Lightning Motorcycles Using Generative AI Design To Aid In Engineering

According to Lightning, the use of Generative Design improves performance by reducing weight, while saving time and money.

Enrico Punsalang

By: Enrico Punsalang

Jun 27, 2023 at 9:37am ET

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Recent developments in Artificial Intelligence are undoubtedly a surefire conversation starter, no matter who you talk to. Indeed, generative AI has been around for years, if not decades now, and a lot of us use it in our day-to-day lives. Writers get a lot of use out of AI-powered apps like Grammarly, and yes, ChatGPT, to check work before publishing, while computer engineers and developers use it to streamline the development of new systems.

Indeed, the motorcycle industry also has quite a lot to gain, especially given how advanced technology has become in recent years, more specifically, in the realm of electric motorcycles. For example, Lightning Motorcycles, a California-based performance electric motorcycle specialist, recently revealed its use of advanced AI to aid in its engineering endeavors. According to Lightning, the use of AI makes "impossible design possible." This, plus today's ultra advanced materials and manufacturing processes – such as 3D printing – truly raise the limits of what can be engineered.

More specifically, Lightning Motorcycles has partnered with Autodesk, a global leader in design and engineering technology, with the aim of applying Generative AI to the engineering design in its high-performance electric motorcycles. The way it works is surprisingly simple, and quite frankly pretty mesmerizing. The Generative Design program is capable of churning out hundreds of thousands of design studies according to specifications provided by engineers. From the results, the same engineers can choose and optimize a design that will make it to the final product.

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According to Lightning, this approach has the potential to improve performance, reduce weight, hit cost targets, and most importantly, save time. Lightning's first AI-driven endeavor was the development of a lightweight swingarm for the LS-218. The AI-generated design yielded weight savings in excess of 20 percent, and was said to be stronger than the standard swingarm mounted onto the production version of the bike.

Indeed, the integration of AI into nearly every single facet of daily life is pretty much inevitable. We're seeing it in everything from motorcycles, art, and even home appliances like refrigerators and light bulbs. The thought of having artificial intelligence engrained into our daily lives may, at first, seem scary for some; but at the end of the day, it's a tool that can bring about some really cool things.