At the 2010 Los Angeles Design Challenge, the designers from the
Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design Studios in Carlsbad, California, surprised
everyone with a revolutionary vision. Taking their inspiration from
nature, they designed a vehicle which is fully integrated into the
ecosystem, from the moment of its creation right through to the end of
its service life. The Mercedes-Benz BIOME Concept grows in a completely
organic environment from seeds sown in a nursery. Out on the road the
car emits pure oxygen, and at the end of its lifespan it can be simply
composted or used as building material.
"As the inventor of the
motor car, we wanted to illustrate the vision of the perfect vehicle of
the future, which is created and functions in complete symbiosis with
nature. The Mercedes-Benz BIOME Concept is a natural technology hybrid,
and forms part of our earth's ecosystem. It grows and thrives like the
leaves on a tree" according to Hubert Lee, Head of the Mercedes-Benz
Advanced Design Studios in Carlsbad. This year the competition had
called for the creation of a vision of a safe and comfortable 2+2
compact car featuring good handling and a first-class design, and
weighing only 1,000 lbs (around 454 kg/kerb weight).
Mercedes-Benz symbiosis - a partnership with nature
The
Mercedes-Benz BIOME Concept symbiosis vehicle is made from an
ultralight material called BioFibre and tips the scales at just 875.5
lbs (around 394 kg). This material is significantly lighter than metal
or plastic, yet more robust than steel. BioFibre is grown from
proprietary DNA in the Mercedes-Benz nursery, where it collects energy
from the sun and stores it in a liquid chemical bond called
BioNectar4534. As part of this process, the vehicle is created from two
seeds: The interior of the BIOME grows from the DNA in the Mercedes star
on the front of the vehicle, while the exterior grows from the star on
the rear. To accommodate specific customer requirements, the Mercedes
star is genetically engineered in each case, and the vehicle "grows"
when the genetic code is combined with the seed capsule. The wheels are
grown from four separate seeds.
The Mercedes-Benz BIOME Concept
is powered by BioNectar4534, which is stored in the BioFibre material of
the chassis, interior, and wheels. In addition, Mercedes-Benz has
developed a technology to equip trees with special receptors which can
collect the excess solar energy and turn it into BioNectar4534. This
creates a direct link with nature's energy sources and acts as an
incentive to cover mobility energy requirements through more trees and
at the same time maintain natural resources. Like plants, the
Mercedes-Benz symbiosis vehicle also produces oxygen, thereby
contributing to improving air quality. At the end of its service life,
the Mercedes-Benz BIOME can be fully composted or used as building
material. Thanks to the exclusive use of green technologies, the BIOME
vehicle thus blends seamlessly into the ecosystem.
