The US Department of Energy, NASA, and three dozen technology companies led by XCorp, a Los Angeles, California-based research and development company, are preparing to build an entire car on the Internet. The technology developed for XCorp’s all-composite Series 2 SuperCar uses a new proprietary manufacturing system claimed to simplify prototyping design and production. First, the vehicle’s aerodynamics will be fine- tuned via the Internet using Langley-NASA’s Fluid Dynamics Computer Department. Crash simulations will be done the same way. The XCorp engineers in Los Angeles will use Langley’s Virtual Cockpit Designer software via the Internet to design the SuperCar’s cockpit. Next, production-ready parts specifications will be sent via Internet using The Department of Energy’s new Step software. The specifications will be sent by Internet to the Department’s new $400m rapid prototyping plant in Kansas City. The parts will be produced in hours rather than months and shipped back to XCorp for final assembly. The final prototype will then be tested via Internet. Its integrated chassis and aerodynamic sensors will send data back to Langley for further analysis. Using this system, the consortium says it aims to complete the SuperCar in 12 months.
