VIDEO: Tire Designs by UC Students Tread New Ground, Earn International Attention
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Intelligent tires may be just around the corner especially if designs by students in the University of Cincinnatis nationally number-one ranked industrial design program are realized.
Their on-target designs for tomorrows tires won two awards from Hankook Tire America Corp., as well as display at the prestigious Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) trade show earlier this fall in Las Vegas, and in-motion visualization in a futuristic, special-effects video (see above).
During winter quarter 2012, third-year industrial design students in UCs College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (DAAP) were asked to create futuristic tire designs based on their visions for the future of cars, sustainability needs such as reducing and reusing raw materials used in tire production and the importance of increasing tire efficiency while meeting specific tire-performance targets. Leading the students in that course was Raphael Zammit, associate professor of industrial design.
Among the results was UC student Ben Zavalas conceptual design for Tiltred, an unusual tilting tire design that won a first place from studio class sponsor, Hankook Tire America Corp in its Tire Design for the Future Environment competition. Second place in that contest went to UC student Mark Hearn for his Motive off-road design. Third place was won by UC student Miranda Steinhauser. Her design, the "Tessela Tire," was a concept featuring an eco-friendly, replaceable tread.
- See the national number-one ranking earned by UCs undergraduate industrial design program and the global No. 3 ranking earned by UC design.
- Apply to UCs undergraduate industrial design program.
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