Artistry of Ingenuity 2: Fully Drivable Cardboard Car and Bicycle

Lexus unveils fully drivable car made from cardboard.

(Via DeZeenMagazine)

Japanese car brand Lexus used 1,700 individually shaped cardboard sheets to create a fully functional replica of its IS saloon model.

Inspired by origami, the full-size sculpture was produced as a celebration of the human craftsmanship behind each Lexus car.

London-based companies LaserCut Works and Scales and Models were commissioned to complete the project, which took three months in total to finish.

The studios were provided with a 3D model of the existing IS saloon, which they then divided into principal parts, including the main body, dashboard, seats and wheels.

These sections were digitally rendered as 10-millimetre slices, then laser cut from the cardboard and given individual reference numbers to ensure the car was assembled in the correct sequence.

Every layer was fixed together by hand using a water-based wood glue, which had to be left to set for 10 minutes after each application. "This was a very demanding job, with five people involved in the digital design, modelling, laser cutting and assembly," said Scales and Models founder and director Ruben Marcos.

An electric motor used to power the vehicle is mounted on a steel and aluminium frame is housed within the model. The car also features a fully fitted interior, functioning doors, headlights and rolling wheels.

"The seats took a few attempts to get just right and the wheels required a lot of refining," said Marcos. "Once we could see the physical pieces taking shape, we could identify where we needed to make improvements."

"As with anything, there were some elements of trial and error, but as we had all the resources we needed in-house, this made the changes easier to produce," he continued.

The cardboard Origami Car will be on show as part of the Grand Designs Live event at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Birmingham, UK, from 8 to 11 October 2015.

Earlier this year, Lexus revealed its Back to the Future-style hoverboard, which uses magnetic fields to carry its rider without touching the ground.

Cardboard has previously been used to create a waterproof bicycle that costs less than £10 to manufacture.

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Cardboard Bicycle by Izhar Gafni
(Via DeZeenMagazine)

Israeli engineer and systems developer Izhar Gafni has invented a cardboard bicycle that's strong, waterproof and costs less than £10 to manufacture (+ movie).

Izhar Gafni started developing the Cardboard Bicycle three years ago. "Since there was no know-how with regards to the cardboard material, the first two years were devoted to learning the properties and behaviour of the material," explains Gafni.

Cardboard Bicycle by Izhar Gafni from Dezeen on Vimeo.

Above: movie by Giora Kariv
Cardboard Bicycle by Izhar Gafni from Dezeen on Vimeo.
 

"The idea is like Japanese origami," he says in the movie. "You fold it once and then it doesn't become twice the strength, it's almost three times the strength. So I took it from there and did the same thing with cardboard. "After the shape has been cut out, the cardboard is treated with a waterproof and fireproof coating specially created by Gafni, before lacquer paint is applied over the top.

The "urban bike" for adults costs around £6 per unit and weighs 9kg, while the kids' bike costs £3 per unit and weighs 3.5kg. Both are made almost entirely from recycled materials and cyclists will also have the option to add an electric motor, according to the designer.

Gafni's business partner, Israeli investment group ERB, is currently fundraising and developing the bicycle for production.

Here's some more information from Gafni's business partner, ERB:

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The Cardboard Bicycle Project is a new, revolutionary and green concept to produce bicycles made of durable recycled cardboard. ERB is an active partner which manages all the business and financial aspects of this project. ERB leads the worldwide business activity of the cardboard bicycle in Israel and abroad.

The first commercial model of the bicycle is designed for large companies as a vehicle for their employees and for large cities as a cheap, light-weight vehicle. Parallel to those, the electric model is being developed.

The Cardboard Bicycle can withstand water and humidity. Part of our unique technology enables us to create a product that looks like it is made out of hard lightweight polymer. The bike is stronger than carbon fibre and can carry riders weighing up to 220 kilograms. The cost to make the bicycle is around $9-$12.

Artistry of Ingeneuity 1: CanopyStair

CanopyStair is a spiral staircase that straps around any tree trunk

Graduate shows 2015: a pair of Royal College of Art graduates have created a new way to climb trees – strapping steps around the trunk to form a spiral staircase up to out-of-reach branches.

Thor ter Kulve and Robert McIntyre's CanopyStair comprises modular wooden platforms made from curved birch plywood, typically used to build small aircraft.

When bound to a tree trunk with adjustable woven ratchet straps at staggered heights and orientations, the modules can be used as steps.

"Since tree trunks are all unique we had to design a system that would adapt to their uneven surfaces, whilst not harming the tree in any way," Ter Kulve told Dezeen.

One end of the step has a triangular profile, where thick neoprene pads mounted on sand-cast aluminium joints at each corner create three soft contact points with the tree.

"We have worked with the arboriculturalists at Hampstead Heath to ensure we are not damaging the tree," said McIntyre. The curved shapes of the steps were designed to help the elements to appear straight even if they are slightly uneven when installed as a spiral set.

Ash poles attached to the end of each step can be strung together with lengths of flexible plastic to create a balustrade. Each tread also has a coarse top surface for better grip. "As one climbs the steps, the slight curve on the top surface of the tread acts to 'cradle' your foot, adding to the sense of security," Ter Kulve said.

Kulve and McIntyre, who both studied on the RCA's Design Products course, came up with the idea for the CanopyStair while spending time on an island in the Portuguese Azores archipelago last year. The house they stayed at was surrounded by a high wall, blocking the property's sea views, so the pair shimmied up a tree to get a better vantage point.

"Only by climbing a tree in the garden could we watch the sun setting across the ocean," McIntyre told Dezeen. "We began to discuss ways of transforming a garden tree into a staircase, allowing us to walk up and down easily and enjoy the view." To alleviate safety issues with installing the higher treads, the designers suggest using simple rock-climbing equipment to secure whoever might be at risk of falling.

Installation times vary depending on the desired height on the staircase. "To set up a seven-metre-high staircase would take about three hours with two people," Ter Kulve said. "Taking that down would take about 30 minutes."

The duo hopes that providing an easy route up trees will encourage the exploration of their upper reaches."The canopies of trees are the least explored ecosystem on the planet – we know less about them than we do the deep ocean," said McIntyre. "On climbing the CanopyStair, one enters this secret world, and it is somehow mesmerizing."

A prototype CanopyStair, created with the support of London architecture studio Haworth Tompkins, was successfully erected and used in Sussex. It has now been installed outside the RCA's Kensington campus as part of this year's graduate exhibition.

Photography is by Tony McIntyre.