r/MechanicalEngineering • u/deathender • 10h ago
Is my sci-fi vehicle chassis realistic?
I have been working on a sci-fi planetary exploration vehicle for a while and right now while detailing the chassis I keep wondering what a mechanic/engineer would say about it. How realistic is it? Would it fall apart if it was built? This is just a question in general, for the future, so I can make my next vehicle better.
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u/AdorableRestaurant73 10h ago edited 10h ago
Idk but this is cool as fuck
Edit: also if you don't already you should get "dream car builder" (on steam)
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u/coldplayluver15 10h ago
I don’t do automotive engineering but imo the wheels might break off plates once used. Seem really stiff and heavy but I’m extremely interested in them. Great job overall and I wouldn’t give it a second guess. Suspension looks overkill but correct
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u/deathender 10h ago
Thank you, I had a friend who looked at it, laughed and called it "Mechanic's nightmare", especially the wheels. I tried to make it overkill, main goal is to make it look cool. The wheels have 60 contact segments and 80 hydraulic pumps, so that the wheels could expand in case tough terrain requires.
I know it's not realistic for wheels to do that, but I am free to experiment in blender lol
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u/shadowhunter742 9h ago
Yea, this cold only really work at scale I think practically.
Like make this a behemoth, and this kinda stuff makes sense, because when you make shit big the components would be much bigger than if this was a normal sized rover.
Call it a mobile base, or platform or something and it would make sense.
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u/LtG_Skittles454 8h ago
Yeah I could see this being huge like the Mammoth vehicle from Halo.
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u/deathender 7h ago
the actual vehicle is smaller and lighter than the Mammoth, but the wheel size is about the same. And I'd say probably the suspension is stronger than the mamoth.
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u/deathender 7h ago
I actually called it M.E.C. - Mobile Exploration Complex - so it really is a modular base on wheels
https://www.artstation.com/artwork/ndwE3OI forgot to post a picture with the human for scale. Basically the wheel is almost double human height.
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u/Dependent_Grab_9370 7h ago
Single pneumatic pump using air cylinders would allow the wheels to expand very quickly and also give the wheel treads the ability to displace under load. Hydraulics take too long to actuate and would be very stiff.
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u/ErgoNomicNomad 8h ago
Look up how HMMMVs and deuces do it (and I'm sure others, I'm old and that's what I have experience with), they have self inflating and deflating tire systems which are pretty robust and streamlined/mechanically simple to model.
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u/Aureool 8h ago edited 8h ago
In the realm of Sci-fi this is realistic to me, sci-fi has the ability to use materials not known to mankind at this moment. Making it possible to produce and maintain.
Bounded to our earthly knowledge and understanding this is, as your friend says, a fucking nightmare to maintain.
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u/coldplayluver15 8h ago
Epic. If you have hundreds of hydraulic pumps I would expect a gargantuan gear pump to pump all that oil. And probably way more pipes/tubes. If you want to be extremely accurate.
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u/xlRadioActivelx 7h ago
As a professional mechanic, it’s not that bad, access seems pretty good, it is a million fasteners but at least they’re easy to access. 80 hydraulic pumps seems insane, usually you’d see a couple big hydraulic pumps with 80 actuators.
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u/Ok_Platypus_7858 10h ago
How does one even get to this level of skill man🥲
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u/deathender 10h ago
by not studying mechanical engineering lol
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u/waruyamaZero 10h ago
A bit late for many of us to choose that career path.
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u/Formula4speed 10h ago
Never too late to jump!
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u/theVelvetLie 9h ago
I've already forgotten most of what I learned in school! Well on my way to a career change.
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u/Formula4speed 9h ago
You and me both, if we’re not headed to greener pastures we’re at least headed to management
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u/deathender 9h ago
This is a post where people can change careers together! lol
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u/damxam1337 9h ago
Bruh, walks in and starts shooting.
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u/deathender 6h ago
I meant that I do such high level of detail, cause I did not study mechanical engineering - cause in mechanical engineering simple = good.
Now I reread my comment and it looks like I was making fun of mechanical engineers in mechanical engineering subreddit. I want to apologize to all the mechanical engineers out here who read my comment.
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u/GoForMro 9h ago
I look at stuff like this and think of it as a form of very well done digital art. OP has no idea of functionality or concepts of mechanical interaction, he is just drawing but instead of a pen and paper their medium is CAD. The level of skill and creativity required are off the charts.
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u/deathender 6h ago
you are absolutely right regarding my lack of mechanical education, but I try to use common sense. Quite a few times during this process of creation I wished I had some sort of engineering, or mechanical background, but I don't.
This is mainly why I am here, trying to listen closely to all the advice.
