workbook koenigsegg sanera

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ROBOTIC VACUUM CLEANER

In 1994, Christian von Koenigsegg made reality of his dreams to build high-performance sports cars and founded Koenigsegg Automotive AB in Ängelholm, Sweden. Christian´s sources of inspiration were many, but what made the strongest impression on him was a Norwegian film he saw in early ages about a bicycle repairman who builds his own racing car, that led Christian to believe that also he would be capable to create some-thing out of nothing.

Today, Koenigsegg is one of the most prominent and trustworthy manufacturers of hy-per cars in the world, with numerous awards and world records on their resume, still they insist with keeping it within a small scale production. Nowadays, Koenigsegg´s headquarter is housed in a facility that once belonged to the Swedish Air Force Fighter Jet Squadron No. 1, together with an airstrip that is today used a test track for the cars. Koenigsegg honors the jet squadron by putting the squadron´s insignia, a flying ghost, on every car that have been built since the headquarter moved.

The essence of Koenigsegg, together with their hailed and praised engineering and craftsmanship, is distilled in this project into a Robotic Vacuum Cleaner, with Koenigseg-g´s attitude and innovative design thinking kept and re-packaged in to a whole new field of business.

Spirit of Performance

Victor Andersson

This Workbook describes and visualizes the process and result of a project about creating and designing a Robotic Vacuum Cleaner in the course D7011A Advanced Prototyping, a course given within the

Master programme Industrial Design Engineering at Luleå University of Technology.

Luleå University of Technology, 2015

Jonas Larsson Erik Agermo Filip Lanneld

RESEARCH IDEATION CONSTRUCTION MANUFACTURING RESULTS CONCLUSIONS

76RESEARCHRESEARCH


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Design ProfileKoenigsegg is a company that constantly reinvents itself, constantly raising the bar for what a hyper car can be with innovative design- and technology solutions. What is significant for Koenigsegg is therefore more of an ongoing change, rather than specific design elements that can be assigned to Koenigsegg. Still, they have some characteristics

that signature Koenigsegg, like their dihedral doors, and their detach-able roof that can be stored under the hood. An attempt to distill their image and style were made initially in this project, presented in pic-tures and key phrases that truly speaks Koenigsegg.

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ImageboardThis imageboard aims to capture what Koenigsegg wants to convey with their cars in terms of attitude, soul and integrity.

StyleboardThis styleboard aims to capture what Koenigsegg wants to convey with their cars in terms of form, colours and detailing.


1312IDEATION


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Hand drawn sketches were used as a first approach to transform what was found out during our research into own ideas and concepts. Our approach was to initially create as many sketches as possible, to later narrow it down to a few favourites through discussions and voting. Chosen sketches were redefined into more developed sketch con-cepts, and further discussion led to two final sketch concepts. The two that where chosen both have their foundation in a triangular base, they have a keypad inspired by the interior of Koenigsegg in common,

and a split body inspired by Koenigsegg cars. They also have long curves sweeping from each one of the three edges of the triangle, which gives the models certain expression of resilience and vigour. One mayor reason why we decided to work with a triangular shape was because we wanted to create a vacuum cleaner with no obvious frontal direction. Instead, choosing a triangular shape implies that the vacuum cleaner is given three directions, and thereby also can work and clean in any given direction.

Sketching


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One of the final sketch concepts was the Ditrigon, a triangular-shaped vacuum cleaner, with an integrated disc-shaped base. The clever-ness in having a triangular-shaped vacuum cleaner is that the vacu-um cleaner can clean close into corners, while each of the triangles vertices is going to be equipped with intakes for dust. On top of the

Ditrigon is a display for settings placed. The display is in the concept supposed to be sunken in to the top, and therefore invisible from a side view perspective. Two split lines runs from the display down to two of the sides, while one corner of the vacuum is detachable and supposed to hold a dust bag.

The Ditrigon


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The other final sketch concept was the Reuleaux, with a body shaped as a symmetric triangle with softened edges and curved long sides. The shape is where the name comes from; a Reuleaux triangle is a geometric triangular shape where each point on a side have equal distance to each facing vertex. The Reuleaux concept was developed

out of the Ditrigon, but with an intention to cool down the futuristic look a bit, and give the vacuum cleaner a more self-explaining idiom instead. The intention in the concept was also to create a feeling that the vacuum cleaner is so packed with technology that it almost seems to explode, hence the swollen profile in a side perspective.

