A Rollcage Like No Other
For my senior design project, I joined a team of engineers in designing an accessory top for the Polaris Slingshot, a three-wheeled auto-cycle.
My Team
Current Products
When Polaris approached us with this project, their product line included only one accessory top for the Slingshot: a fiberglass roof called the Slingshade (upper left).
Meanwhile, there were many third party accessory tops and rollcages being sold (see far right images). Most were functional, few were aesthetically pleasing.
Meanwhile, there were many third party accessory tops and rollcages being sold (see far right images). Most were functional, few were aesthetically pleasing.
How might we design an aesthetic rollcage for the Polaris Slingshot which can have a removable cover and provide increased safety?
Aesthetic Direction
Aggressive Anarchy. People are drawn to the vehicle because of its in-your-face aesthetic. Many commented on how great it feels to pull up to a stoplight and see all the heads turn at such a unique vehicle
Early Explorations
Wanting to make sure that form would follow function, I led my engineers through a series of workshops to generate concepts, such as these scale models.
Form Finding
I took our best concepts from the form studies and explored different directions in these sketches.
Concept Refinement
The feedback from Polaris' team was vital to the success of this project. Here's what they thought:
Aggressive
Polaris liked this concept for its exciting geometry, but disliked the “brow” sticking out so far.
Sleek
They were drawn to the simplicity of this design and its manufacturability, but wanted something more eye-catching.
Dynamic
Their team was intrigued by the idea of using hydroforming, but felt it was too expensive to pursue at this time.
Human Factors
Once we narrowed in on the concepts that matched our intended aesthetic, my team helped me build some low-fidelity prototypes to get a sense of how well people fit in them.
Sketch CAD
In order to iterate quickly through designs, I taught myself how to model in Gravity Sketch. It was useful to quickly create 3D model without being weighed down by the typical constraints of CAD modeling.
Final CAD
My role was to complete the 3D model, then my teammates did the technical drawings and FEA analysis.
A problem
When an FEA analysis revealed that one area of our design needed support, it was back to the drawing board
The solution
Putting our heads together, my team came up with a stamped metal gusset that would both enhance the aesthetic and safety of the overall rollcage.
Fabrication
With the help of the team at Polaris, we were able to have a full-scale working prototype manufactured.
