Regarding the picture of the yellow truck in the motorway: it's definitely towed! Just because it's a rear wheel drive vehicle it's easier to lift the rear wheels not to have the mechanical friction of the diff. (and if I'm not mistaken, at the back those trucks have 2 axles with a total of 8 tyres - because they are twin). at last but not least, nobody is at the steering wheel.
I guess the problem was not the futurist design, but some technical difficulties, so none of these models was probably efficient enough to be mass-produced.
I can explain why "his larger designs have not been built" (Wiki).
Objects moving through an atmosphere will experience friction, which is costly to overcome. The cost depends on the shape of the object. For aeroplanes, shape is critical; a wrong shape will not fly.
Mr. Colani ignores these facts, much as Creationists ignore evidence or lottery players ignore statistics. His creations are innovative because he takes an unusual approach; designing things that won't work.
yea, that is some pretty cool stuff for sure. i wish tastes weren't so conservative when it comes to vehicles, it would be neat to see some of this stuff on the road.
I'd be surprised if Colani merely ignored facts considering he studied aerospace engineering and once worked for McDonnell-Douglas. While I might be mistaken, I recall reading that he's also included in a patent covering inverted airfoil-shaped racing cars (thus improving high-speed traction/handling). He certainly doesn't follow conventional thinking, but then neither did the Wright brothers.
I will agree with the "shape is critical" part. However, recent breakthroughs relating to drag on the fins of whales suggest that Colani could have gotten quite a bit wilder with his shapes. I'm relatively certain my aerospace professors would have categorically dismissed whale fin-inspired shapes; and they would have been wrong to do so. We'll have to see what comes of those developments (though we should see wind-turbines with "tubercles" from Whalepower Inc fairly soon).
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I recall seeing all these designs while an industrial design student. Still inspiring.
While his designs certainly look gorgeous, the guy himself is a total dick. I've seen him several times and he is one of the most unpleasant, arrogant people I've met.
But if we all had the time and money to design aeroplanes that would never fly, or vehicles that would be would be pointlessly expensive to construct and run; then we could all produce "impressive designs".
I don't wish to deny Mr. Colani the credit that is due to his vision and labors. Bit I wish to point out that it's unfair to other designers if we assume they have tried and failed to go where he goes. They must stay within the bounds of what is practical; he does not.
But if we all had the time and money to design aeroplanes that would never fly, or vehicles that would be would be pointlessly expensive to construct and run; then we could all produce "impressive designs".
I suspect there were people during the Renaissance who said the same thing about masterful paintings. "If I only had the time to grind my own pigment and had sponsors to fund my time, I could paint like the Masters." Yet here we are in an age when, in much of the West at least, materials and time are readily availabe, yet we have to relatively few painters of equal ability and stature.
After receiving my aerospace degree, I later graduated from a well-regarded design school. Half of my graduating design class were unable to find employment as product designers. Of those that found work, most couldn't come close to what Colani has done.
Consequently, comments such as "we could all produce 'impressive designs'" is effectively bullshit. And if you're the same David Byrden who said, "Before writing about something it’s advisable to understand it", then I'd suggest you take your own advice, because you don't seem to me to speak with any legitimate experience or expertise in this regard. If not, it's still good advice.
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I don't wish to deny Mr. Colani the credit that is due to his vision and labors. Bit I wish to point out that it's unfair to other designers if we assume they have tried and failed to go where he goes. They must stay within the bounds of what is practical; he does not.
I'm one of those for whom you claim to be concerned. I don't consider it unfair in the least. To suggest we need coddling because we've not achieved Colani's level of success is the worst form of paternalistic insult. Please don't suggest that I or my fellow designers are so petty or immature that we require handholding assurances. I didn't grow up in a generation where every participant received a medal no matter how poorly they performed; and I'm glad I didn't.
The truth is, sometimes I get projects that are extremely constrained, and other times I'm given free range to pursue "Blue sky" concepts. That just goes with the territory. And considering some of Colani's practical successes, I'd venture his experience is not all that different.
