Next generation outdoor equipment (slides, .pdf)
Connie Yang, Director of Engineering
NEMO Equipment

NEMO Equipment is a small but growing company in the outdoor industry that focuses on designing shelters and sleep systems for outdoor adventure. Being "on the go" is at the heart of the outdoor industry, which strives to get people out of their homes, out of their cubicles, and out into nature. One of NEMO's core missions is to make adventures and getting outside more accessible. Accessibility can mean many different things. In the context of NEMO, it would be interesting to explore the following:

1. How can big and bulky outdoor toys (skis, snowboards, surfboards, bikes, kayaks, crash pads, etc.) be designed so that they are easily transported, are protected, avoid massive airline fees, and perform at the same level as comparable gear?

2. We've discovered that one of the best ways to engage more people in the outdoors is to integrate the comforts of home on the go. What products can be designed that bring an even broader audience to love outdoor activities, and how can they be designed to meet the typical constraints of the outdoor industry - minimal pack size, weight, portability, price, durability, functionality?

3. Outdoor equipment is typically specialized to cover a specific set of environmental conditions. How can gear be more universally designed to be a better value proposition and cover a greater range of conditions (i.e. skis that work on both powder and ice, sleeping bag that can be used for summer and winter, backpacking stoves that can be linked together for car camping, etc)?

Device for cliff-based rescues
Nate Ball, Founder
Atlas Devices

We are interested in developing a portable structure device that creates a high lift point for cliff-based rescues. The context is that existing A-frame units are heavy and don't provide a lifting point that goes out over the edge, which really helps in a rescue, especially with a powered ascender.

Lawnmower powered by grass clippings (slides, .pdf)
Gwyndaf Jones, Instructor
MIT D-lab

I worked on project this summer to charge cell phones in a village in Ghana from a scrap yard car alternator driven by a small engine running on gasified agricultural waste.   If you look carefully at a wooden match burning you will notice that the flame is above the wood and does not touch.  The wood is heated by the flame so it gives off gas that mixes with oxygen and then burns.  In a biomass gasifier, you are capturing the gas before you it mixes with oxygen and piping it into the intake of an ordinary spark ignition engine to replace the gasoline.

This has been done in a number of forms for as long as internal combustion engines have been around.  In Europe thousands of cars were run on biomass gas during world war two when petroleum was unavailable.  When we ran our generator in Ghana I was very impressed by the power density of the fuel.  Without any effort to optimize we put a closed liter can of biomass with a half inch pipe coming off it in a charcoal fire.  At first the gas was smoky and then it had a lot of moisture in it but soon it cleared up and, after lighting it with a match it stayed lit for over fifteen minutes and was burning at a rate sufficient to run our small engine.  Our project ended up not being ready to be put into service in a remote village until more time is available to develop a gas generator scaled to the engine size and optimized for the available fuel.

The idea of this project is to develop a lawn mower operating by the same principles we employed in Ghana and powered by the grass clippings it collects as it mows.  Although it may be possible, I would not expect the clippings to go directly into the mower as they are cut because they often contain too much moisture.  Initially they could be air dried and an onboard drying capability could be developed if it seemed feasible.  A lawnmower is a good candidate for this project, because apart from the fact that it can be its own source of biomass, the engine is simple and accessible making modifications easy.  In addition there are many lawnmower users nearby and lawnmowers operate at loads that are usually fairly constant so the required coordination of gas production and power output will be less critical. 

Next generation experiences for security and subway transport (slides, .pdf)
Carlos Cardenas, Director of Design and Strategy
The MEME

We propose two projects that consider users experiences while "on the go":

1. How to simplify going through security check-point in airports - and easier ways to carry stuff, to prepare for the scanning point, etc. The result of this could be a product or service.
   
   
2. Better ways to carry packages on the subway, perhaps even a service to use the subway to deliver small packages, freight, or items such as bikes or even large pets during peak commute hours.
   
   
3. Communicating simple information to users through haptic, tactile, and other non-visual means to increase safety and reduce visual cognitive load while walking, biking, or driving.

Bicycle, shuttle, and parking at MIT (slides, .pdf)
Larry Brutti, Operations Manager
MIT Parking and Transportation Office

Bicycle Related Projects

1. 50% of bikers are looking for more covered outdoor bike racks. Find a way to convert outdoor racks to covered racks.
   