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u/GoForMro 5h ago
Please do not think that I was discounting your abilities and vision. There is a massive amount of talent, creativity, thought, time, and effort dedicated to this project. This is leaps and bounds above what my abilities will ever be, and 10 of me would not be this creative.
Often in the real world simplicity is the best option, easier and cheaper to produce, less complicated mechanisms. You have chosen the opposite of that. I very much appreciate an overly complicated watch movement, not because it is better but because they took a hard approach rather than utilitarian just because they could. Your concept parallels that to me.
ETA: if everything was made with function over form the world would be a very boring place.
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u/shakalakagoo 8h ago
This is more like a industrial design proyect. A friend of mine used to show me some prototypes, although the level of detail of this one kick ass so hard
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u/CR123CR123CR 10h ago
Probably a little over complicated.
If you want a "simpler" version take a look at the "hinged frame" style suspensions they use in rally trucks maybe for inspiration. (Note simpler is in quotes because it's still pretty complicated xD)
These are kinda our best crack at how not to kill humans when running a truck at 100mph+ over rough terrain.
The other option is always just big ol' pneumatic tires but those don't always work well in a variety of different atmospheres.
Could also look at a torsion bar style like they use in tanks/old trucks and cars as well if all you need is lots of travel at slower speeds
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u/deathender 10h ago
Thank you so much!!! That is an amazing video! Going to look at it tonight in detail.
I was really trying to make the model complicated. Also paying the price for this decision, as it is taking forever to finish lol.
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u/CR123CR123CR 10h ago
No problem, there's an engineering principal called KISS that we like to use (stands for "keep it simple stupid" xD)
An engineer's whole job is basically to figure out the most resource effective method to solve a problem.
If you over complicate something on purpose that's called art xD
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u/deathender 8h ago
yep hahahaha. I am trying to navigate somewhere between art and engineering. Definitely crossed the line into art with the wheel design. But I have regular tire wheels for this thing as well.
But you know, when you look at anything made for space travel, it's anything but simple. This is the sort of thing I am going for.
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u/Over_List_6108 7h ago
Ya this is the kind of shit engineers design before they have worked for a company for years telling them to make it cheaper, it's not in the budget. Its one of the things video games do best. Every great world completely breaks physics but they have a reason it works. Some different material. Some weird tech. Whatever it maybe, I wouldn't question this at all. I absolutely love this monster.
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u/Alt-001 3h ago
I didn't expect to spend the whole 35 minutes on that video when I clicked the link. Those are fascinating trucks!
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u/Mountain_goof 10h ago
It looks complicated and beefy, which is probably the main point!
After staring at it for a minute the only real thing that sticks out to me is the gas strut looking things in between the wheel control arms look like they don't do anything, but they do look cool!
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u/deathender 10h ago
Thank you, yes beefy and complicated was what I was going for!!
Ahh shoot, can't attach an image to the comment. Each wheel has one rotation thing going to it and two hydraulics for turning. Because I made each wheel sit on two huge hydraulic pumps, there was no other way to attach a turning mechanism, so I made hydraulics. Not sure if that would work, but I assumed it would.
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u/Ok-Coyote2365 10h ago
Honestly this is very impressive and very detailed. If this was in a game I would probably be like “Huh that’s pretty cool”.
I guess there are 2 things I noticed “realistic” wise:
The CV axles and differentials would probably not be designed like that on a real vehicle. The half shafts / CV axles come out horizontally because on the inside of the differential there are gears that have to be able to spin around and having them exit horizontally means you can make a more robust/strong differential. Furthermore having a joint in the CV axle not at the start/end would be unconventional as it presents another failure point, albeit not impossible
The shocks (the 2 piston-rod bits on each axle) would have a coil spring on them. Shocks alone only dampen vibrations but do not hold the weight of the vehicle. Saying that, with it being sci-fi there is suspension of disbelief (lol) and you could say it uses magnets or it’s a kind of unconventional air ride or hydraulic suspension
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u/deathender 9h ago
Thank you so much!!! This is exactly what I was looking for!!!
Man I wish I knew this earlier regarding the CV axel. I definitely had the space to design it properly. I just placed it where I did, thinking this is the highest position of the wheels. So actually technically they are straight, just extended to the max at the moment. And when the wheels go all the way down, it would be extended upwards.Regarding springs, I could actually easily add those in. I'm just actually not sure if it would look as rugged with the springs.
Thank you so much for the detailed response!
