Cardboard lends itself to different mechanisms compared to wood and acrylic. This mechanism combines aspects of the parallel linkage and eccentric cam. It also uses the springiness of cardboard as the returning force to bring the flag back down.

Learning Goals: 

1. Understand the basics of the cam and linkage mechanism. 
2. Apply your understanding of the mechanism to create a unique prototype. 

Part I: Template model

Using the template file (attached to this post), you will recreate the cam and linkage cardboard model. To complete the activity, you will need cardboard, scissors or exacto, a dowel, or a pencil. 

Part II: Build your own version

Once you’ve completed the model, prototype at least 2 different ways to modify the pre-existing elements to -

a) change the movement of the mechanism, 

b) customize components, 

c) introduce a new add-on feature, 

d) propose a novel application.

Part III: Document

Take photos of all your work. In the caption, make sure to describe the prototypes and explain your work process. Post your answers to the following reflection questions:

1. Did you find having a demo template useful? 
2. If you were to repeat this exercise, what would you do differently vs. the same?
3. Describe the parts you've modified from the original template. 
4. Are there other mechanisms you'd like to learn how to make?

Presentations are the story of your project - from early sketches and inspiration, through prototypes and more developed ideas, presentations highlight the pieces of the process that led each student to their latest project.

Prompt

In this assignment, you will compile and create your final presentation, which will become part of your online portfolio of work, able to be shared with the public.

Instructions

In this activity, you will create your final presentation using the template below.

Create a post in the Responses tab above. This post has two components: the visual presentation and the written project description. Each component is outlined below and should be included in the same post.

Deliverable 1: Visual Presentation

Slide 1: Final Photograph with Project title and Team member names 

Slide 2: Evocative Image (an image that highlights the kind of experience you want your project to provide viewers)

Slide 3: Thesis Statement (1-2 sentence project statement that explains the overall idea of your project)

Slides 4: Green Energy Research 

Slide 5: Precedent Image(s) that inspired your project

Slide 6: Initial 2-3 Sketch Models (shared in your midterm presentation)

Slides 7-9: Final Diagrams (Use, and Technical)

Slide 10: 3 Final Project Photographs

Slide 11:  1 gif or video of your final project in motion

Slide 12: "Thank You" slide.

Deliverable 2: Project Statement

The Project Statement is a 1-2 paragraph project description that explains the overall idea of your project to someone who is unfamiliar with the topic. Below is a series of key points to consider as you write this final project description. Keep in mind that you should not simply put all of the answers together -- you must weave it together into a clear story. Add this to your final presentation in the Responses tab.

Things to consider:

1. The what is a clear statement of the overall idea/thesis.
2. The why explains how your project changes the world. It is the reason your project exists – what social issue is it engaging, who is your project helping, how does the project change the world, and what important social, intellectual, or technical questions does it raise? The scope of the why can vary widely.
3. The how briefly explains what technical prowess, innovative methods, or cool materials you used in your solution.
4. The who explains who will use your design, why they will use it, and in what context.
5. Think of the reader - it is good to imagine that a university admissions officer AND a potential employer in the field of your design should both be able to understand and be excited by the project based on your writing.

Prompt

Designers represent their ideas through many different means: drawings, photographs, renderings, scale models, prototypes, and more. Each method presents specific advantages for highlighting different aspects of the concept and proposed execution.

Instructions

In this assignment, we will learn about different types of diagrams, and how we can use each one to further communicate the ideas of your project. 

Review the presentation above to learn about the types of diagrams used by designers to communicate their ideas. Then each project team needs to create a Use diagram and technical diagram. As you create your diagrams, consider how each one will highlight a different aspect of your idea. These diagrams should be useful tools for others to understand your idea.

Keep in mind that these diagrams will be shared in your final presentation, so take care to make them clean and easily understandable. 

Draw a Use Diagram

1. Look back at examples of this type of diagram in the slides above. 
2. Depict who is interacting with your project as well as how they are utilizing it.
3. Using arrows, color coding, and/or labels, point out the components of your project in your Use Diagram. 

Draw a Technical Diagram

1. Look back at examples in the slides above. Notice how these examples deconstruct the object to show the individual elements.
2. Deconstruct or take apart your final project into multiple components. Try to highlight visually, how the project is put together to perform its functions.

Deliverables

Submit your Use Diagram/s or Technical Diagram/s in the Responses tab above.

Description 

A concept thesis is an important step in starting a collaborative partner project. We will use this time to combine ideas and arrive at the conceptual directions of our project.

Instructions 

Start by looking at your sketches from Part 1 with your partner/ in your group. Together, decide on the main idea and form of your project.

Deliverables

At the end of this activity, each partnership should have a draft of a project name and a draft of a project concept thesis sentence. Combine these into a single post and add it to the Responses tab above. 

Congratulations, you've completed a NuVu Studio! 

At this stage, you should make sure your final presentations are uploaded on the platform. If you used Google Slides, make sure you clicked the "anyone with this link can view" link-sharing option, so others can see your presentation. 

Now it's time to reflect and share your thoughts on the studio experience. Fill out the post-studio survey here: https://forms.gle/5eZk2LGw5p4C5vUb9

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. 

Overview: Students will work in pairs using a self-selected Future Building image from the slides above to construct a vision of their future world. Once an analysis is created, students will generate a day-in-the-life storyboard for someone living in that world. 

Instructions:

Part 1: In pairs, students will select an inspirational image from the slides above that they will analyze and work with for this activity.

Part 2: Analyze the world and envision what the logistics of it would look like using the questions below as a starting place. 

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. The inspiration photo of your future world
2. Your analysis of the future world. 
3. The storyboard developed from your future world. This should be in the form of a storyboard. You are welcome to sketch it or develop it digitally. There are many templates on Canva that are helpful for this. 

Purpose: Research can be a long, arduous process. It is also 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 move on to brainstorming!

Prompt: 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 renewable energy systems. Then, you will answer the questions below and share your knowledge with the rest of the class. This will be a casual share-out of knowledge. This research will be quick and collaborative. As we share, your teacher will try to help you think of how these energy systems could be deployed in the future. 

Instructions:

1. Research your selected energy source. 
   1. Great resource: http://www.landartgenerator.org/LAGI-FieldGuideRenewableEnergy-ed2.pdf
   2. Another great resource (with more resources at the bottom): United Nations: Renewable Energies
   3. There are a few great videos linked in the Resources tab above. 
2. Jot down 5 key takeaways (useful information, things you didn't know before.) There should be 5 takeaways PER PERSON, i.e., if there are 3 people in your group, you should have 15 facts total. 
3. Share your reflections. 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? 

Batteries made from an electrically conductive mixture the consistency of molasses could help solve a critical piece of the decarbonization puzzle. An interdisciplinary team from MIT has found that an electrochemical technology called a semisolid flow battery can be a cost-competitive form of energy storage and backup for variable renewable energy (VRE) sources such as wind and solar.

https://news.mit.edu/2021/energy-storage-solution-soft-serve-ice-cream-1130

Imagine a day without vehicles. No cars, buses, trucks, rideshares.

It's almost impossible to imagine, right? Transportation is an integral part of our everyday lives. The average American drives more than 15,000 miles and spends 54 hours stuck in traffic every year. Ouch.

Today, transportation makes up nearly 30% of our energy use in the United States and most of our oil consumption.

We're thinking differently about how to travel in a sustainable way. Introducing the latest in mobility innovation!

https://www.nrel.gov/news/video/transportation-energy-basics-text.html