Industrial Design Excavator

The walking excavator is not a new idea, but I think future adaptations in a mid-size product line such as a new Liebherr 417, with updated cab styling of the interior for advanced in-cab computer power could be promising..

This machine slews like a standard excavator for dumping the spoil, as the main pivot between the upper and lower sections remains relatively the same. But the lighter construction of the arms, and cabin made from a reinforced polymer – enables the machine to adjust its balance to move heavier materials in the bucket without pulling itself off its feet. Combined with the larger footprint to reduce ground pressure, multiple function levelling gives operators increased performance for sensitive areas, such as city maintenance of underground cables and piping, or where landscaping might need to be left relatively untouched in sensitive environmental areas.

This concept might appear like a cumbersome mechanical elephant but, just as in nature where large animals create efficiencies to live and move about successfully, the improvements in robotics and energy efficiency come into play with this design. The idea of a fuel cell hydrogen-electric hybrid came to mind and the concept reflects this in the hydro-blue colour accents and LED light piping. The fuel cell-look is encapsulated between the chassis and upper housing promoting the advanced technology inside.

Industrial Design Excavator Cab

In the design process there are many things that need to take place from concept to production.

Industrial Design Video Link

Industrial Design - Sketch

Industrial Design Clay

From Sketching out new ideas, to the development of the sketch into a 3D format using a mock up material such as Automotive Clay for concept buy-in.

We then draw upon our sculpting skills in the computer to improve upon the shape and sculpt the form into 3D CAD with Rhino3D surfacing.  Where we can add symmetry, style features, build in structural features, as well as add sourced components to make sure everything fits.  This new computer file can be easily transferred into full CAD assemblies using parametric modeling software systems like Solid Works for in-house engineering.

Industrial Design Review

The Industrial Design development is shown near the beginging of the video, however this video also offers insight into the whole production process. From the concept, design and engineering stages, into the injection molding process from mold design, inspection of products and final assembly to be shipped out the door.

We offer the ability to do more with your idea, from concept renderings into full 3D CAD for manufacturing, contact David Duncan at IDWS Inc.

If you are looking to add a marketing video to your product development, we have worked on taking 3D CAD and get it into our 3D CGI video editor, but also we have assisted with creating unique hand drawn video, as well as reality merged with CGI.

If it requires a little bit of everything, we have done storyboarding, music, voice over, and editing into one package as we collaborate with other professionals to make it a one stop shop for cutting the finished package.  Scroll down to see the 3 video options and styles, video links are provided below the short descriptions.

Story Board

Video Option 1:

In this video, the style was to create a hand drawn simplified story line. In which we described the product development process, with a bit of company history, how the ideas get developed and the features of the product. IDWS worked on bridging the hand sketching storyboard with music and voice over into one package.

Industrial Design LED Light

Video Option 2:

Because we work to help customers design and develop products from Industrial Design to Manufacturing we create both the concept sketches to start out, but also the process of developing the 3D CAD for manufacturing and virtual product assembly and fit.  But these 3D CAD files can also be used to generate 3D CGI for HD video.  The CRS LED light project used this process to render out the 3D CAD into a format for Video with music background for a trade show presentation.

CRS LED Light CGI Annimation Link

Industrial Design Clay

Video Option 3:

To blend both the 3D CAD with reality you need to involve both video and CAD and merge them into one video. Here David Duncan from IDWS is seen at the beginning of the video showing the transition of concept development into clay sculpting and onto 3D CAD development. The video goes on to show the production cycle from concept to production.

Industrial Design Clay Sculpting

In the end using this method of marketing can really show the full potential of what your company can offer.  If you need further information about your product or video needs, contact David Duncan by email at IDWS Inc.

3D Printing

At IDWS we create new products, either revamping an existing product or creating something new from just an idea or discussion.

We start out by generally drawing out what the product might look like.  Then make very rough volume models to start working out the size and scale of the features… But once refined we then build it in 3D CAD for a first-off virtual build of the concept - something that we can spin around and view from all sides.

