Bare-Bones Sophistication
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As you may know, Tellurian Motors has been dovetailed, along with some of my other daydreams, into a work of fiction. The novel, Virtual Dreamer, is set in the near future -- and may or may not ever get written. Development is continual within my own mindspace, but abortive attempts at actual writing felt premature. A certain amount of pressure exists around this task, but only from within -- the day (or night, more likely) is imminent, when I'll finally jump into it and barely rest until it's finished...
...So what am I doing writing a blog, you may be wondering, while I have a novel to work on? Good question -- but it may (or may not) be part of my process (if I have one) to continue the conceptual development of vehicles that will be featured in the story. Without further ado:
TELLURIAN RUNABOUT
bare-bones sophistication
No, I still don't have images of the Runabout to share... Hang on, let me sketch something...
...Okay. My coffee didn't even get cold. Problem with sketching so quickly is that it's not very precise, and some things have been left out...
Let's start with those big round rallye lights. Maybe they should be set back a bit, within the frame -- and maybe they don't quite fit the futuristic theme, but let me explain:
Sure, you might expect a trapezoidal panel filled with LEDs here (and you wouldn't be wrong to), but the Runabout is to be the first-ever purpose-built Tellurian Motors vehicle (after an electric conversion or two) and as such will be extremely prototypical. Off-the-shelf components will have to serve as placeholders for bespoke items yet to be developed.
Also missing from the sketch is a cut line in the polycarbonate of the side-window/hatch area. Just imagine one running straight up from the back of the front wheel well to the top of the A-pillar (windshield frame). For a long time I thought there would be a (removable) one-piece hatch on each side, each with a little round access door, but now as I look at the sketch I think a 'vent window' or 'wind wing' approach makes more sense.
Remember? Okay, well maybe you've been in a car or truck that has a section of door window at the leading edge, that doesn't roll down with the rest. 'Back in the day', there were vent windows there, that pivoted -- very useful for catching a breeze, if you didn't have air conditioning.
Speaking of which, yes, the Runabout was originally conceived for the Bonneville Salt Flats -- so yes it DOES have A/C, quite powerful for a vehicle of its size, and mirror-tinted windows all around.
...So what do I mean by 'bare-bones sophistication'? Well for one this is, as you can see (wow, I finally produced a sketch), a very simple little vehicle, perfect for a first attempt at vehicle construction. However from its first inception it has been about comfort (a bit of escape from the heat and blinding reflected sunlight of the salt flats) -- and it can be used as a rolling testbed for various systems and applications.
The first example is likely to be very crude indeed, like a cross between a golf cart and a UTV -- but there is (if I may say so) a simple sophistication in the design itself.
As for its appearance in the novel, well, you'll have to wait...
filsmyth
June 2, 2010
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