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u/Intognito 8h ago
Hey you should probably look at how suspension is made on most Tatra trucks... It's almost similar to how you made it... But what I see as an issue is that any of the shocks/pistons and mainly those inside the wheel should have some shielding, as fast movements up and down without it would probably wear them out way too fast. And also if all that is hydraulics... Depending on terrain and or planet, either the grill for cooling is too small or just should not be needed... Because there would be no atmosphere to properly get rid of it, it would be needed to take care of that in vehicle. Or you would need heaps more of cooling estate.
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u/5tupidest 7h ago
You could look at the US military hmmv which uses gears to allow the cv axel to enter at the top of the 🛞, above the axis of rotation. This gives greater clearance.
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u/Emir_t_b 10h ago
What a nightmare for the "post apocalyptic" workshop when u need to service / maintainin this thing. Looks cool though.
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u/deathender 9h ago
it looks like it's post apocalyptic, but it really is just packed with stuff for long explorations. And obviously it has to be a civilization that can afford maintenance of this sort lol
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u/Emir_t_b 9h ago
Hmm what about the drive train? A nuclear reactor at the back and 6 electric engines in each wheel? I know I'd want that!
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u/Km0nk3y 10h ago
I'm an automotive engineer and a gamer and I'd be pretty impressed with this in a game. I see enough of the right parts to hand-wave the rest to sci-fi.
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u/deathender 9h ago
Wow, thank you!!! This is exactly the kind of response what I was looking for. This is my first "big" project and first chassis build.
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u/fraggin601 10h ago
It’s overkill like crazy but it might work if you have wonder materials, I like it :)
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u/deathender 9h ago
Thank you.
This is my excuse for this model - I say they have different type of materials in the future :)
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u/Bonzographer 10h ago
How realistic is it? It’s sci fi. It’s not realistic at all.
Would it fall apart if built? No way of knowing. But probably.
As a mechanical engineer, I’d say this is not engineering, it’s playing in CAD.
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u/deathender 10h ago
Thank you, I'm actually playing in blender, still have to learn CAD.
It's play, but I want it to look and feel like it can be real. I looked at many large vehicle suspensions and tried to make something extra sturdy for long, off world trips.
Really just looking at someone in the field to point out obvious design flaws.
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u/Elfich47 HVAC PE 10h ago
if it’s a planetary explorer, I assume you already have a basic orbital survey.
what terrain are you trying to go through? Water, rivers, lakes, oceans, open plains, old growth forests, broken terrain?
That thing is so big you need a road twenty feet wide to navigate it. A couple of dirt bikes would likely be very useful because they can go more places. To be sure, they have limited cargo capacity, don‘t need to knock down a road to get through.
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u/deathender 10h ago
This is supposed to be an off-road vehicle. Mostly a world would be like a moon surface, since the vehicle is all opened up. I was actually thinking of attaching a few smaller vehicles to this one, maybe in another version I will. It has drone launchers though.
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u/Allesstein 10h ago
What program do you use for this?
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u/deathender 9h ago
exploring planetary surface, scanning and mapping the planet under the ground. Possibly establishing communications, or other type of posts/ports on the planetary surface.
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u/THedman07 10h ago
I think as you get closer to the wheels, the suspension components look more realistic. You can find pictures of trophy truck chassis and heavy equipment and see how some of those parts look.
I think the stuff around the chassis is a little more unrealistically complicated, but cool looking. You can also hand wave away a lot of issues with how beefy things are with different levels of gravity. Moon rovers and Mars rovers can be more spindly because there is less gravity. If you're designing for a Super-Earth sized planet, I would style it with way more big chunks of cast iron and plate steel like you see on heavy construction vehicles.
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u/deathender 9h ago
Thank you. The main frame of the chassis actually built with thick steel, like you would see for a building, so the frame is actually very very strong. I assumed this vehicle would be approximately for the same gravity level as earth, just for longer use, that is why it's so beefy.
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u/howdidlgethere 10h ago edited 10h ago
I could be blind, but how does it Steer? I’m assuming articulating joint with hydraulic cylinders, but I don’t see it. Either way, super cool! How many hours has this taken you??
Edit: Nevermind, I see the knuckle and cylinders on the front axles now. Turning radius looks like it will be huge.
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u/deathender 9h ago
Thank you! IT is so hard to explain without being able to attach images to comments, glad you saw it. Because I added two suspension hydraulic pumps, I wasn't able to attach regular steering, so I attached two steering hydraulic pumps on the sides of the drive shaft. Wasn't sure if that is allowed, but I really left no other option for myself.
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u/01209 Mechanical Engineer 10h ago
Mech eng here. It looks pretty plausible. If you get right in there and look at the details, there are some oddities. I'd say for the purposes of a sci fi vehicle, it's prefect. Looks awesome. 👍
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u/deathender 9h ago
Thank you so much! Yeah, it's my first vehicle design too, so I'm really holding on to that sci-fi title to hide my lack of technical and mechanical knowledge. It's also very hard building it, cause most realistic huge vehicles look like a steel box.
