Author: Andy Loeshelle

Here are sketches I did of the side panel and the front panel.  I will mirror the side panel for the opposite side.

THESIS (edited from original): Because of 3D printing technologies, human limbs will become easily replaceable and soldiers may not be able to leave active duty simply because they are injured.  With the ability to 3D print functioning organs and limbs, 3D printers will change the nature of warfare because of easy and fast “repairs” and very little need for recovery time for soldiers.

The thesis that I want to explore with this project is: Due to 3D printing technologies, humankind will reinvent itself and will try to visually perfect every aspect of our human existence.  I chose this thesis because of the additional resource I did.  I read an article on CNN’s website called, “The Next Frontier in 3-D Printing: Human Organs.”  I find it incredible that humans have created a technology that can reproduce human cells and print human organs that could potentially aid in supporting life.  As a result, humans could live for much longer.  As humans live longer, they may choose to replace their body parts that no longer function with 3D printed elements that are more beautiful.  I once heard an architect lecture about the human desire to perfection nature; he explained that humans have built dwellings the same way for thousands of years, but the advancement of technology and the culmination thereof will allow for humans to produce buildings that they could have never dreamed of in the past.  He went on to explain how this fits with the development of the airplane.  Humans designed the airplane to look the way that it does now so that it could be efficient in the transportation of humans.  However, when designers were creating the first unmanned aircraft, they had an opportunity to reinvent the wheel as they no longer had to design around the human element.  Maybe humans will recreate themselves with these 3D technologies.  Why make an arm look like an arm, when there may be a more efficient design solution?

My vehicle was designed with many inspirations including Wall-E’s tank treads from the movie with the same title with elements from the M1A1 Abrams Tank, a cockpit similar to that found on an industrial vehicle like a CAT, Batman’s gauntlet designs that has remained relatively unchanged over his entire history, Gatling guns similar to the type found on a A-10 Warthog plane, and a main body designed to look like a barbell, which shows a weight and heftiness.  I chose to design the body after a tank because it has never really been done before for batman.  I designed my tank for a harsh, rock environment, but is also suitable to be used in combat against Batman’s enemies.  The harsh environment influenced my design in the way that it is shaped – it is designed so that only the wheels touch the ground and the body of the tank is not at risk of getting caught on rocky terrain.  Also, I designed the tank so that it was generally balanced and had a low center of mass to combat the possibility of tipping.  Batman’s characteristics find their way into my vehicle in the color scheme used (all dark), the incorporation of weapons platforms, the visual appearance of indestructibility, the general strong and heavy appearance, and the avoidance of light.

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