Maasaica - 3D-printed bioorganic car

Imagine a car created from herbs and mushrooms, leaving traces on the ground lion's paws and heralding a new industrial revolution. However, it is difficult for you cogitative efforts done Swedish designer Eric Melldal who created the futuristic concept BMW. Concept car Maasaica, inspired by the ancient culture of the Maasai and new trends in production, made from a mixture of fungal mycelium and herbs that are grown directly on the printed 3D-structure.


Idea of ​​using mycelium as a building material for many years, because the mycelium is well suited for the formation of a durable, moisture resistant and refractory material. The mycelium is composed of one long filament diameter of 5-10 microns. One gram of mycelium total length of the thread is 35 km away. On strength characteristics per unit weight of the mycelium is comparable with the plastic, but unlike the latter in the production and operation does not harm the environment and is practically inexhaustible.

Mycelium easily processed into building bricks - to grow in the form of a mixture of crushed corn on the stalk and rice husk, then burn in the oven. Among Ecovative based on mycelium currently developing material for bumpers, doors and dashboard of a car Ford, and in addition use mushrooms to housing .

Okay, the reader will say, but what about the press? Specialists WASP able to print the 3D-printer patterns of agar - special biomaterial for the cultivation of microorganisms - which settled slime mold, creating a structure amazing shape. However, this is not the limit, because the modern printers are able to print even ceramics or травой . In the near future, technology will create the details of various forms of anything.

Maasaica questioned the methods and ideas of the conservative automotive industry. New technologies will significantly reduce the cost of production, which is particularly important for the poorest regions of the world. The car will not produce a typical industrial area, and in the Serengeti National Park - in the land of the African Masai people.

A distinctive feature of the Maasai - a commitment to the traditional way of life. The tribes resisted the introduction of the achievements of modern civilization. According to Eric Melldalya, Masai willingly take advantage of tailor-made with regard to their local cultural features than will use the classic "soulless" cars "white people."

Many companies are already using 3D-press for making models of the body and the individual elements of the exterior. At the International Manufacturing Technology Show in Chicago, scheduled for September 8-13, 2014, the company Local Motors is going under the cameras build five days « simple and clean in terms of shape, "the car is fully using 3D-printing technology.

In the future we will be able to print the cars in his garage (nightmare major automakers). According to the company 3D Systems (the world's largest manufacturer of 3D-printers), the speed of 3D-printing Over the past ten years doubled every 24 months. If Maasaica concept embodied in a real car, then create it will be for a few days.

Maasaica - is the answer to the question "what should be the eco-friendly car of the future." Body, wheels and some elements of the interior bioorganiki, after the allotted period of operation, will soon disintegrate themselves to environmentally friendly elements.

Since water is a big problem in Africa, the machine is able to collect water from fog due to the special membrane and solar panels help store energy from sunlight. Cubic meter of air contains 4 to 25 grams of water vapor, and units capable condense and collect moisture, are known since the 90's.

Any traces of human activity in the wild - a threat to environmental safety. Therefore, the tires leave behind a trail of lion's paws. The decision is up for debate, because it remains an open question how herbivores in a national park would react to the emergence of many new tracks predators. By the way, the name of the concept car Maasaica comes from the Latin word, which is called a lion in Kenya (Panthera Leo Masaica).

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Friends, this is our first post on Habré. Immediately answer the question of how connected "car mushrooms" with our company: we decided to talk about what interests us. News of direct relevance to the activities of "The Messenger", will periodically appear on our blog, but if you liked this post, we are ready to publish on new technologies and innovative solutions.

Source: habrahabr.ru/company/svyaznoy/blog/232939/