Pickup device

This week we tackle an every day problem: how could we make carrying multiple grocery bags an easier task? More specifically, how do we stop the bags snarling up together and digging into our skin? Is there a better way to distribute the weight? Could we take some of the load off our hands? How could we make the task altogether more fun?

This hand held device nicely distributed the load of four bags around a good firm carrying handle. Clips were used to secure the bags.

This is the start of a backpack carrier, with lots of firmly secured clips and hooks for the grocery bags.

This hands-free solution is attached around the waist.

Designer testing revealed that it might be useful to leave the buckles flexible (rather than rigid) to allow the user to "squeeze through small spaces".  Good thought. Might want to modify further to prevent the bags from slipping off the rods?

Several of our students decided to update the granny cart and used wheels on their carriers. 

This pickup device is a travelling robot carrier. 

Forget about the bags! What about the bugs? It's time they went for a ride. In this ant transportation system, a whole nest of ants can explore the zig-zag tunnels whilst on the move. Next step adding wheels and a motor…

This design is a carrier with retractable hooks. This inventor went one step further. The carrier can be attached to the wall and the hooks hang down whilst you unpack your groceries. Once done, the hook is mechanically pulled up (she prototyped this with a accordion string design) and pegged flat against the wall.  We liked the multistep thinking here.

Streetscaping

Well designed streetscaping can humanize and animate public spaces, by providing eyes on the street, accessibility and information. In our streetscaping challenge, we asked the kids to design something to improve the sidewalk.

Many of our students thought about being on the move. They didn't just design transit stops, they designed whole transit hubs.

For our city by the lake, this team designed a transit stop for a hovercraft.  

Tired of waiting for the bus? Then ascend the striped observation tower (in an internal elevator), so you can see if it's coming. Want a thrilling way to get on the bus? Cross the well lit street to the roller coaster ramp. Make sure not to wear your seat belt and you'll be flung from the coaster into the waiting bus. Riding the Rocket has never been this exciting (and possibly scary) before!

This transit stop had a kind of fairground quality to it.  Passengers wait for the bus on the elevated orange disc (seated on comfortable cushions).  While you're waiting the disc gently rotates, giving you a circular view of the city and its goings on. When the bus arrives, sensors on the street trigger the disc to stop moving and a ramp (lowered from the disc), allows passengers to embark.

In these two futuristic looking transit hubs, waiting passengers have the option of hanging out inside a gridded shelter with moulded plastic seating and a modular cafe table. In one design (top) the dimpled roof is retractable to let in natural light into the shelter in dry weather and a slatted fence adds security. In the other design (bottom), the roof is transparent so that "you can see the sky and the bottom of the streetcars up above".  The roof is engineered with steel girders in an attractive criss-crossed pattern. Passengers can use a ramp to get to streetcars arriving up top. 

The design above is a multifunctional sidewalk hub. It is a bike rack (clear stand on left) and also a safety unit. In an emergency, you can use the shield (tube and board) the mallet (white) or the night stick to defend yourself.  Careful construction went into this neat unit. Next design step is to figure out how to restrict access to just the good guys…

...and in case anyone else noticed snowflakes this morning, how about a sidewalk sauna? 

Time for a change?

Spring session of after-school classes has begun. In the first class, we challenged our squad to redesign the watch. Why would we pick an endangered object for a makeover? These days, if we want to know the time, most of us whip out our cell phones. Since, tweens are our guide to future trends, we are intrigued to see how they think we'll tell the time…

So, what makes a watch a watch? Clearly our students don't think a watch needs to be limited to wrists. Whilst some of them made variations on the wrist watch, many of the kids came up with wearable devices: watch goggles, a watch on a nose clip, one for a leg.

This watch straps to the head and has an external dialling system which rotates the screen displays.

Some watches do more than just telling the time. The green device (on the right) clips to the nose. Stay up past your bedtime and you'll be squirted with an ice cold bubble mix stored in the pouch. This time piece sounds good for teen mornings too!

There are variations on the display, ranging from triangular and conical watches to a watch that has a completely different timescale (indicating the year and millennium, rather than minutes and hours).

And then of course, there's technology…

This watch includes a head piece and a digital readout on a snake draped around the neck!

This top secret design uses wireless transmitters to beam the time directly into your brain. No visual display necessary (although brain implants may be!) Brain-computer interfaces are being intensely researched and may be a closer reality than we realize.

City Building

Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody..only when they are created by everybody. (Jane Jacobs)

Our imaginary city took shape at Artscape Youngplace's Recess 2 event. City building was an activity devised by the Givins ShawYouth Advisory Group and facilitated by Invention Squad. Our special guests Sipo Maphangoh and Daniel Fusca from the Toronto City Planning office shared insights about city development with the kids and parents.

Before

After

Daniel (right)

Sipo (left)

The first task was to fill the brainstorming centre with ideas for the evolving city:

And then the kids and parents built something awesome:

Community centre next to a park

The all edible restaurant

The gondola connecting different parts of the city together

Sidewalks, walkways and bike paths.

Cats were given pride of place in the city, with two cat play centres and even a cat bus.

Community housing

A concert hall by the lake.

An elevator to a viewing tower

Solar panel roofs on small houses.

Thanks to everyone -young and old- who participated in our city building event. It was fantastic seeing our city grow over time. Invention Squad encourages young people to design cities that work for people of all ages and abilities (and cats of course).