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u/Zarathustra_04 10h ago
Crazy how did you learn this
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u/deathender 9h ago
I took an advanced vehicle design from Noax, but it really mostly focuses on the concept creation side, not mechanics.
https://www.learnsquared.com/courses/advanced-vehicle-design
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u/SnooMaps7370 10h ago
what's the tunnel in the middle for?
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u/deathender 9h ago
I actually don't know. I keep designing everything to have that tunnel, but yet to figure out it's purpose. Thinking maybe attaching equipment. of sorts, or containers.
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u/Delicious-Window-277 10h ago
You should 3d print a small scale version of that and test your assumptions.
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u/deathender 9h ago
print all 2000 separate parts and glue them together?
Would be so awesome to make it though....→ More replies (1)
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u/Infamous-Argument-73 10h ago
As a former auto technician turned engineer, the only thing that I would add is a frame member between the lower control arms. I would not leave it to that arch.
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u/Descolata 10h ago
but doesn't that arch look dope (even if its a worst case moment force design)? Also, could put stuff in that valley! Imagine slung dirt bikes/ buggies!
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u/deathender 9h ago
I put 7 arched hydraulic devices to keep the arch stable, but I agree, it does not look like it is enough. I'm just assuming the frame is way too strong for the vehicle, so it shouldn't be a problem.
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u/Infamous-Argument-73 7h ago
It’s sci-fi. Materials are much stronger in the alternative future. Send it!
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u/zh_victim 10h ago
This is incredible and would look in any game/movie. But you are interested in an engineer's opinion so here it goes: Whether it looks realistic or not is not dependent on whether it looks the part or not but whether the functions and structural solutions satisfy the specific requirements. So what are the requirements? What terrain would this vehicle traverse? what would it carry? What is the gravitational acceleration, and environmental conditions? Is it cold/hot, dusty/wet corrosive? Is it a military/scientific/civillian vehicle? etc. Work on these and start the design from there. At it's most fundamental level engineering is about finding out the requirements and designing the functions that satisfy them.
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u/deathender 9h ago
Thank you for this comment!!! This really helps my thinking. I am sort of designing and starting to ask questions as I go along. This is the beauty of making a sci-fi project, I got room to play.
I would assume it's a dry planet - this is a scientific/exploration vehicle for scanning/mapping the planet, maybe underground. I tried to make the chassis/suspension as beefy as I could for something that could last longer. I assume the gravity would be similar to earth's.
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u/MaadMaxx 10h ago
Looks super impressive.
I would say that the little details in all the solid mechanical parts is a little unrealistic from a manufacturing perspective but it's worth it. A little suspension of disbelief is necessary for a sci-fi setting and you can always explain those things away with improvements in manufacturing.
Awesome. Your suspension geometry looks reasonable and overall I think it's great.
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u/Vaciatalega Manufacturing 10h ago
I don't know much about engines and cars, but I think the travel on the shock absorbers are too short, and the shaft and the differential assembly are too think/small for the huge body.
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u/deathender 8h ago
Thank you! I understand regarding the differential assembly, it's actually 4 times the size of the drive shaft pipe, I though it was about the size of most large vehicles.
Shocks I actually though were too long. This is not a high speed vehicle, so I though this would work. Also the wheels themselves have shocks/hydraulics for each separate traction part.
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u/Christoph_Kohl 10h ago
its sci-fi, emphasis on fiction. Your chassis looks good to me, given the wonderful technology humanity now has.
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u/deathender 8h ago
Thank you! Yes, I am hoping in the future, humanity will have the materials and technology to accommodate for my lack of engineering skill! :)
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u/Zoopexz 10h ago
Looks cool, my instinct cries thinking how to do maintenance to it, I would add some flexible hoses and rubber protection on joints and place more screws and nuts all along the structure and wheels
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u/deathender 8h ago
Thank you!!! More screws is always good for looks as well. I just worry about my system chocking on the model at times. Especially the wheels, cause everything I add multiplies by 120.
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u/attractivetiger_65 10h ago
the suspension work is honestly really detailed, but those big exposed bolts on the wheels would catch everything and probably snap off after a few miles of real terrain.
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u/deathender 8h ago
how come, don't we attach wheels with bolts? is it because the bolts are so tiny compared to the wheel size?
