Award-winning young designer Shao Yung Yeh drew inspiration from one of nature's smallest creatures when he designed the Insecta, a vehicle that is small and green like a grasshopper but has the brains of a much more advanced species.
The size, shape and color of the battery-powered personal vehicle reflects the characteristics of its namesake. Insects "not only inspire the styling but also the entire structure and the package of the car," Yeh told Wired.com. "The legs are connected to a central chassis as a thorax, while the canopy can be read as an insect's head. The battery pack at the back symbolizes abdomen."
Auto designers have long drawn inspiration from nature, and Jaguar founder Sir William Lyons famously said the automobile is
"the closest thing we can create to something that is alive." But more often than not it is charismatic megafauna — particularly big cats — or birds that designers look to. That's changing, Yeh says, and the future belongs to insects. "They are lightweight, agile, versatile, efficient and ecological beings," he said. "Compare that to mammals, a common inspiration of modern car design. Insects are more suitable for cars of the future generation."
This automotive arthropod just might be the solution to millions of lone drivers buzzing around in five-passenger cars.
Yeh is a 22-year-old designer who studied industrial design at Cheng Kung University in Taiwan. The technology he envisions for Insecta is as advanced as its styling. The battery pack shifts according to the car's direction to maintain balance and handling. It uses hub-mounted wheel motors. And the adjustable suspension is one part bug-leg, two parts Citroën, changing the height of the car to suit traffic conditions.
Yeh doesn't see someone like General Motors or Toyota building the car of the future in the future. "I think there would be more and more independent companies building unique electric cars," he said. "They will be looking for innovative design languages and building up their own brand identities."
The way he sees it, the Insecta can be a unique brand identity that attracts buyers who value individuality as well as low environmental impact — and an emotional attachment to their vehicle. "Cars are always considered not mere products but also have life in some level, even like our pets," he said. "In fact, a lot of kids in Asia are having insects like big beetles as pets. Maybe when they grow up and see some cars like Insecta, they might feel intimate with them. It is important to look for new design elements to appeal to upcoming customer generations."
Post updated 6:20 p.m. PST.
More pictures and video, courtesy of Yeh via Car Body Design:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzMp8zV9WTU