So please, take your concerns - if they're truly legitimate - elsewhere. I, for one, don't need you defending me. I'd rather be inspired.
>> To suggest we need coddling >> because we've not achieved >> Colani's level of success...
I didn't say that. I spoke of the models in photos, not Mr. Colani's overall career, of which I know little.
And if these specific designs won't work well, or at all, that's not "success"; that is time-wasting.
Take the steam train. It has tilting wheels. They require larger, heavier bearings than vertical wheels. Is there any benefit to tilting the wheels? Apart from the obvious benefit (to Mr. Colani) of making the model look 'futurist'?
Or take the aircraft. Working commercial aircraft are made tubular so that similar panels can be mass-produced and used throughout; but these craft are curvaceous and therefore expensive to implement. Why don't we see similar aircraft today (outside of the military)?
One of the proposals "carries 2000 passengers". How many airports will rebuild their runways and other facilities to handle something with 3 times the capacity of an A380? Where's the cost-benefit analysis? Can this aircraft make money?
Take the Japan Airlines design. It looks like a plant, rather than a bird. How innovative! we think. What a genius Colani must be! But will it fly safely? Will it cost a practical amount of money to build? Can it make a profit? I expect not; because it looks like a plant, rather than a bird.
I don't know why these models were produced, nor whether they are supposed to represent practical designs. but that's what we are assuming in this website, and that's what I question.
>>> it's unfair to other designers >>> if we assume they have tried >>> and failed to go where he goes
>> To suggest we need coddling >> because we've not achieved >> Colani's level of success...
I didn't say that.
Which is why I used the word "suggest". I take it reading comprehension isn't your strong suit.
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I spoke of the models in photos, not Mr. Colani's overall career, of which I know little.
Based on your comments, this comes as no surprise to me. However, your point is moot. Being paid to do that kind of Blue Sky concept work - represented by those models - is essentially an indication of career success. The two go pretty much go hand-in-hand in this profession (i.e. most designers who aren't professionally successful usually get stuck only doing the kinds of conventional designs you're going on about. We don't study Industrial Design to be Engineers; as a group we usually study ID to do lots of fun things ... including conceptual exploration).
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And if these specific designs won't work well, or at all, that's not "success"; that is time-wasting.
As is posting your comments on this thread; especially when you confess to knowing essentially nothing of Colani's career yet feel free to weigh in on what he does and does not "ignore".
Colani's getting paid for "time-wasting". Are you? Where are the articles and blog entries discussing your brilliant contributions? Please share.
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Take the steam train. It has tilting wheels. They require larger, heavier bearings than vertical wheels. Is there any benefit to tilting the wheels? Apart from the obvious benefit (to Mr. Colani) of making the model look 'futurist'?
I'd suggest learning how to pose appropriate, non-snarky questions. For example, rather than asking if there is "any benefit", you might instead ask, "Is there a non-obvious benefit to which convention, ignorance and bias are blinding us?" That's one important value of a Blue Sky exercise; it hopefully forces development teams to break with comfortable solutions and see problems with fresh, unadulterated eyes (even if they arrive at the same conclusion).
In the case of his train, I'd ask you, "Which bearings?" This isn't an automobile with a centrally located drivetrain through which torque must be transfered. The train's driving wheels appear to be piston-driven off the front pods. From the image it appears that each reciprocating linkage originates from a front pod operating in the same plane as the tilt of the wheels. I suspect whatever non-planar motion that occurs is accounted for by a relatively simple bearing in the linkage (perhaps not shown in these particular images, since the first link is shown in a kind of top-dead-center position).
As to advantage, I can imagine the vehicle's structure hanging off a central "spine" at the top of the vehicle, thus angled wheels potentially reduce the moment arm and improve force distribution. But without knowing engineering details, I'd hesitate to make the kinds of bold assertions with which you seem so comfortable.
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Or take the aircraft. Working commercial aircraft are made tubular so that similar panels can be mass-produced and used throughout; but these craft are curvaceous and therefore expensive to implement. Why don't we see similar aircraft today (outside of the military)?
Irrelevant and short-sighted.