Which we can print the CAD file for concept validation in an tangible, real part that you can hold in your hands…. Very Science fiction for those new to the process…

Sometimes this 3D Printing option, can be hard to visualize the process - but watch this video on 3D printing from National Geographic – this is what we use prior to signing off on molding costs … have a look:  3D Printing With National Geographic on Youtube

There are many variations on Printing in 3D, so you have to get the right machine and process for the application required…  So if you’d like more information on this contact us at IDWS Inc. as we’ve used most from SLS, Z-Corp, to FDM and Object printing.

On May 11, 2011, I was able to take home one of Niagara’s 2011 Top 40 Under Forty Awards, celebrating Niagara’s Next Generation of Business Leaders.

 

 

 

The 8th Annual Awards night celebrating the achievements of Niagara’s top 40 Under Forty winners was held at the Quality Hotel Parkway Convention Centre in St. Catharines. 

 

The 40 Under Forty Business Achievement Awards gives recognition to Niagara’s next generation of business leaders. These 40 individuals are under 40 years of age and consistently make their mark in business and contribute regularly to their respective communities.

 

Business Link Niagara

 

David Duncan,

Industrial Designer

IDWS Inc.

Contact Info Page

Seen at the latest SMOPYC show in Zaragoza Spain:

Rugged Tablet

Styled Air Press

The Xpad Tablet and Quantum Press work together to Vulcanize Conveyor Belts.

The Almex Tablet Xpad was awarded special mention, as it brings  “modular functionality that enables a wide range of possible uses within the building activity, including the integrated management of the application by means of communications and information technologies and GPS connections, Internet, etc. Such technologies are being incorporated in the building sector and will, without doubt, have a great impact on this sector in the future, allowing increased efficiency… in the Category of “Services applicable to the Building Activity”. Special mention by the Jury for the ALMEXPAD system for the control of conveyor belt vulcanization presses, presented by I.C. CONVEYOR, S.L.”

SMOPYC:  International show of public works, construction and mining machinery.

SMOPYC Europe

So how can we out innovate, out educate and out build the rest of the world, as US Pres. Barack Obama outlined in his State of the Union address on Jan. 25, 2011?  As many have looked at this statement as a vague outline, with over used phrases, I think we are missing something.  What the President is doing, is once again a call for action, a deep review of our industries and to find a vision that will better our companies, and tell a better story – like going to the moon!

If we lack that vision and keep going ahead with what we’ve always done, someone someplace is going to challenge us for our market share.  In Hollywood, building market share in the movie business is to create great movies, but note all great movies have this one major theme: 

“About a character, who wants something, and overcomes conflict to get it.”

This theme is a basic desire that is built into our DNA of our human experience, and probably that one thing that got your company started. 

So what is the next chapter of the story you are writing at your company?

Honda for example looks at their company through this lens: 

“Most people think of Honda as an automobile company.

But our main focus is and always has been human mobility.

And innovation is our engine.”

Honda is writing a story about finding and figuring out how to make mobility better, and more environmentally friendly – less about carbon fuels and more about bio fuels. And the research that they have poured into is about new education that leads to innovation and outbuilding the rest of the world.

The story they embarked on was to duplicate the human motions of walking  (http://asimo.honda.com/asimo-history/ ) and they ended up with a robot called ASIMO, derived from Isaac Asimov best known author of science fiction books and in movies such as “ I, Robot ” staring Will Smith.

But not only did they create a walking robot, the Honda story continues with spin off products like the UX-3 Personal Mobility (seen below), Stride Management Assist and the Bodyweight Support Assist.

Honda-UX-3 Closed

Honda-UX-3 OPEN

 

Even further developing new Products with this Eco Mobility technology are the Honda EV Car, the EV CUB, EV Neo Scooter, and the EV Monopal (http://world.honda.com/design/designers-talk/tms2009/ev-monpal/ ) .

Honda EV-CAR w/ UX-3 in Door

Honda-EV

 

The story that Honda is writing is this; a company that wants something, and is overcoming conflict to get it done.  And you see this when you watch the innovation and the over 180 patents being worked out in the UX-3. 

The Story is not just about a small portable wheeled device to make us lazy at walking, it is about the creative process to create better ideas that lead to innovative products.

The UX-3 is an idea delivered at a cost I’m sure, but the hurdles that Honda faced to get there might one day just make its way into the next future mobility device. One that changes the face of vehicles we know today, creating a competitive advantage that the rest of the world will one day have to catch up to.