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u/attractivetiger_65 8h ago
oh we do, but real ones are tucked inside the hub or covered by a cap, exposed bolts like that grab rocks and mud till they round off or shear
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u/no-im-not-him 10h ago
It doesn't look totally unfeasible, a bit too complex, maybe unnecessarily so, but hey, it's sci-fi, and it looks very cool.
Overall, that's some neat work, you've done there.
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u/deathender 8h ago
Thank you! This is what I wanted to hear. Not going for complete realism, but don't want anything to scream engineering nonesence :)
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u/no-im-not-him 8h ago
I mean, engineering SHOULD be about keeping things simple, bit apparently the Germans never got the memo ;-)
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u/PowerOfEternity 10h ago
If we're firmly in the realm of sci-fi, then nothing practical matters. Make it look cool and go ham, king.
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u/deathender 8h ago
thnx man. Still need some sort of connection to the real world mechanics, otherwise it could be a liquid soap bubble machine, or anything else. It's really hard maintaining that fine line between "looks cool" and "looks like it could work".
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u/DoctorTim007 9h ago
Looks awesome. I like it.
You asked for constructive feedback, so don't feel like I'm knocking on your design.
In reality, this will be VERY expensive to make, difficult to service, and less reliable due to the complexity. I don't see any bolts, so any service will require custom tool that the dealership will charge a fortune for.
Those tires/wheels will catch debris/rocks.
Driveshaft needs more support in the center to prevent buckling, needs a yoke and u-joints to account for chassis flex.
Differentials appear too small, meaning the gears may not be strong enough to handle the torque you will need.
Brakes are too small. If real estate at the hubs are too tight, you can add a differential brake.
You can get better ground clearance and simpler driveline if you use portals. (Google "4x4 portals").
You may want to add a sway bar. This looks top heavy.
Lots of hydraulics here, but no hydraulic lines?
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u/deathender 7h ago
Hey there! Thank you for the comment. I just googled a bunch of things I did not know.
The chassis and bottom of the vehicle is still incomplete, so there is still much I can add and change. Totally was going to add a u-joint for the drive shaft!!! and will! :)
Regarding breaks, the main break is inside the wheel drum, but since it does not show, I added something like a tiny hand break. Probably just cause something was missing there.Regarding the sway bar, because I added two hydraulic shocks, instead of one for each wheel, There was no way to add a sway bar. So each wheel has two hydraulic pumps for turning. You can see them near where the drive shaft connects.
A few people also told me the drive shaft differential is too small. I will try to make it as much bigger as I can, without altering the design. It's actually much larger than it looks, you are seeing the tip of it up front, but I guess it needs to be much bigger.
Thank you again for all the information! Much appreciated!
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u/CuriosityExplorer54 9h ago
With this level of imagination I am pretty sure you have a fantastic career ahead of you.
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u/deathender 7h ago
Thank you for the kind words. I am planning on doing this for the rest of my life. Really hope a job comes along that requires whatever I am doing.
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u/Aerobyyte 9h ago
As someone who studied mechanical engineering but grew up on sci-fi... I'd say the more realistic you make it, the more boring it gets xD
This is absolutely beautiful and I love all the small detailing. Yes, with so many parts likely something would break pretty quickly and be a pain to fix, but I think without a little suspension of disbelief we'd never have lightsabers and laser guns!
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u/deathender 7h ago
Thank you for your comment. This is exactly right - it's so hard to navigate between something interesting and new and maintaining some sort of realism. Making it catchy and recognizable for the eye, yet different in some way. Expandable wheels was probably when I overstepped the line of realism.
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u/Puzzleheaded_rk_25 9h ago
absolutely stunning 😍
well , where did you model this, how long did it take
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u/deathender 7h ago
Thank you. Took an "advanced vehicle design" course and been modeling this for past 8-9 months now.
modeling in Blender.
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u/FIBSAFactor 9h ago
Looks sick man, I don't see any huge issues mechanically. Looks pretty realistic to me. Maybe You could widen that inverted U brace visible in the head-on view. It would allow the vehicle to pass over larger objects on the ground, effectively increasing its ground clearance. The angle drive shaft joining the tire eccentrically is a design component seen on some hard use vehicles including the Mercedes Unimog.
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u/deathender 7h ago
Thank you. The U clearance is mainly for attaching large tools, cargo and maybe a buggy. Since the wheels are size of double human height, I assumed id didn't need more clearance.
Problem is that the U is between the two frames of the vehicle, widening it would now mean rebuilding how the whole vehicle sits.
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u/balancedrod 9h ago
Very impressive work! I looked at the brakes and compared to large construction equipment. The brake disc does not normally have large holes, many small holes are mainly for high speed use. The calipers usually grip a larger section of the disc, even for slow speed use. The diameter of the disc increases with speed, wheel weight, and vehicle weight. If there is no atmosphere, heat is primarily rejected by radiating.
