Local Motors has launched an awesome 3D printed car challenge. Local Motors is a place where, “We operate a growing global network of microfactories. Each destination is a place (microfactory) where innovators create amazing products and consumers come to marvel and shop.” Local motors creates a space and a bullpen of engineers that entrepreneurs can collaborate with, both physically and virtually, to create amazing motored inventions. Think of it as an incubator of sorts, but highly focused to the automotive space.
Local Motors hosts a series of challenges complete with nice prizes and they have launched an amazing 3D printed car challenge! Essentially the powertrain is set, but they are looking for people to design a simple, but stylish body for the car. The entry deadline has passed, but time for the community (us) to vote on the over 150 current entries!
Per the site, the requirements for the entries are as follows:
– Design your vision of the Local Motors 3D printed car.
– Must seat 2 people following the package configuration (provided in the ignition kit). This cannot be changed. The location of the motor, battery, and passengers is “frozen” and thus you may not change the h-point of the passengers, or the position of any of the elements in the provided packaging/ CAD files. This includes the wheelbase and track width. Any modification of the packaging will result in an invalid entry.
– Must include 4 wheels and battery pack following the package configuration (ignition kit). The wheels, tries, batteries and suspension components have been chosen and thus should not be changed.
– Must embed the major elements and functions of the exterior, the structure, and the interior in one main printed part.
– Cannot have mechanical openings (no doors, no hood, no trunk lid… )
– Must have some kind of windshield / wind deflector
Some of the early entries look pretty amazing. If you’re a traveler like me, maybe you can take the chance to stop by a microfactory and see work like this or similar underway. Microfactories are currently in Las Vegas, Phoenix and Knoxville, but 100 more are planned in the next 10 years. You can go shopping and buy anything from a real car to a remote control one to fashion to safety gear to art.
Voting opens tomorrow, May 17th, go to the site and take part!
Printing DDD 