The Reuleaux


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To get a bigger picture of the reasoning in the sketch concepts were two full scale prototypes made out of industrial clay. An external con-sultant with expertise in clay modelling helped us out the first days of the clay phase and gave us advices how the phase could be planned and executed. Some design aspects was already from the beginning thoroughly thought through, while others ideas and design solutions

were tried out as a part of an iterating design. Clay is forgiving in its way it can be shaped and reshaped, and with the clay were a third dimension added to fully enable which concept that felt most as Koe-nigsegg in its whole. Each clay model was divided in to two sides, making it possible to explore more with different features and shapes within the same concept.

Clay Modelling


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The Ditrigon prototype was made in two different designs, mirror-ing each other over a defined centre line. The first design (left pic-ture above) came quite close to what was thought out in the sketch concept. The biggest difference from the sketch was the air exhaust system on the top of the disc, inspired by an exhaust system some Koenigsegg models have just above the rear wheels. In the other

design (right picture above) was a higher spine modelled at the edge between what can be defined as the top and the side view, this with an intention to imitate how the roof on Koenigsegg´s cars have two distinct elevations around the rear window. The sides on this design has an indentation on the side, including a border with holes for air to exhaust through.

Ditrigon prototype


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Just as the Ditrigon were the Reuleaux prototype made as two varia-tions of itself. These designs or variations were much closer to each other than in the case of the Ditrigon concept, they differed mostly when it came to how the sides were designed. In the first design (left picture above) were the side designed with air exhausts directed down to the floor, shaped almost like window blinds. An experiment with the

working title for the vacuum cleaner, Sanera, was also played with in this stage. In the second design (right picture above) was a different approach tried out on the sides, with holes symbolizing air exhausts framed inside three different squares. This design was influenced by the rear of Koenigsegg´s cars, which usually have a characteristic design with honeycomb air holes, sectioned in a certain pattern.

Reuleaux prototype


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The two clay models was presented to our peers and teach-ers at a review session, where we had an opportunity to present our concepts and describe our thoughts about the designs. One of the concepts was then chosen to be the one to be further developed and constructed. The choice was first and foremost based on which one of the concepts

that we felt most plausible for Koenigsegg themselves to develop, if they ever would start to manufacture robotic vacuum cleaners. On this basis was the Ditrigon concept chosen, as this concept best capture the key features of Koenigsegg´s spirit of performance, innovation and fighter jet attitude.

EvaluationImageboard

Styleboard


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To get a bigger picture of the reasoning in the two chosen concepts where two clay models constructed in industrial clay.

Clay Modeling

CONSTRUCTION


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First thing we had to do after we had a decision which concept to fol-low up on was to 3D scan the chosen clay model. The university pro-vided us with a 3D scanner, that is used to capture physical shapes and surfaces, which is connected to software that reconstructs the surfaces into CAD surfaces. To do this, the clay model was covered

with a certain kind of reference marks placed about an inch from each other. From these marks was a reference cloud made, imported in to a CAD software, creating a base from which the construction phase evolved.

3D-Scan


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The CAD software used in this project have been Alias Au-toStudio which is a surface modelling CAID platform, and Siemens NX which is a solid modelling CAD platform. The reference cloud from the 3D scanning was imported to Alias as a polygon mesh, a mesh from where the base surfaces were shaped out after. One sixth of the main shape was the first thing to modelled, this sixth of the whole were then mir-

rored and rotated around the centre to give three identical corners. Some refinements were made in CAD, to find a more pleasant and defined design that later could be manu-factured in the prototype lab at Luleå University of Technol-ogy. Siemens NX was mainly used to create the keypad and the Koenigsegg logotype.

CAD


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Bottom plate

Before moving on to manufacturing any components were a manufacturing scheme set up. Methods we were able to use while manufacturing were CNC milling, Vacuum form-ing and 3D printing. Vacuum forming felt as the most suit-able manufacturing method to create the top casing, but to do this was a CNC milled mould needed to be manufac-tured at first.The CNC Mill was also used to create the bot-tom plate and the semi-triangular disc that is the main body

underneath the top surface. The Koenigsegg logotype, the keypad and dividers between top and bottom were decided to be 3D printed in plaster, together with a separate mould used to make cuts in the top casing, three air exhausts and three half-spherical wheels. The name Sanera were also designed in Photoshop, later imported to Illustrator, and as a last step to a file format supported by a laser cutter avail-able on campus.