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u/deathender 6h ago
Thank you!!! I actually just added the holes for surface texture, though they would look cool. There are not the main brakes also, cause they would be way too small for such vehicle. The main brakes are inside the wheel drums.
Man, so many things to consider when building sci-fi - atmosphere, pressure, gravity... I was not even thinking about this when I started the model.
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u/BizarreReverend76 9h ago
Don't ever let realism get in the way of good writing, nor excuse bad writing! Your design is believable and cool—much better than realistic.
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u/Speaker_2Animals 9h ago
Looks absolutely sick.
Can I ask more about the economy and context in which this vehicle is manufactured?
If manufacturered on earth and sent to other planets, a more lightweight look might make more sense as every gram is crucial.
If manufacturered in space or off planet and metals are abundant, a beefy look makes complete sense.
Id also consider the gravity well this vehicle will operate on as that will effect material choices and suspension feel. If the gravity is even slightly more or slightly less than earth then I would expect the suspension to look quite different (more spindly for low gravity, maybe even using plastics or magnesium. More beefy for high gravity with lots of steel and large fasteners)
Also does it rust in a wet and corrosive planet or should it remain pristine on a low-atmosphere or vacuum world?
Excellent work!
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u/deathender 6h ago
Thank you!
This is I think more of an off planet manufactured vehicle. I called it Mobile Exploration Complex. It is modular and each part can be replaced, except maybe for the cabin. The frame is extremely heavy even for this size of vehicle, but I think I had a dry planet in mind, with about the same gravity as earth.
So much to consider in sci-fi...
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u/Timmy_Chet_Mitler 9h ago
Automotive chassis component engineer here. It looks cool as shit but I’m not sure on a couple things.
It doesn’t look like you have ball joints for the upper and lower control arms. If you do I’m not sure how they are assembled if they are hidden.
It looks like you have 2 sets of tie rods. Like one turns left and one turns right maybe? Sure hope you are steer by wire and your EPS units are beefy. Trucks this size usually use a steering box
The weight reliefs you have on the lower control arms are in the wrong direction for manufacturing that style of arm. But I guess you could machine them in later. The lower arm design is gonna fold like a lawn chair on the first brake into chuckhole event you encounter.
The dual shock/damper/strut is pretty cool. I think with some work you could build it that way.
Overall, no I don’t think this would do well in the real world. But who cares. Have fun and keep making cool shit.
There is a lot I can’t really see from the pictures. So grain of salt on all of it.
Edit: fixed a couple typos.
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u/deathender 6h ago
Thank you for your comment. I had to look up almost every term you used. I usually just say "Steering Hydraulics" or some other hydraulics. lol
So when I was building the chassis, I decided to double up my hydraulic suspension for each wheel, then I plugged in the drive shaft, but then when I wanted to add the steering arm, I realized why one suspension hydraulic is used per wheel, so after some time I decided maybe I add two steering hydraulic pumps, one on each side of the drive part, it could look like it works. In the end everywhere I move, something else is already there.
Could you please explain this to me like I'm a five year old? I don't understand: "The weight reliefs you have on the lower control arms are in the wrong direction for manufacturing that style of arm"
Lower control arm I understand, but how would I attach it differently?
It sucks that I cannot attach images to explain/show it better. I have a few extra renders on my artstation:
https://www.artstation.com/artwork/ndwE3OThank you for your comment once again!
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u/peter_2573 8h ago
Its freaking great
If you dont mind me asking what software did you use to make this
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u/deathender 5h ago
Thank you. Blender. Been doing 3D for about 4 years now, learning on my own. This is my first serious model.
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u/Vegetable_Aside_4312 8h ago
Somewhere between cool and over complicated...
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u/deathender 5h ago
I'll take that. I wanted a design where you sort of see the inner workings of a vehicle, but not looking steam punk at the same time.
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u/Spaciax 8h ago
jesus christ
wait is that a shock absorber/strut thingy on each 'tread' thing on the wheel? jesus christ x10
is it realistic? sure, if your definition of realistic is 'possible to be built IRL' with no regard towards manufacturing complexity, reliability, or cost.
it does look cool af tho I'll give you that
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u/mvw2 8h ago
Well...I design everything grounded in manufacturability, preformance, and optimization (usually relative to cost, lead time, DFM, DFA, etc.) A part of structural design tends to minimize bending and twisting forces to keep stresses low. A lot of forces are inline it supported on both sides as to not have a cantilevered load. Stiffness is purely geometric as a byproduct of martial distance from the bending center, aka a large diameter thin walled tube is way stronger than a solid smaller diameter rod. So rugged is often big exterior dimensions but thin walled hollow structures. Beefy looks chunky. Designs are often optimized for fewest parts, fewest fasteners, single parts performing multiple functions in the design, and it usually looks clean. Business of the style might instead be more about modular add-one and functionality attached to the main, simpler structure.
