The teams go green as they work with the Food Project, an organization that creates social change through sustainable agriculture. Two young Food Project volunteers challenge the teams to design a compost lifter for their urban farm.
- 1) The Challenge
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Bonus Footage
Inside the Green Team
Inside the Purple Team
- 1) The Challenge (4:18)
- 2) Brainstorm & Design (9:15)
- 3) Build (6:44)
- 4) Test (2:26)
- 5) Judging (4:14)
- 1) The Food Project (3:09)
- 2) Teamwork (1:33)
- How do you build a human-powered device that can lift a garbage can full of waste, then dump it into a composter? Each team must design a safe and easy machine that can distribute the compost evenly.
- Green Team's first idea involves a pulley system with ropes and clips. But Nate helps them realize how complicated that is, and urges them to go simpler.
- They start by building a simple wooden model of their design. They decide to go with one handle on the bottom, and a chute for the compost to slide down.
- They decide to use metal for the frame, and torsion springs to help lift the load. They also need a pin to lock the hinge down when it's not in use. In testing they find out that it's too heavy for one person to lift. So they add more springs to help do the work.
- Down on the farm, Green Team's handle really helps shorter people lift the compost. The waste slides easily into the composter. They win the challenge for having an easy-to-use and functional machine.
- How do you build a human-powered device that can lift a garbage can full of waste, then dump it into a composter? Each team must design a safe and easy machine that can distribute the compost evenly.
- Purple Team's first idea is to find a bear to lift the compost, but as they keep sketching they get the idea to use a ramp. But in the end they decide to use springs to help lift the barrel.
- After too much joking around, they finally settle on a design with a piece that hooks onto the composter, and a lever that lifts the garbage can and tips the waste in.
- They build a metal piece that hooks onto the composter at any point so it can be moved around. Then they make the lifting device, and cover it with sheet metal. After testing, the last step is to add a pail-stop to keep the can from sliding down.
- Down on the farm, they find out it's so heavy that it takes two people to lift. Even then the compost doesn't slide out very easily. Their machine just doesn't measure up to the other team's, so the Purple Team loses the challenge.
Erin Gately makes eco-friendly computer products for HP. Watch this.
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