First off, manufacturing processes aren't static. Secondly, if Colani was asked by a client to ignore then-current manufacturing limitations, that's an issue you should take up with his client(s).
Third, and most important, I'd suggest you do some research into "3D weaving" of the sort Issey Miyake is pioneering (link to Wired article).
One of the limitations with composites used on aircraft is that builders have been limited to 2D sheets, which forces discontinuities. With 3D weaving we're almost certain to see more "organic" fuselages (like some military aircraft) whose shape is determined more by functional requirements than by manufacturing process limitations.
Of course, how quickly such technology is adopted is dependent on how important entrenched manufacturing solutions are to the company since they represent investments which must be recovered. As with most technology, companies will attempt to extract as much use out of the old stuff before investing in the new. This business reality, however, has no bearing on this discussion. These are concepts of what might be possible; not what is most desirable for shareholders seeking short-term gains.
Someone has to have vision.
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One of the proposals "carries 2000 passengers". How many airports will rebuild their runways and other facilities to handle something with 3 times the capacity of an A380? Where's the cost-benefit analysis? Can this aircraft make money?
Again, this isn't necessarily Colani's issue if clients are paying for his work. This is, imo, a business issue; and business realities change (e.g. the music industry).
As to that 2000-seat aircraft, considering the arrangement of the windows, I can't really say how big the thing is. It looks massive, but that doesn't mean the footprint is massive.
Also, Colani's designs seem to be pushing the "blended wing body" concept (not a new idea, but one which has been partly hampered by business politics rather than engineering impossibilities). Among the advantages of the BWB is its enormous payload. Not surprisingly, given the rise in fuel costs, I've just recently read, iirc, that the BWB project at Boeing may get more funding. Imagine that, Boeing is seriously considering a "curvaceous" aircraft (better give them a call, David, and tell them how stupid that idea is).
Finally, just as important would be the aircraft's weight. However, I don't see a number anywhere, and so I can't compare it to the Airbus behemoth. Based on a) the image and b) the volumetric efficiency, and c) lifting body aerodynamics, I'm not so sure Colani's concept would weigh more than the Airbus. Its appearance is more massive but it's footprint seems smaller, so I can't say much on this count ... and I figure neither can you (though that reality doesn't seem to stop you).
I can say this: in the mid-90's I did a fast, one-day Blue Sky concept for an arm-mounted computerized bar code scanner. My assumption: some day we wouldn't be limited by rigid circuit boards. The result, which the design firm decided to have modeled (link to image), wrapped around the arm organically ... as it should.
Funny thing is, the very idea of flexible circuit boards is no longer a "dumb idea" like it was back then.
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Take the Japan Airlines design. It looks like a plant, rather than a bird. How innovative! we think. What a genius Colani must be! But will it fly safely? Will it cost a practical amount of money to build? Can it make a profit? I expect not; because it looks like a plant, rather than a bird.
You really should lose the personal bias. Are you an aerospace engineer? Are you aware the F-117 flew only because computers managed its control surfaces, or that forward-swept wings of the extreme sort shown in his concept have been successfully flight-tested? Are you an expert in morphable aero-surfaces (something I first saw demonstrated by the U.S. Air Force in 1984)? Are you an expert in rapid-manufacturing technology or advanced composites manufacturing? What do you know about bird bones? And do you know about people like Neri Oxman who are developing similarly organic designs using today's more advanced computational tools?
"I expect not".
What I do get is that you enjoy doing what you apparently advise against: Writing about stuff about which you have little understanding.
I'm a degreed aero and a degreed industrial designer, yet I still try hard to qualify my comments on this thread because as Don Rumsfeld once famously pointed out, knowing what you don't know is important.
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I don't know why these models were produced, nor whether they are supposed to represent practical designs. but that's what we are assuming in this website, and that's what I question.
Perhaps you should re-read the copy that accompanies the images: "all from a never-never land of the most far-reaching imagination."
