homepage | Hydra Design Labs

DM Blade

Divergent Microfactories (DM) Blade is the world’s first 3D printed supercar. Aimed at revolutionizing the way that cars are designed and produced, the DM Blade is an ultra-lightweight vehicle that utilizes cutting-edge technology to minimize both the cost and environmental impact of manufacturing cars. DM’s new technology centers around 3D printed metal nodes and carbon fiber tubes that create a chassis that is up to 90% lighter than traditional cars, while also being much stronger and more durable. The DM Blade also dramatically reduces material and energy use, reducing the carbon footprint caused by manufacturing processes. When looking at total emissions of a vehicle, including those from manufacturing, the DM Blade has one third of the environmental impact of any other electric car – it also happens to go 0-60 in about two seconds, boasts 700 horsepower and has twice the power-to-weight ratio of a Bugatti Veyron.

Along with CRD and Motivo Engineering, Hydra Design Labs was part of the team that built the Blade Supercar. Hydra was responsible for all of the exterior and interior 3D data, and assisted with design details of the vehicle. As part of the development team for the DM Blade, Hydra Design Labs was also responsible for making all of the rapid prototypes for the vehicle, 60 in total.

DM BLADE1
DM BLADE2
DM BLADE3
DM BLADE4
DM BLADE5
DM BLADE6
DM BLADE7
DM BLADE8
DM BLADE10
DM BLADE9
DM BLADE11
DM BLADE12
DM BLADE13
DM BLADE14
DM BLADE15
DM BLADE16
DM BLADE17
DM BLADE18
DM BLADE19
DM BLADE20

Divergent Microfactories Website
Divergent Microfactories announcement
Business Wire

Hydra Supercar

When we’re not busy designing and creating the world’s next passenger vehicle, heavy-duty truck, sports car, or supercar for some of the top automotive OEMs, we’re working on our own internal design ideas with the Hydra Supercar. Conceived by the principal designers at Hydra and born out of our passion for pushing the boundaries of automotive design, the Hydra Supercar explores the possibilities of a modern front-engine hypercar. Through a series of detailed sketches and digital illustrations, the Hydra Supercar combines our progressive design thinking with the best practices and practical lessons learned from decades of experience designing for automotive OEMs

1HSC
2HSC
3HSC
4HSC
5HSC
6HSC
7HSC
8HSC
10HSC
11HSC
12HSC
13HSC
14HSC
15HSC
16HSC
9HSC

Northrop Grumman GMV

As one of the world’s largest manufacturers of military and defense equipment with an impressive resume ranging from the B-2 Stealth Bomber to the Apollo Lunar Module and Cignus spacecraft, Northrupp Grumman is one of the most high-profile companies in the United States.

One of the most iconic U.S. military vehicles is the Ground Mobility Vehicle (GMV), which were a U.S. Special Operations Command program that traditionally used converted Humvees into specialty vehicles used by U.S. Army Rangers, Navy SEALs, and Air Force and Marine Corps special operations and more. In 2012, the U.S. Special Operations Command requested proposals for an all-new GMV that would be lighter and faster than the old vehicle, with updated communications and computing equipment. Northrop Grumman was among the top firms submitting a proposed new design for the “GMV 1.1” project, and the company came to Hydra Design Labs for its design expertise and Class A surfacing capabilities.

Working closely with Northrop Grumman, BAE, and Pratt & Miller Engineering on this program, Hydra was responsible for designing the exterior of the GMV and providing Class A surfacing for the final vehicle – all while working with tight time and engineering constraints throughout the project.

“We contracted with Jon and his team at Hydra Design Labs to design the exterior for our tactical vehicle submission to Special Operations Command. We gave him a very a challenging set of constraints, not enough time, and not enough resources to do the job, and he and his team still delivered, exceeding our expectations on every front. He’s our go-to guy for vehicle designs in the future.”

– Bob Mohan, Northrop Grumman project manager