Frederick Lock
EXO Cargo Box
I have designed the EXO Cargo Box which has reimagined how users interact with vehicle roof storage. The Exo Cargo Box is a feature packed reinvention of a roof box which provides users with greatly improved accessibility and additional functionality, to create a better user experience. The roof box has an integrated rail system which brings the box down beside the vehicle to makes accessing the roof a lot more practical. Users can then easily load and unload items at a comfortable height without straining themselves or clambering up the car to reach onto the roof.
There are several key features within the roof box which provide the user with additional functionality which includes internal customisable dividers, a 100W solar panel, a 250Wh battery, an ultrasonic sensor and electronic locking system.
The dividers allow the user to customise the storage space by compartmentalising it to suit the items taken on individual trips.
The solar panel and battery provide off grid power to the user when they are off grid on trips and adventures. It also provides power to all the electrical features, so it is completely self-sustainable.
The 250Wh battery located at the front of the base, can be used to charge and power devices on the go whether that be camping equipment of personal electronics. The battery also provides power to the ultrasonic sensor, the motors which operate the rail system and the keypad and electromagnetic lock.
The ultrasonic sensor which detects height obstructions is mounted into the top of the lid. It is connected to the dashboard warning device via Bluetooth which alerts the driver of any obstructions by illuminating a red light.
I have integrated an electronic keypad to make unlocking the cargo box a hassle-free interaction. Users don’t have to fiddle around with a small padlock style key and yank the catch of the lid open. Instead, the user simply enters their code, and the electromagnetic lock releases the lid’s latch.
The mechanism is made up of three layers of rails. The first rail is a rack and pinion rail which is responsible for moving the whole system horizontally out from the edge of the vehicle. It does this when the fixed motor turns anticlockwise, and the pinion gear engages with the rack driving it to the left. This drives the second and third rail out with it. The second and third rails are made from the same subassemblies but mirrored and flipped to work in the opposite direction. These too have a rack and pinion mechanism which drives a carriage with a second motor on it along. This second motor drives the gears which rotate the support arms allowing the systems to lower down in a parallel motion. The whole system is powered by the battery pack and an Arduino board that controls the sequence of motion.
Frederick Lock's designs
Student Biography
Studying Product Design and Manufacture has allowed me to express my creative flair as well as applying my technical problem-solving skills. I love to explore innovative ideas to create solutions to problems and provide users with products which improve their lives. I enjoy seeing my projects through from conceptualisation through to being ready for production and getting fully immersed to ensure I have considered everything down to the finest details. I would like to pursue a career in which I can use my creativity to bring radical new ideas into reality by being involved in as much of the process as possible.