Design Challenge - September 2011

Toby Mellor Design

Imagine that a plan for a completely carbonneutral footprint energy plant construction is in place on an unspoilt island. The excess green energy would be used, in hydrogen form, in green vehicles that would be used for building more green energy systems.

Once optimum energy production has been reached, the excess would be carried to the mainland by hydrogenpowered ships, where the green vehicles could be used to build a new energy infrastructure.

With this in mind, I looked into how windfarm construction could be made much better, greener and more efficient. I designed a vehicle to construct the wind turbine’s tower, using the foundations of the base to anchor itself securely before employing a clever ‘crawler ring’ system to handle parts and climb the tower.

The new system removes the need for any other vehicles and is able to construct a turbine in much shorter time and in much higher winds, which ultimately leads to a more efficient turbine system.

The influence of the praying mantis came along naturally. The first few sketches had the same operating stance as the mantis and the concept had a lot in common with the insect, which then began influencing my design through its functions and aesthetics.

In a case of form following function, the mantis has evolved an aesthetic that enables its tasks to be performed perfectly, but also with pure beauty. It saves energy until it needs to move and then does so with precision and speed; it is a very still creature but it catches prey extremely quickly.

So the crane’s silhouette mimics that of the mantis in rest, but operates swiftly and precisely. Its surface contours join and break, giving it a natural dynamic while highlighting its functional parts and structure.

The insect has superb vision, with an almost 360° view. So the cabin resembles the head of the mantis, providing similar functions to it but also creating a naturally aggressive look. This is where I could be more creative with surface flow as the engineering didn’t totally dictate the appearance.

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Email: info@tobymellor.com

Website: www.tobymellor.com

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