used to evaluate the impact of the vehicle itself on the environment.
First, do not limit yourself to traditional design concepts and methods, dare to try new ideas, keep up with the forefront of scientific and technological development, and integrate new technologies into the design. Secondly, the concept of sustainable development should be integrated into the design from the beginning, and environmentally friendly materials and renewable energy should be given priority. For materials, their recyclability, low pollution and durability should be considered. For example, biodegradable interior materials and recycled metals should be used. In terms of energy, try to reduce dependence on traditional fossil energy, use clean energy such as solar energy, wind energy, and water energy, and design efficient energy management systems to improve energy efficiency.
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