It’s finally happening – the Powersports Industry is finding ways to use AI for new rev-happy projects!
According to Fox News and Lightning’s coverage of the topic, Cali-based Lightning Motorcycles has turned to artificial intelligence for new angles on their bike designs.
Currently, the system has helped create a “suspension swingarm for an upcoming, higher performance version of the Lightning LS-218 superbike” – and not only is the unit lighter by 20% than the original swingarm, but the creation took less metal than usual, and is the stronger for it.
Win, win, win.
To Lightning CEO JoJo Hatfield, the “organic” matrix of the swingarm pilot project proves multiple times over that the new AutoCAD computer-aided design software system from Autodesk worked. Using AI, Lightning Motorcycles can now make intricate things “in a fraction of the time it would take engineers to do it using standard methods.”
“We use the generative AI software to target a part we want to optimize, and then it’s an interaction between the engineers and the software in looking at the iterations and choosing the best design,” Hatfield explains.
“[AI] reduces development costs and material costs by optimizing strength over weight. We supplied the outside parameters – the length, where the wheel is, the shock mount pivot location, and other key points – and the software produced several iterations.”
We have another bit of news, too.
According to Fox News, Lightning’s AI-designed swingarms aren’t just for show. Expect the first bikes with the swingarm to show up around the end of this year.
Would you ride a bike with a swingarm like this?