Maybe your comprehension is okay; you just don't bother reading before opening your mouth and sticking your foot into it.
at least 2 photos are from poland: the one with the bicycle road (very famous photo in category: what polish engineers can do for bicycles), and the one with no railways for tram (the bus on the photo seems to be from warsaw).
@maciek - it isn't warsaw, it's łódź, probably zachodnia street. there's a major renovation of the tracks and the lamp (or whatever it is) will be removed. but nevertheless, funny as hell :D
Those motorbikes are awesome. The Yamaha is a bit much, but the Suzuki G-Stryder is gorgeous. It's a pity that the more extreme looks you see in automobile concept pieces are so rarely passed on to the consumer market.
That Monotracer pod thing seems to have two secret extra wheels - you can see one of them in the picture above, mostly covered by a panel, just in front of the back wheel. You can see them extended a bit here: http://preview.tinyurl.com/6bxnjt on a different version. Can't work out quite what the point of them is, though, unless it's to let you take EXTREMELY radical corners... Although then surely you'd have to get out to tip the bike upright again afterward...
Ok, I have become entranced with the song, and must know where I can find a copy of it, short of replaying the YouTube video over and over..Help, oh internet!
The picture with the snowboard was taken during the 'Quicksilver Showdown over the city' in Vancouver (Canada). Original can be found here : http://www.showdownoverthecity.ca/gallery.html#
The pictures are awesome, beautiful, but maybe the title is a little bit deceitful. Two roads in oregon for part one, can I conclude there will be a LOOOOOOOOT of parts with the same title :P ? I will stay connected - Thanks
In addition to the driveable parts of the Columbia River Highway, it's well worth checking out the Mosier Twin Tunnels just East of Hood River. This is a closed section of the road that was recently repaved and opened for walking and biking and it's spectacular.
I drove up to Oregon a few years back, and the roads had so many twists and turns that by the end of the trip I was muttering things like, "They couldn't have just blown a hole through that freaking mountain?!"
Glad you enjoyed the drives and scenery! It's a prime reason DW and I moved back from Texas (aside from family and the extreme dislike of hot/humid weather). Great pics!
I lived for a year in Portland, and often drove through the gorge just to appreciate its great beauty. There is an old road and a new road, and I highly recommend the "old" road for its great beauty and lack of traffic. I always thought it was a shame that Mark Twain wasn't born there instead of Missouri. Another beautiful spot on the Oregon coast is Cape Foulweather near Depoe Bay. Named by Capt James Cook, it is the highest point on the coast and you can watch the whale migration easily from there.
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The wings are probably real. The National Patriotic Front of Liberia was infamous for child soldiers who wore womens' wigs, dresses, etc. in combat in the belief that it confused their enemies' bullets.
Your "tank accident" isn't an an accident.. It's the only way to change the tracks on a tank.. One of the links gets unbolted, the tank drives off, a new track gets laid in place and the tank drives on it again.
Actually, It looks like it is an accident, as the tank doesn't appear to have a new track on. Normally to change a track, the old track is unpinned at the front, the new track pinned to it, the tank driven forward until it is on the new track, and the old one is removed. This looks like one of the track pins has snapped while the tank was moving, and it's coasted several meters.
I recommand people from other country then U.S. to NOT read "The Essential Man's Library". You could be a little bit insulted to find out that more then 50% of the book come from U.S.
Considering the "Russian Art": I don't know what the guy with the ring on the anvil is doing, but the woman seems to hold a pair of scissors.. the theme is "trades" it seems.
The Library could be seen as insulting, however the author of that list has some bias to T.Roosevelt and Dostoevsky - it is easy to replace many of the books with equivalent ones of other authors/countries and languages. These lists are always quite arbitrary and say much about their authors' taste.
2 Comments:
Regarding the picture of the yellow truck in the motorway: it's definitely towed!
Just because it's a rear wheel drive vehicle it's easier to lift the rear wheels not to have the mechanical friction of the diff. (and if I'm not mistaken, at the back those trucks have 2 axles with a total of 8 tyres - because they are twin).
at last but not least, nobody is at the steering wheel.
It´s really dangerous to be in range. Ha ha ha.
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