Icarus: the design process of a conceptual vehicle

Abstract

The design and manufacturing of a conceptual prototype vehicle is described. The project was the result of a collaborative project between students from the University of Aveiro and designers of the School of Arts and Design of Matosinhos. The main objective of the project was to design a vehicle to participate for the design award of the French 1998 Shell Eco-Marathon competition. The design process was essentially focussed on the integration of the aestheticism with the manufacturing of the vehicle. Icarus is a conceptual vehicle inspired on the wing concept, therefore the project's name is associated with the Greek mythological figure. The description of the project is presented focusing on the association of the materials chosen to manufacture composite complex geometry surfaces.