The Bionic Car project

Biology not only provides ideas for aerodynamic efficiency, but also gives impulses for innovative lightweight construction methods.

Both the external armour-plating of the boxfish and the bone structures of other creatures show how nature achieves maximum strength with the minimum use of materials.

Bone structures are always in accordance with the actual loads encountered. In the case of the human thigh bone, for example, the position and strength of the bone matter is precisely right for the tensile and pressure loads which the limb must withstand.

It is not only bone structures but also tree branches and roots that grow according to biological laws – a perfect lightweight construction strategy on the part of nature.

In consultation with bionics experts, DaimlerChrysler researchers have developed a computer-assisted process for transferring the growth principle used by nature to automobile engineering. It is based on the SKO method (Soft Kill Option).

Computer simulation is used to configure body and suspension components in such a way that the material in areas subject to lower loads can be made less resistant, and can perhaps even be eliminated ("killed") completely, while highly stressed areas are specifically reinforced.

This bionic SKO process enables an optimal component geometry to be identified which meets the requirements of lightweight construction, safety and durability in equal measure. The hexagonal scales of the boxfish likewise obey the principle of maximum strength for the least weight. Transferred to the external panelling of a car door, this natural construction principle produces a honeycomb pattern with up to 40 percent more rigidity.

If the entire bodyshell structure is configured according to the SKO method, its weight is reduced by around 30 percent – while retaining its exemplary stability, crash safety and handling dynamics.

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