Our green-transit energy idea was to convert an electrical car from an already environmental-friendly vehicle to a car that could change our planet's air pollution problem for the better. By utilizing HEPA filtration commonly found in vacuums, we figured out a way to filter out toxic microns through that process. Our goal is to implement these cars in heavily polluted areas of the world, such as cities, or near factories. While we don't have an actual real-life vehicle, our prototype includes electric, 3D printed, and laser-cut items to bring our design to life. 

Roboball,simply put, is a remote control ball with a self driving feature, invisibility technology, and a small storage compartment. On the outside, it is a sphere covered in a material that bends the light around it in a way that makes it appear invisible (in our precedents). Internally however, there are complex mechanisms that make the ball move and help keep the storage unit ad other gears stay upright while the sphere rotates. It's purpose is to help transport small materials such as papers and small substances without being seen, mostly when it comes to confidential information being transported from one place to another. Our model is one that travels on flat, dry terrain. It is powered by flexible solar panels that slide out of the walls of the sphere. Roboball's purpose is to create a safer way to communicate/interact with people; a way that ensures privacy. Any digitally written messages or files can be accessed in some way, and there are many risks of theft when it comes to transporting medicinal substances. With roboball's invisibility technology, which is already in use in some military operations (according to the website we found our precedent in), these risks are significantly reduced.  

Roboball would initially be used by people involved in secretive operations and in the future, probably in the military to provide medicine on-field. There would obviously have to be many reinforcing adjustments made to roboball in order for the military use to be practical but the speed and invisibility would be helpful. Our model would most likely would not become a part of everyday life because public areas are too crowded so the invisibility feature would become more of a safety hazard than a safety measure. However, adding a drone-like feature to it would make it possible to use in everyday life as there is minimal risk of running into anything with so much height. The spherical shape could also be altered to something else if it were to run in air. 

          In many ways, the human race has mastered transportation. We can fly across oceans, take lighting-fast trains between cities, and navigate mountains with gondolas. However, there are places in the world that are so isolated that a plane is not practical, and where no individual’s car could venture without getting stuck. Those are snowy, remote environments, such as Canada, Russia, Alaska, and Antarctica. People living or temporarily living in these places wait weeks or even months for supplies and mail, and we wanted to change that.

          Our transportation device is an amphibious vehicle that is intended to help deliver essentials like food and clothes to remote places in very cold environments. This vehicle is manned by a two-person crew and is designed to cross icy and snowy terrain, as well as bodies of water. In order to make these transitions, our vehicle has two propellers - a horizontal one on the bottom, which helps the vehicle float in water and keep from sinking in snow; and a larger one on the back, which propels the vehicle forwards. In our prototype, we 3-D printed both propellers and used Arduino motors to power them. There are no emissions, as wind energy is collected by the back propeller when it is not in use and stored in a battery for later. Our vehicle has two long, tube-like flotation devices on the bottom, similar to those on a hovercraft, which also help it glide across ice and snow. We used foam for these in our prototype and precisely shaped them using a foam cutter. We also added brakes for snow and ice travel, which were 3-D printed and brought into motion by a piston mechanism. Finally, we laser cut the body of the vehicle using a technique that allows the wood to curve to our preferred shape.

https://www.boredpanda.com/bicycle-escalator-cyclocable-trondheim-norway/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=organic">https://www.boredpanda.com/bicycle-escalator-cyclocable-trondheim-norway/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=organic

Prompt 

As a studio, we will take a look at some of the most interesting transit systems around the world. Then, in groups, you will select a transit system to provide an in-depth analysis of your findings to the rest of the class. You may choose an example from the presentation above or find a different system that interests you (there are more transit system precedents in the Precedents folder in the Toolbox, linked here).

What does it means for something to be "in transit"? Can it be more than simply getting from point A to point B in our day-to-day life?

Instructions

In teams, you will create a slideshow that contains the following information about your transit system:

• Where is it located? Is this method used elsewhere in the world?
• How does the transit system relate to the area and its unique setting/environment? (write 2-3 sentences)
• What is awesome vs. awful about this transit system? 
• What are potential ways that this transit system can be improved? (Be imaginative!)

Deliverables

Make a post in the Responses tab (above) with the following requirements:

1. Images of the transit system you've researched (include captions describing the images)
2. Answers to the 4 questions above in the text field

Each group will present their findings to the class. Please plan to have each group member participate in the presentation. 

https://www.seabubbles.com/">https://www.seabubbles.com/

Purpose: In this activity, students will be introduced to basic strategies and tools used to imagine and construct future worlds. These worlds will be used as a framework for imagining boundary-pushing transit solutions that harness renewable energy to deliver safe and innovative transportation solutions that meet the needs of its users.

Instructions:

Part 1: In pairs, students look through the inspirational images from the slides above.

Part 2: Next, envision your own future world think about what the logistics of it would look like (using the questions below as a starting point). 

Part 3: Create a collage of your future world using magazine and printed images, or using a digital photo-editing software. The more details, the better. 

Part 4: Design a morning storyboard (template attached) for a student like you living in the future world. How would they get from point A to point B in this world? How would their daily tasks be impacted by a futuristic transportation system? 

Things to consider:

• Is there access to water? Fresh water? Salt Water? 
• How is water utilized or not utilized in this world? 
• What is the landscape like?
• What is the climate? Is there extreme weather?
• What kind of animals and plants live here? 
• What kind of government exists in this world? 
• Who holds power and resources here? What resources are the most valuable? 
• What forms of entertainment exist in this world? Is art important here? 
• What kind of foods and drinks are most consumed here? Why? 
• What do people do for work here? What are the most common professions? 
• What technology do people use to communicate? Do our current communication tools work in this world? 
• How do people get around? What forms of transportation are most useful? 
• What powers technology in this world? Water? Wood? The Sun?

DELIVERABLE:

All work should be added to the Responses tab in the form of a slide deck. It should include the following:

1. Your future world collage.. 
2. The storyboard developed from your future world. You are welcome to sketch it or develop it digitally. There are many templates on Canva that are helpful for this. 

Prompt

Research is a crucial part of the studio process and can help you generate lots of new, creative ideas and solutions. To get as much access to useful information as possible, we'll each take on a small portion of the research and then move on to brainstorming!

Work in small teams and choose from the following list: solar, wind, hydropower, geothermal, biomass, or tidal. 

Each group will have about 20 minutes to research and learn about their renewable energy system. Then, you will share your knowledge with the rest of the class. This will be a casual share-out. This research will be quick and collaborative. 

Instructions

Research your selected energy source. 

• Great resource: http://www.landartgenerator.org/LAGI-FieldGuideRenewableEnergy-ed2.pdf
• Another great resource (with more resources at the bottom): United Nations: Renewable Energies
• There are a few high-quality videos linked in the Resources tab above.

Next, in your groups, you will make a poster of your energy system to share out to the class. On a larger piece of paper (at least 11 X17), make a poster that includes:

•  3 key takeaways (useful information, things you didn't know before).
• A sketch or diagram of how the system works, describing how the energy source works. Try to make your drawing clearly convey the process of energy generation and transmission. Use arrows, labels, and colors to add to your sketch.

Share your poster with the class.  Then, together, reflect:  How does this research inform your ideas about the future of transit and personalized mobility? What are you most excited about for the future of transit? Are there opportunities you think should be explored? 

Deliverables

Post your an image of your poster in the Responses tab above.