Cybertruck Hidden design qualities
David Kasman (sculptor and mechanical engineer) on X made a great series of posts about the Cybertuck.
"I just saw the Cybertruck at Tesla, Boston …
Many have reported on its appearance, but as a sculptor and mechanical engineer, I noticed some things that I have not seen discussed elsewhere.
It’s a far more complex and sophisticated design than one may suspect from online images. Perhaps that’s why “you have to see it in real life” before drawing conclusions?"
"The Greeks understood “entasis”, that is, that straight, cylindrical columns look weaker than ones that slightly bulge. For strength, aerodynamics, and aesthetics, Franz and his design team took advantage of this concept.
For example, the sides of the Cybertruck are NOT straight along the “belt line” crease, rather the front quarter-panel, the two door panels, and the rear quarter-panel form a 4 segment “curve”."
"And speaking of curves, there are many curves on the Cybertruck!
The front bumper is curved over most of its width; both the stainless and the rubber."
"The hood is curved, not only the front edge, but the entire surface. It’s not a flat, “low poly” shape. It’s subtly shaped like a fingernail."
"The windshield is also curved, it’s not flat. That not only makes it look better, but it’s also stronger and it won’t flash like a signaling mirror."
"The side windows are curved:"
"Those all appear to be simple curves. In fact, all of the stainless steel is either flat or simple curves. We expected this because forming the thick, ultra-hard metal into a compound curve would be extremely difficult. That said, the glass roof appears to have a subtle COMPOUND curve! This makes it much stronger, more aerodynamic, and it even provides a little more interior volume."
"Anyway, those are just a few of my shape observations about the vehicle.
The bottom line is that it’s a lot more sophisticated and robust looking than it appears in photos, primarily due to all of the subtle, convex curvature.
To paraphrase Michelangelo, “A good sculpture should be able to roll down a hill without breaking.” 😂
It’s a very impressive piece of design work and I can see why producing it is a challenge.
If anyone finds this interesting I may post some more thoughts and observations."
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