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FAB Velo: an 'Open Design' for accessible, diverse and sustainable personal transport
Version 2 2019-06-21, 06:01
Version 1 2017-01-24, 00:01
thesis
posted on 2019-06-21, 06:01 authored by Richardson, Mark GeoffreyThis practice-based industrial design research examines sustainable transport
through the lens of Open Design. As Whitelegg and Urry believe, automobility
needs to be reimagined to meet future sustainability targets, and others like
Manzini, Margolin Moriarty and Honery, deem that this cannot be achieved
without new sociotechnical systems. To this end, the research question that
asks: 'How might the design of a personal mobility vehicle become more accessible,
diverse and sustainable?' In response, the project proposes that principles
of Open Design- a term coined by Vallance, Kiani and Nayfeh to describe
open source physical artefacts- be used to design a do-it-yourself (DIY) velomobile-
a pedal-powered bicycle or tricycle covered by an exterior fairing.
By using the device of Open Design, the production system, product materiality
and end use can potentially become more diverse, accessible and sustainable.
The project was undertaken using a method of practise-based research, or what
Shon and Archer respectively term 'reflective practice' and 'research through
design'. It relied on developing a range of design solutions through the process
of tinkering, or what Buchanan terms, a 'craft' method. This was a heuristic
approach which relied on examining the precedents of Open Source Hardware
(OSHW) through a 3D printer design project. The lessons learned were applied
to the design of a velomobile and its production system.
As an extension of Open Design, the research synthesised three supporting
topic platforms; modularity, DIY production and upcycling. Modularity is
critical to aid end-user innovation and design diversity; DIY principles allow
greater design accessibility; and, upcycling acts as a sustainability device. The two project outcomes- a 3D printer and a velomobile -were both designed
as modular tensegrity systems and were made by hand in a domestic setting
from waste materials, off-the-shelf components and 3D-printed couplings.
The designs allow the products to be constructed, reconfigured and finally
deconstructed for further reuse at end-of-life (EoL). This approach extends the
value of the outcomes beyond the artefacts themselves and into their systems
of production.
At present, few products in the personal transport domain encourage product
diversity by promoting combined end-user participation in the build process,
continuing avenues for user-led innovation and what Mcdonough and
Braungart term cradle-to-cradle manufacturing. None have yet approached the
issues of product accessibility, design diversity and sustainability through the
collective lens of DIY tensegrity structures and upcycling systems.
The research outcomes are of practical significance and are presented as
prototypes for further end-user development. In this respect, the project was
limited to the development of Open Design 'seeds' and did not include what
Fischer and Giaccardi term the 'meta-design' aspects of the process - that is,
the overarching systems required to enable collaborative end-user innovation.
Rather, the development of such is an opportunity for further research.
History
Campus location
AustraliaPrincipal supervisor
Brad HaylockYear of Award
2014Department, School or Centre
DesignCourse
Doctor of PhilosophyDegree Type
DOCTORATEFaculty
Faculty of Art, Design and ArchitectureUsage metrics
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