   
2. 40% of bikers use the 6 bike repair stations on campus.  The main problem with the stations is the tools become tied in knots and the pump valves are constantly broken because they are left on the ground.
   
   
3. Both bikers and runners are upset about the lack of shower facilities on campus.

Shuttle Related Projects

1. Bus shelters are scarce on campus, and most shuttle stops are not capable of accepting a normal bus shelter.  Find a way to provide shelter at these locations.
   
   
2. We have 13 shuttle vehicles of various sizes and shapes on campus that are washed once per week during good weather months and more frequently in winter.  They are currently washed manually with a hose, bucket of cleaner and a long brush; an inefficient and labor intensive process.  Find a way to automate the process.

Parking Related Projects

1. Parkers become frustrated when driving around full parking facilities trying to find a space. Garage /Lot Full signs are not effective because most campus facilities are unmanned and spaces can open up at any time but the signs remain in place.  Find a way to automate the Lot full sign so parkers receive accurate information.
   
   
2. Feedback from our garage maintenance staff is that washing trash cans in the most unpleasant part of their job. Find a way to automate the process.

Collapsible bike helmets and helmet vending machine (slides, .pdf)
Nicole Freedman, Director
Boston Bikes Program, City of Boston

1)  A helmet vending machine that would be part of the existing bike share system

To encourage ridership, riders would be able to purchase helmets at the same time they rent their bike. The vending machine would need to be easy to use, secure, and use minimal power/solar power

2) A collapsible or otherwise space-conservative helmet to go in the vending machine

Space at each of the bike share points is limited, and storing several bike helmets could take a great deal of space. We'd like to offer helmets that take up less space but don't compromise safety and impact protection.

Building tomorrow's Clover Food Lab (slides, .pdf)
Ayr Muir, Founder
Clover Food Lab

a) Ways to pack, unpack, and store enough food for an army on a single, mobile food truck
The Clover food truck at MIT currently serves more people on a daily basis than a McDonald's. A major challenge on the truck is the storage of sufficient food to supply food orders. Space on the truck is very limited and a supply truck arrives 4x a day to resupply the Clover truck. Many person-hours are spent packing and unpacking food (perishable and non-perishable) and other supplies.

Mission: Design ways to store food and supplies more efficiently on the truck. Storage should also allow for faster, more efficient packing and unpacking

b) Seating for the Clover Food truck
Currently, there is no seating for patrons of Clover Food Truck. Different possibilities have been investigated, including benches, tables around light poles.

Mission: Design seating for Clover patrons.
Characteristics: Lightweight, portable, can be stored in a small amount of space, sturdy, safe, will not fly away in a gust of wind, will not be prone to theft

c) Portable movie theatre for Clover Food truck
Clover staged successful "movie nights" this summer where patrons could watch while getting food and eating. A screen was hung from the side of the truck and the movie was projected on it with a projector and laptop.

Mission: Design a portable movie system for outdoor use What are good projection technologies for this? It must be easy to setup and tear down, be portable, and easy to store.

Design MIT's next ambulance
Nora Hickey, Director of Ambulance Operations, and Mark Forgues, Technical Director
MIT Emergency Medical Services (EMS)

MIT EMS is in the planning stages of designing a new ambulance for use the next year. Major concerns we are trying to address in this design are safety, and how an EMT can still treat and interact with a patient while remaining buckled in and secured in the back of the truck. We are currently looking for new ideas of what features the ambulance could include.

Universal drive system for powered devices (slides, .pdf)
Jodie Wu, CEO
Global Cycle Solutions

Global Cycle Solutions' project would involve the design and development of a universal drive system that links off the back of a bicycle that truly enables people to power anything using a bicycle, whether it be harvesting machine or a super-efficient mobile recharging station. Challenges for this drive system would be to design it to work with ANY bicycle, so it's fool-proof. The impact would be tremendous. One could simply fasten it on the bicycle and literally be ready to start a business in the developing world. Need to change gears? No problem. Need to convert your bicycle rack into a seat or water carrier, etc.? You can do it in one easy step. In short, the idea is to create a system that enables ANYONE to build a simple, portable business off their bicycle, enabling rural economic development.