Rhinotank: AI Enabled Ideation for Rhino Inspired Tanks

By Tojin T. Eapen

In this post, we outline a method for creating design concepts for military tanks named "Rhinotanks," which take inspiration from the appearance of rhinos. The objective of this project was to create a collection of visually striking designs that mimic the aesthetic of a rhinoceros while also appearing durable and resilient. To generate these product concepts, we utilized text-to-image generation models, a type of AI model that generates images from text descriptions of the Rhinotanks.

Rhinoceroses are a source of bioinspiration due to their tough, thick skin and their strength and agility. Their skin is incredibly strong and protective, making it a potential model for the development of new protective materials. The idea of designing tanks inspired by rhinos has a historical precedent. During World War II, tanks were outfitted with cutting devices known as "tusks" or "prongs," and referred to as "Rhino tanks." These modifications were meant to enhance the tanks' ability to clear obstacles and breach through fortifications. 

Interestingly, the German tank destroyer known as the Panzerjäger Hornisse, which was used during World War II, was also referred to by its nickname, Nashorn, meaning rhinoceros in German. Some of the design concepts for Rhiontanks that were generated using the text-to-image models are shown in the below collage.

This post is part of a series of articles on the use of generative AI for bioinspired product ideation. The use of AI for product concept generation allows for the quick creation of many potentially novel designs, which could then be evaluated and refined to select the most promising concepts to move to the next stage of the product development process.

Further Reading

• Rhino tank - Wikipedia
• National Museum of the United States Army (thenmusa.org)
• Asian rhinos: armour-plated landscapers | WWF
• Rhino Tanks: The D-Day Weapon That Helped Win World War II | The National Interest
• Energy absorbent natural materials and bioinspired design strategies: A review - ScienceDirect
• Creating artificial Rhino Horns from Horse Hair | Scientific Reports (nature.com)
• Armour in Ancient Chinese Warfare - World History Encyclopedia
• Albrecht Dürer’s The Rhinoceros: the most influential animal picture ever? | Art | The Guardian
• Yang, Sam (2011), "A Review of Rhinoceros Horn," (2011). Rhino Resource Centre.
• Vincent, Julian FV. (2005), "Defense and attack strategies and mechanisms in biology," Biomimetics, pp. 359-382. CRC Press.
• White, Zachary W., and Franck J. Vernerey (2018), "Armours for soft bodies: how far can bioinspiration take us?," Bioinspiration & Biomimetics, 13(4), 041004.

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