Honda-UX-3

Being optimistic about driving a company into the next decade takes a lot of determination, finding your company story will help you create that goal.  Discovering the right team of visionaries and designers to help you overcome the conflicts will help bring out that excellence and competitive advantage, creating a better story for your company’s future.

David Duncan

www.idws.ca

Watch the Honda UX-3 on Youtube:  youtube.com/watch_popup?v=cuIJRsAuCHQ

Stereo imaging has been around for many years, but this latest advancement in Home Theatres has given us cost effective stereoscopic 3D flat screens and glasses allowing the viewer to travel through space, showing heights, depths and textures like we have never seen before - all right in our own living rooms!  So, when will we adopt this this technology into our everyday Office Space?

Virtual Reality in CAD ( Computer Aided Design) has been around for a decade or more, used often in architecture to show fly through landscapes and streetscapes for construction projects, as well as  with a handful of high-end vehicle designs on Mercedes-Benz and Aston Martin cars.  But this technology is now on the verge of being offered in Tablets and Laptops in a cost effective way getting this into the hands of every designer and engineer at their own desk!   And so what we as a group of professionals really haven’t done before is engage this technology at very basic level of product design involving our engineering and industrial design in the day to day developments of a project. 

Currently the best way to “see” a product for form and fit is to use Rapid Prototyping repeatedly, until we are comfortable with the end result.  This is used currently because so much information and comfort level is lost on the CAD system when only being able to see the parts on a 2D monitor.  

However a handful of companies have developed software and hardware for design professionals to start utilizing this advanced technology allowing for 3-D visual experience.  Nvidia has been developing packages that give new tools to designers to create that next generation of products, 3D Vision gives “graphics solutions for real time collaborating design reviews complex data exploration, immersive realistic 3-D environments and faster time to insight”  nvidia.com/object/3d-vision-professional-users

In the past 3-D vision technology has been out of reach for most of our desks and was at best used mostly as a board level type design tool.  Imagine now, that the design work environment can be done with 3D visual support on a single desktop monitor, no longer restricted to large projected images or using a CAVE, the rooms specifically designed for virtual reality simulations.

Operating with this kind of 3D vision is really very simple, all you need is a compatible 3D GPU ( graphics processor unit) a 3D vision ready flat screen display or projector and a set of the 3D glasses for viewing.  With many 3D CAD software packages getting into the support of such technologies, companies like Rhino3D, Autodesk, Catia & Siemens are among the handful of CAD developers catering to this new technology.

So the big question is this, How will this new 3D vision change or improve the product development process and lower the costs to create and prototype new ideas and product ventures?   Soon we will know, but it’s probably just a matter of time before the 3D stereoscopic display monitors start to take over, and the replacement of the 2D flat screen monitors in the Engineering and Industrial Design Offices become the norm, offering this new technology to the research and development process.

 www.idws.ca

 

 

 

 

Industrial Design Style Example 2

 The second is a trailer design that is much more utilitarian or functional, however I still found this to resonate well from both its form and style.  The Sylvan Sport Go tent http://www.sylvansport.com takes its aim at a crowd with bikes, kayaks and other gear on the weekend getaways.  It’s a brilliant approach of putting the tent overhead in a box frame and dropping down for the quick 5 min. setup.  In age old category of the tent trailers, this sport feel is designed to get you out of the city quick and into the outdoors but still with some creature comforts above the tenting experience.

 

 

 

The third is a bit more hard core, this trailer concept from down under gives the true outback experience with mobility of the off road vehicle ruggedness.  The TVAN Track trailer www.tracktrailer.com.au built and sold in Australia is designed for performance and durability, but there is something tough and aggressive about the design and styling of this product line.  

Par20 ICE LED Light

There was a handful of technical designers to make these lights final, we had a hand in the sculpted shape of the profile.

However we also assisted the whole project to serve as project management to make sure suppliers, engineers and files got sent out in time for Light Fair in Las Vegas this May.

Have a look at the youtube video, we assisted getting the proper files exported for CGI and also collaborated on the storyboard layout and music creation for final production.

ICE PAR20 LED YouTube video

See YouTube Link Here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xm644HIBn3w