For the first project, “Vehicles designed for harsh environments”, I am designing a vehicle for Michael Phelps to aid him in his adventures in the deep sea. In thinking about the deep sea, the key aspects that I am considering include the darkness, the extreme pressures and temperatures, and the dangerous creatures that live in the depths of the ocean. I plan to incorporate different aspects from various deep sea creatures in the vehicle so that it can camouflage as a defense mechanism.

creature1

Deep Sea Creature that will potentially be used for inspiration.

creature2

Angler fish that will be used as inspiration.

octopus

Squid/octopus that will be used as inspiration.

sea floor

Deep sea floor, the harsh environment that the vehicle must be able to survive in.

 

When considering Michael Phelp’s characteristics that should be included in the project, I immediately thought of his various physical traits. These include his height and slender frame, his long arms, flexibility, and large lungs. Additionally, I plan to incorporate his preference for winning gold medals and swimming in the design.

wingspan

Michael Phelp’s wingspan.

phelps size

Various aspects of Michael Phelp’s body, all of which I am using as inspiration for the vehicle.

 

The design is loosely based off of the idea of a stretch bus that is connected via a pivoting joint that allows the bus to remain flexible while increasing it’s length.

seavehicle.jpg2

Deep sea vehicle. Note the spheres used, as they survive well in the deep sea environment.

sub

Submarine. Some aspects of this vehicle might be useful to include as submarines are built for the deep sea.

nxC5mUe

An articulated bus connected by a joint that increases the flexibility and length of the bus.

 

The vehicle that I plan to design will resemble a segmented bus with each segment being a round orb that can withstand the high pressures and extreme temperatures associated with the deep sea. The vehicle will include features from various deep sea creates including, but not limited to the angler fish and an octopus/squid.

project1-3 project1 project2