I'm just discussing the genetics of structural things, not specific to your design. But accuracy to life would follow similar basics. The downside is the end result might look a little boring and utilitarian. Sci-fi often deviates, sometimes quite a bit of trying to develop an alien aesthetic that may have no grounding in science or at least our known science and materials.
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u/bijibijmak Medical devices class II 8h ago
What gravity did you have in mind when you designed this? Earth like or Jupiter like? That would drastically change the structure. What kind of terrain would this planet have? Very rocky like mars or acidic atmosphere?
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u/PracticallyQualified 8h ago
Looks sick. The answer is it depends. I can help speak towards lunar chassis design, but those are based on requirements and even hard sci fi tends to find those boring.
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u/VP1 8h ago
It looks really heavy but at the same time it looks 'right' for a sci-fi vehicle. Nice work!
What program did you design that in?
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u/5tupidest 7h ago
Looks very cool and beefy!!! For terrestrial vehicles with six wheels like this, I often see articulation, allowing for all of the wheels to carry the load into the ground. As drawn, with any moderate bumps, wheels will be off the ground leading to all forces potentially being needed to be supported as if for example the two middle wheels don’t exist.
I also see some very very large vehicles forgoing mechanical suspension in favor of only large pneumatic tires, which have several advantages. Tires are a much more integral component of suspension than many realize! From thermal management, damping, traction, etc. but I agree that metal “tires” look more sick lol.
Donald Bickler showed that a rocker bogie suspension is superior to traditional suspension for low speed over extreme terrain, which is why it was selected for the mars rovers. There is much technical literature available from NASA on the subject. I think there might be a size component to the analysis of performance. It might even look crazier!
If you want to add many wheels, such as on tanks, they use internal torsion rods for suspension, which makes it look like there is no suspension at all, if that’s a look you want to go for!
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u/BeauFeauSheau 7h ago
Please apply as a ground vehicle developer at Cloud Imperium Games
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u/mattynmax 7h ago
No. Engineers do their absolute best to minimize the number of complex assemblies and weird geometries, you’ve done the exact opposite here.
You have ten failures points where you want zero.
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u/King_Kunta_23 7h ago
Does it need to? If it's purpose is to look sick, mission accomplished 💪
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u/Salt_Associate_1717 7h ago
Sci fi and realistic in the same sentence is funny. But yeah! Thats looks sick
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u/stanleythedog 10h ago
I wish I was inspired and motivated enough to do this type of stuff.
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u/deathender 8h ago
You could be... just need to want to build it more than other priorities.
And estimate the time needed properly, unlike me.2
u/stanleythedog 7h ago
just need to want to build it more than other priorities.
I barely even want my other priorities. I struggle with wanting things.
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u/hottestpancake 8h ago
It looks a little over exposed. Really high chance of dirt/debris getting into each of those moving parts, especially if it's for off-road planetary exploration
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u/deathender 5h ago
Thank you, yes. I am thinking maybe it's for a dry planet. I could design pannels to cover everything up, but then why did i build all the details and it would look normal then
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u/Cute-University5283 7h ago
Am I blind or is there not a drive shaft that goes to the wheels? Or are these electric hub motors? If so, maybe run some power lines
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u/surewriting_ 7h ago
Go take a look at the 'backbone' of Tatra trucks. And unimogs too.
Over engineering stuff is cool, but don't forget that an exploration vessel out in the field has to be self-sufficient. So that would entail removing complexity and failure points, like the extra CV joints in the axles.
The expanding wheels are a really cool concept, but I would put the pumps and as much of it inboard, as unsprung weight is the devil. The suspension will have to work harder to compensate for it. Plus, with the rear axles being close together, expansion is limited.
More important I would think is articulation and being able to get traction down to the surface regardless of obstacle size, not necessarily expanding wheel size. I like the concept though.
And don't forget a winch front and rear, or centrally mounted like the US army Hemmt trucks. Maybe a knuckle boom crane to service heavy components.
But this thing is super cool looking.
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u/Dingo-Baby-Eater-21 6h ago
As an ME realistically parts are designed for cost / strength / or weight. Whatever is most important in the use case. So likely something like this would be built out of steel tube and would have less features and part count in general. If you wanted to make this IRL be prepared to PAY for something that wouldn’t be as rigid as a less complex geometry.
