A few weeks ago, a post discussed a crowdsourcing project by the U.S. military to source a new vehicle design.
An update on that story finds the winning design is being built by a company that already has experience with its own innovative design competitions. U.S.-based Local Motors doesn’t even have a designer on staff. Instead, each major system for their first product, the off-road vehicle named Rally Fighter, was open sourced. And that’s not where the unique experience. Buyers of the $59,000USD Rally Fighter are invited to Local Motor’s “micro-factory to participate in the vehicle build process.
Each of the 141 current owners have had opportunities to customize their model even further to make a truly one-of-a-kind vehicle. Local Motor’s has even developed an owner’s community, mapping their locations and hosting a discussion forum on their website.
Now they have taken the military vehicle from computer design to production in just a few weeks. According to Defense Professionals, the vehicle could be a welcome addition to U.S. military forces, whose current Ground Combat and Joint Light Tactical Vehicles have Afghanistan.
Local Motor’s continues to host design contests for parts, systems and concept design. A recently closed been found to be inadequately armored against the kind of IEDs they are finding in competition challenged contestants to imagine the world in 2085 and design a racing vehicle AND support craft capable of completing the Terra Prix– a race around the world traversing all 7 continents and involving nearly every terrain imaginable.