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Never look down on 3D-printed cars. Well, you can, but do this with the help of drones. Local Motors will introduce a new version of a 3D printing car equipped with an entertainment drone.
It is possible that the future belongs to self-driving cars. Modern autonomous navigation systems are still far from perfect, in no small measure due to human unpredictability. The proof of this was the sensational accident of the Tesla car, which claimed the life of the driver: the car was controlled by autopilot and failed to react correctly to a truck that suddenly blocked the road. Apparently, the driver of the electric car neglected the instructions of the manufacturer and distracted from the road, watching movies.
Nevertheless, nobody is going to write off automatic navigation systems from the account. In a few years, self-driving cars can become perfect enough to create a fundamentally new problem for drivers and passengers - boredom. What to do during long trips in a car that does not require a driver?
Local Motors held a competition called Essence of Autonomy in conjunction with electronics supplier Mouser. The company intends to soon introduce its own version of the car with autopilot and is considering in advance ideas for improving the habitability of Strati 3D-printed cars through transforming salons.
The first place in the competition was taken by the idea of engineer Finn Jonkers to retrofit the car with a drone. The project was called FLY-MODE ("Flight Mode"). According to the designer, by putting the car on autopilot, the driver could control the drone accompanying the car and transmitting a panoramic view of the surrounding area from a bird's eye view. To complete the feeling of the seat, it is proposed to equip the air suspension transmitting the drone's movements in the air, and apply the picture directly to the windshield.
Now the winner will have to participate in the finalization of the project and the production of a prototype at one of the Local Motors factories located in Phoenix, Arizona. The well-known engineer and host of “Mythbusters” Grant Imahara will help with the fine-tuning. A video of the production of a stand-alone 3D printing car is due to be published shortly, but for now, we offer another video in which Grant introduces us to Local Motors and even participates in a small test drive of a 3D printed Swim car.