Preparations & Components

Semi-triangular disc

Top casing

Dividers

Writings

Air exhausts

Half-spherical wheels

Keypad & Logotype


3736MANUFACTURING


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The university houses a CNC mill that can provide milling with high tolerance from CAM-prepared CAD-models. To make the Koenigsegg vacuum cleaner was three parts milled in the CNC mill; a mold for the top surface, the bottom plate and the semi-triangular disc. This specific mill can operate in three directions (X, Y and Z in a CAD en-

vironment), that implies that everything have to be milled from above, i.e. no negative angles. All milled parts where made in dense polyure-thane foam and needed finishing work by hand, with sand paper and filler, to get satisfying surface quality.

MillingTo get defined contour lines in the top casing, a two millimetre thick plastic was used vacuum formed over a mould, this while the plas-tic material can offer higher degree of shininess than the foam. The vacuum forming machine heats up the material that is going to be moulded to a desired temperature and then forces down the material on to the mould with vacuum. This process depends on if the mould is

male or female; a male mould is curving upwards against the material that is going to be formed, and a female mould is curving downwards in relation to the forming material. The mould used in this project was male but with female features where the buttons and the logotype is embedded at the top. This resulted in small drilled holes in the mould at these areas to get suction down in to the pockets.

Vacuum Forming


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To get some fine detailing, and to make complex shapes in small scale, was a 3D printer used to manufacture wheels, keypad, logo-type, dividers between bottom and top and air exhausters. The 3D printer used prints in plaster, adding layer by layer of a gypsum pow-der mixed with a binding component. Despite the binding component

was the parts very fragile and still powdery after being printed, and was therefore treated with a hardener to strengthen them more. Es-pecially fragile was the honeycomb pattern in the air exhausters. All printed parts needed finishing work by hand, with sand paper and filler in turns with a filling lacquer, before they was ready to be colored.

3D-PrintingA laser cutter was used to cut out text placed on each side of the vacuum cleaner. A white foil with an adhesive backside was used and cut just through the surface. The text that were cut out was the name of Koenigsegg and the name Sanera, which will be the name of the vacuum cleaner. Sanera is Swedish for sanitate and is therefore a

proper name for a vacuum cleaner, and the name goes at the same time in line with name of Koenigsegg´s latest car models Agera (to act) and Regera (to reign). The laser cutter were also used to engrave a plaque to dipslay in the show case, together with the final product.

Laser Cutting


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The colours used for the Sanera vacuum cleaner is black, silver, grey and a light blue. The colours were added to each component in a spe-cific room on campus, where a colour mixing system for lacquering were used to pick out and mix the right colours. An air compressed spray gun were used to apply the colours. The main colour is the light blue metallic tone, added to the inside of the plastic top surface,

and down below on the triangular disc a matt black was added. The keypad and the logotype were coloured in a matte silver metallic and the bottom plate in a discreet grey colour. The air exhausts got a two toned colour, with a black mesh with a silver metallic frame around it. Keyshot, which is a 3D rendering CAD software, were early on used as a tool to evaluate a range of different colour options.

PaintingWhen all components were manufactured and given their final sur-face treatments were everything put together as one big assembly. As the Sanera concept is quite complex was a well-executed assembly procedure crucial. First off were the bottom plate put together with the semi-triangular disc, with the dividers inbetween. To ensure that the dividers and the disc got in the right position in relation to the bot-tom were three holes drilled in the bottom. Three plexi rods were put through these holes, and the dividers and the triangular have cut-out

half circles in them that matches the dimension of the rods. Under-neath the bottom plate were the half-spherical wheels placed, cover-ing the end of each rod. Next was to fit the top casing over the disc. The top casing have three cut-outs were it matches on to the semi-tri-angular disc that were cut out by hand after a 3D-printed template. To keep the ability to adjust were the top casing screwed on to the triangular disc, with three screws hidden under the keypad.

