The season concludes when Continuum (a design consultancy) asks the DS teams to develop and test a "summer sled" for retail giant L.L. Bean. It's a bumpy, downhill slide to the finish line!
- 1) The Challenge (5:31)
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Bonus Footage
Blue Team's Process
Red Team's Process
- 1) The Challenge (5:31)
- 2) Brainstorm (5:30)
- 3) Design, Build, Test (12:24)
- 4) Judging (5:13)
- 5) Sketching the Sled (00:29)
- How do you make a summer sled? Blue Team decided to make a caterpillar-like sled using six wheels they found in the shop.
- They lowered the sled platform in order to have the lowest possible center of gravity.
- They also made breaks by putting wooden stoppers in the underside of the middle wheel covers. The wheel covers rested on compressible foam so that when they were pressed down, they would rub against the tires and slow them down.
- Finally they added a rope for steering. The sled allowed for bending and steering because when the wheels of the two sections are at different angles, the sled is able to move in a circular path.
- Testing showed the sled was exciting to ride because it steered smoothly and tightly and because the brakes were so good that you could stop quickly.
- The sled was bulky and big but it was functional and fun to ride so Blue Team won the final challenge.
- How do you make a summer sled? Red Team decided to build their grass sled from a pre-existing sled.
- They found some small rollers in the shop and made larger wheels to fit around them. Then they realized that tapering or gradually decreasing the size of the wheels would make the sled easier to steer.
- While Kim worked on the wheels, the rest of the team built the frame that would clamp to the sled and attach neatly to the rollers.
- Using the Red Team's tapered wheel design, the sled turns toward whichever direction you tilt it. Here's how it works.
- Red Team was only able to test their sled on a grassy hill within the last five minutes before judging so they didn't have time to make any changes to it.
- The sled was sleek and lightweight but steering only allowed for gentle turns which didn't give a very exciting ride.
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