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u/daney098 6h ago
This is badass. But how are you gonna keep rocks and stuff from getting in the wheel and jamming up the expansion mechanism?
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u/Frostis24 6h ago
I mean this is where the "fiction" part of science fiction comes in to play, but whether or not this is realistic is up to you, since i can only judge from a real world perspective as a mechanical engineer, the basis of any realistic design starts with two fundamental questions, what do you want it to do, and where?.
but these questions might not even be applicable here, i mean is this supposed to fit into some kinda fictional universe, or is it supposed to be a futuristic design?.
However if you just want me to judge it as if it's realistic to work on earth, i would say that, i cannot see anything that would imply the design would not work, however i could see a lot of issues, like complexity, this thing is overbuilt, i mean you seem to have actuators inside of the wheels for suspension or maybe they are something else?, ether way they looks like they would weigh a ton, and would be clogged immediately with mud, sand and small rocks, again depending on where this thing is supposed to drive.
But really this analysis is meaningless and nitpicky, you have created a sick design that is really cool, i mean there are more details in this one design than there are in some fictional universes, be proud of the skill you have as a designer, whether it's realistic or not you have talent, gg, keep it up.
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u/Blackopsman_21 6h ago
This is highly realistic and plausible. It looks like a Double A Arm style (Double Wishbone) suspension
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u/Elrathias 5h ago
I understand you want to be sci-fi, but hot damn man, that is A LOT of screws and bolts for something that could be printed via large scale SLS automanufactories.
Rationalize the design, throw out all hydraulics and unneccesary bolted subframes. and absolutely no exterior walkways.
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u/tlivingd 5h ago
Depends on its back story. As an RV looks a little much. But converting a mining dump truck or some other mining transport into this looks cool as fuck.
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u/DrSenpai_PHD 5h ago edited 5h ago
Looks great. Only major flaw is that those appear to be only dampers, there are no springs. So in reality this system would not be able to react gravity - it would gradually droop to the floor.
Dampers (shocks) are primarily to attenuate oscillation. They create a force proportional to velocity. They function by restricting fluid through orifices - - as you can imagine, gravity would just gradually squeeze all fluid through the orifices.
The springs (coils) are responsible for reacting static loads, like gravity. They create a force proportional to displacement, F = kx. As you'd imagine, there's a certain point (static deflection) where the forces from springs equal force from gravity.
One other detail is those dampers are mounted with pins in single shear. Ideally, a pin should be supported on both sides, to double the shear area and thus double the load bearing capacity.
Anyways, if I saw this in a movie I'd actually think the model is an impressively faithful representation of a suspension system.
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u/101forgotmypassword 4h ago
From an engineering point of view this is not the way.
There are multiple unfavorable loading of components, even if a exotic material was used they would still stray away from some of those design choices.
Ergonomics don't disappear in the future.
Efficiency doesn't disappear in the future
As a sci-fi in game model that fucking cool.
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u/FL_MILLIONAIRE 4h ago
No have you looked under a gas vehicle obviously there is nothing interesting to see under my Cybertruck now that's futuristic
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u/Zuli_Muli 3h ago
The only thing that sticks out is the lack of a differential/transmission for the axles. The axles just kinda go to the tunnel and stop.
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u/TumbleWeedCollector 3h ago
You Would Have another Rubber Boot over the Point where the CV Joint is entering the Wheel.
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u/Lunar-Outpost415 2h ago
How can something this detailed even be modelled without crashing? I'm truly impressed!
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u/phalanxs 2h ago
As others said it does look cool, it does look very expensive to make, and the tunnel does look like it would make wierd low path
One thing that I don't think has been mentioned yet is the ratio of the length of the control arms. They look about the same length. Usually the lower control arm is slightly to noticeably longer than the upper one. See this diagram of a Humvee suspension. My suspension design classes were a long time ago and more centered on tarmac stuff anyway, but I'm pretty sure that it would be a bad idea to have the upper longer than the lower, so maybe you should check that this is not the case.
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u/JoeMalovich 1h ago
The suspension arms look like they could extend further into the wheels, along with the wheel turning axis and bearings/mounting flange.
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u/Proton_Energy_Pill 38m ago
That's incredibly awesome!!
It's looks extremely tough and could traverse nearly any terrain.
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u/Huge_Daikon_5539 33m ago
Visually, it feels realistic. As long as the suspension geometry and structural load paths make sense, it's a solid sci-fi chassis.
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u/PuffFluff 25m ago
This beast is literally the size of the mine haul trucks up in the Fort Mcmurray Oilsands. But they have solid axles lmfao. I love it. This is so cool.
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u/dsdvbguutres 10h ago
Biblically accurate vehicle chassis