Last spring, EDAG unveiled a 3D-printed car that was inspired by a turtle – and the German engineering firm just unveiled its latest car inspired by nature. The EDAG Light Cocoon has a skeletal, organic structure that’s covered in a fabric membrane featuring a pattern inspired by fall leaves.
For the Light Cocoon, EDAG’s designers looked at a leaf’s construction, which has an ideal structural framework with a lightweight outer skin stretched over it. With the Light Cocoon a lightweight, weatherproof textile skin covers the exterior, instead of heavier materials like steel or aluminum. Outdoor apparel specialists Jack Wolfskin designed the car’s weatherproof skin, called Texapore Softshell, which is one-quarter the weight of standard copy paper.
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“We are pursuing the vision of sustainability – as demonstrated by nature: lightweight, efficient, and without any waste,” explains EDAG’s head designer, Johannes Barckmann. “The result: the ‘EDAG Light Cocoon’ presents a stable, branch-like load bearing structure from the 3D printer, which only uses material where it is absolutely necessary.”
The Light Cocoon will have its world debut in March at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show.
+ EDAG Engineering
All images © EDAG
