16th Annual Michelin-CSS Competition

It's become a game, of sorts, to try and figure it out beforehand, as every year that I've attended they've found a new location within the vast spaces of this Detroit cultural landmark. This year they moved back to the Great Hall where the murals by Diego Rivera of industrial Detroit provide a dramatic ambience for the industrial design being displayed by the College for Creative Studies Transportation Design students.

Using a now well-established format, the students faced a pair of challenges. The first was to design an advanced, far-future wheel/tire (and even suspension) combination based on Michelin's pioneering PAX run-flat system for a particular vehicle application. The second part of the competition involved the design of the vehicle on which their wheel/tire would be mounted. A further, overriding requirement was that the students would all need to incorporate the influence of a particular national culture and design language into their products. For 2004, Germany and the Bauhaus movement of the 1920's would provide that inspiration, following the theme of the Michelin Design Challenge.

Since its inception, some who see this body of work wonder why Michelin sponsors a design competition. Vice President of Marketing, Tom Chubb, in his remarks at this year's event enthused, “Each year, I believe that the answer becomes a little clearer. The links between technology, innovation and design become closer and closer and more obvious. Innovation and design are inextricably intertwined. Michelin's new tag line, 'A Better Way Forward', pushes our commitment to technology and innovation to everyone in the company. We are looking at creativity, innovation and advancing design in everything we do. Like these young designers, we learn to challenge every barrier, limit or premise.”

During the project, CCS faculty Pierre Andriani and Matt Wittstock provided mentoring, while Michelin's Steve Lash provided liaison and information. Students were briefed on the PAX system at the beginning of the project as well as being asked to research German design and culture. From here they crafted their designs on both paper and in the computer, in both two and three dimensions using Alias Autostudio software. The bounds of creativity were the only limits placed on the students and the end results showed in a wide variety of thoughtful and outrageous solutions, with some concepts showing masterful attention to detail. Not only was there skill shown in the designs but also in the execution of the sketches and renderings as well as the overall presentation.

This years winners:

Winners - Tire/Wheel Assembly
1st place: Lou Gasevski, Kumanovo, Macedonia
2nd place: Tome Jovanoski, Tetovo, Macedonia
3rd place: Paul DeLorean, Bloomfield Hills, MI

Winners - Vehicle Concept
1st place: Jimmy Chae, Englewood Cliffs, NJ
2nd place: Lou Gasevski, Kumanovo, Macedonia
3rd place: Tome Jovanoski, Tetovo, Macedonia

In addition, CCS president Rick Rogers, on behalf of CCS, was presented with a check for $20,000 by Mr. Chubb for the Carl Olsen Scholarship Fund which assists the schools Industrial Design program.

While Lou Gasevski's wheel design may not live up to the utopian simplicity espoused by Bauhaus, it is nevertheless German in its overall feel and attention to detail. The basic premise was to create a wheel/tire combination for high-end sports vehicles that maximizes traction, eases tire mounting, and facilitates changing the appearance. The first goal is achieved primarily through tire design. The tread area cleverly utilizes an abstraction of the Germanic eagle symbol, creating a pattern that maximizes the edges that enhance tire adhesion while also enabling water to flow through, in order to avoid hydroplaning. Traction and ride quality are also enhanced by a suspension system built into the spokes of the wheel This allows for an almost sliver-like tire aspect ratio, which helps the PAX run flat system and also aids turn-in and handling. Ease of mounting is enhanced by the rim construction. Spilt into six pieces, sections are quickly fitted inside the tire and then snapped into one another, after which the center section is fitted. The wheel requires no special equipment to mount it to the tire, ensuring that no damage occurs as on current conventional wheel mounting systems. Finally, styling and appearance changes are accomplished through a replaceable spoke shell. The car Lou chose to portray his wheel design on is a Mercedes C111 inspired sports car, displaying both dynamic curves and beefy, architectural elements that combine in a futuristic looking reinterpretation of the original.

Tome Jovanoski's concept appears at first to be relatively straightforward, but there are telltales that all is not as it seems. Visually influenced by a variety of pre and post WW2 architecture, his design utilizes a four element motif of v-shaped elements, each with a subtle 's' curve and rectilinear sections. The innovations come in the form of clever technical enhancements, each of which is highlighted in the red accent color used throughout. The first is the integration of the brake assembly into the wheel, with the caliper grabbing from the inside, rather then outside, the brake rotor. This benefits both the overall packaging of the brakes and system maintenance. A downside, however, might be reduced performance due to a drop in leverage because of the calipers location. More innovative is the use of an interlocking feature between the inside of the tire and the support ring that is part of the PAX system. This feature eliminates squirm when the tire is deflated, allowing for better handling and safety. This is supplemented by a central lock ring and a pair of stiffening rings on the shoulders of the tire. A further refinement is the extending of the tread area into the tire sidewall, which effectively becomes part of the bottom of the tire when deflated. His car design takes advantage of the PAX systems allowing the spare to be eliminated. By repackaging the rear suspension and fuel tank, the architecture allows for more innovative and flexible use of the area between and behind the rear wheels.