Assembly

44RESULTS


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FunctionsPowerTo shut on or off the Sanera. Sanera automatically emp-ties itself and goes in to sleep mode while returning to the home base

TargetTo make Sanera stop and spin in a diameter of 0,5 m and then return to where it stopped an on-going program, this to intensely clean a designated area

HomeTo make Sanera return to charging- and emptying base in situations when an on-going program wants to be can-celled or finished earlier

SettingsTo switch between Sanera´s different climbing heights High and Low, depending on what kind of floor the vacu-um is used on

UV LightTo switch on or off UV disinfecting light. As standard is the UV light on in all of Sanera´s cleaning programs

TimerSanera can be set to clean after a time schedule. To set time is the Timer button pushed 1, 2 or 3 times for 15, 30 or 60 minutes

Specifications• Triangular shape allows cleaning of corners and the straight edges can follow walls and furniture smoothly

• Spherical wheels makes the Sanera able to clean in any direction and change it at any time without having to reposition itself

• Sensors in protective edges that makes it follow objects in the room and clean the floor thoroughly and not just randomly bounce around the room.

• Self charging at charging base, 30 min charging time and a battery life of four hours

• UV-lamps underneath to clean on a molecular level which doubles as sensors to halt it from going of steep edges.

• Self emptying at the charging dock for easy pick up of dust, this makes it so that the Sanera can continue its work without having to wait for the user to empty it.

5352CONCLUSIONS


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Process & LearningsThis project have strengthen our skills in manufacturing and making physical prototypes, as it has acted as a platform for us to conform what we have learned so far in our education, yet brought completely new aspects and challenges for us to consider. Something we earlier weren’t familiar with was to create and design within the boundaries from an already established design profile, in this specific case Koe-nigsegg´s profile as a hyper car developer. The biggest challenge and most valuable lesson in this course and project might just come from this part, about the decoding of Koenigsegg as an influential source.

The challenge initially was to transform the essence of Koenigseg-g´s design into a robotic vacuum cleaner design, without stretching the feeling of a car too much, nor to lose the feeling of Koenigsegg and end up with a conventional vacuum design. When we started off sketching concepts, many of them did end up just as car miniatures, with features inspired by car hoods and an unquestionable forward di-rection. What we did afterwards was to retrace our steps and go back to the question, which elementary form would be most suitable for a vacuum cleaner, but still convey clear streaks of Koenigsegg.

Would a circular vacuum cleaner be the best option? Or a rectangu-lar? We decided to go triangular. The main reason that we went for a triangular-shaped vacuum cleaner is because it can clean close into corners, it can also change direction (without losing character since it has no distinct direction) easily as it sweeps across floors. The biggest challenge manufacturing wise was to get a good fit between the top casing and the triangular disc. Many hours were spent to file down holes in the top casing to reach a point where the fit against the underlying triangular disc was as satisfying as it is now. Another

big challenge, decision wise, was to choose a pleasing colour set. Koenigsegg does not really have any key colours, every new car is unique and somewhat custom painted. Also to consider was to avoid that the model would be seen as a pastiche of a car, instead of seeing the model as a competent and stylish vacuum cleaner. We picked the light blue colour as our key colour first and foremost as it speaks cleanliness, air and youth, but also because it contrasted well against a darker matt finish on the body underneath.


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Theoretical parts in the course have been close to zero, the focus has instead been on practical new methods, such as experimenting with vacuum forming, 3D printing and laser cutting. What also was new for us was to decide between which of the different manufacturing meth-ods to use on various parts. We have come to realize that to predict

and plan which method that is most suitable can sometimes be just as hard as the actual execution. This insight is an insight that we are go-ing to embrace and keep in mind in future design projects, no matter what challenges we could be facing the next time.

The overall impression in the team is that the result is very pleasing and a project we take big pride in. We all found it interesting to design a product from without an already set design profile, and stoked to take action on Koenigsegg as a living legend among car developers. We think that our decision to go triangular were a success, empha-

sised nicely by the details we added. Our focus and stubbornness during the ideation and in the prototype lab, regarding the quality in the craftsmanship, really gave us an end product with both grace and raw attitude, encapsulating the spirit of Koenigsegg.

workbook koenigsegg sanera

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