NORI Design Study (Japan, 2010)

The NORI concept addresses fuel economy, emissions, green materials, new design and manufactured technology, and transforms these issues into an appealing design solution.

For the NORI concept, body and chassis are one as a PODULAR form, designed to be strong, light and beautiful. Bioplastics technology is created using “nori” (the Japanese word for seaweed) combined with a carbon fiber weave. Woven into the PODULAR form are solar cells that capture and generate supplemental solar energy. As a holistic solution and new design aesthetic, NORI reduces weight and the number of parts while capturing and generating energy.

At the onset of the DESIGN process for each PODULAR form is a collaboration between designers and engineers, utilizing a “real time” design envelope to ensure the perfect balance of strength, light weight and design aesthetics. This process eliminates traditional design and engineering conflicts of form vs. function, and allows the design/engineering process to come to fruition at the same time.

The PODULAR forms are grown at factories located nearby the sea. Seaweed grows prolifically, and using it as a bioplastics source is an effort to minimalize the impact on the food chain that has previously been used for bioplastics. The solar cells are embedded as part of the growing and manufacturing process.

PSI’s (partial shape insets) are utilized to shield or expose passengers to the elements and address vehicle regulations (such as covered wheels), while serving as a new form of personalization. The color and graphics of NORI can be changed through an electronically generated data charge sent into the surface. There are no doors: ingress and egress is achieved by stepping over and into NORI’s PODULAR form.

NORI utilizes four electric wheel motors and a removable battery pack.

In 2010 the Design Challenge was awarded at the Los Angeles Auto Show for the 7th time. Clearly, the challenge 2010 was referring to the need for society to minimize consumption of the earth's resources and produce and consume more sustainably.

The major automotive design studios were invited to develop an efficient, light-weight, four passenger vehicle (not to exceed 1,000 lbs./454 kg kerb weight), that is both comfortable and safe, while delivering satisfactory driving performance without sacrificing the styling consumers demand. For the first time studios from Germany and Japan took part in the competition which gives studios a chance to explore new ideas in automotive design.