questions Flashcards
What types of engineers were involved in designing your future city?
Mechanical, electrical, civil, software, agricultural, urban and environmental engineers, climate change experts all helped in designing our city.
How did you design and build the moving part for your model?
We have eight moving parts. The majority of our underground level pulls out to showcase the lower level city as well as our next moving part, our public transportation network. We used a plastic tube and magnets to show our underground maglev train system. We have three moving parts representing our energy production and storage. We use battery operated turbines to power our windmills stationed in the water off our coastline. We have a solar panel that pivots as the sun moves throughout the day to capture maximum levels of sunlight. We use a plastic box with a hinged lid to store the excess energy generated by our solar panel and tidal turbine in the form of solid state batteries. The Doppler radar in the center of our city is a repurposed light up toy. With the help of a mentor, we use an engineering kit, pen components and a Brita water filter to represent our 3D printing crane that prints buildings in our city. Our stadium has a moving roof made by cardstock on popsicle rails.
How did the engineering design process help you create and develop your future city?
We first thought of the problem which was climate change, designed a solution which was carbon capture, reusable energy, etc, tested it out, and made it better.
What is an example of innovative technology in your team’s city design?
Our sea wall takes in the vibration from the waves and converts it into energy. Our solid-state batteries provide us with energy even when it is night time and we can not use solar panels or wind turbines. They’re quick to produce, lightweight, quick charging and maintain energy storage well. This makes it possible to transport excess energy for sale to other cities and is one of the ways our city raises income. 3D printing is used for building city structures. Structures can be built quickly using a standard building design, cost-effectively using the materials in bulk, and eco-consciously by using recycled materials.
What resources did your team use to learn about engineering? Share something your team learned and how you applied it to your project.
This is the first time for all of us participating in this competition. We were fascinated to learn about the scale, building everything according to scale, and learning about the engineering design process. We did not know that engineers did so much to make products. We learned how to keep residential and commercial zones close together to avoid dead zones in the city. We learned to keep the industrial area separate to reduce pollution where people live.
Did your team have any disagreements about your project? How did you solve them?
We did not have many disagreements. Initially, we had some disagreements such as the location of the city and the name of our sports team. After discussing the tradeoffs of the choices presented, we decided by popular vote to resolve those decisions.
What was a challenge you encountered while building the model or creating the city presentation? How did your team overcome this challenge?
Some of our challenges were settling on the final ideas behind our design process and how everything would work together to create a consistently stable environment combatting the climate changes that affect the area. With research and help and ideas from our mentors and teacher, we were able to put together our ideas and create our dream city. Another problem we encountered was our epoxy resin ocean never fully hardened due to an error during the curing process. We solved this issue with opting to create an aquarium style with plexiglass walls to stabilize our ocean, but still allowing visibility into it. Time was very limited to work on the model during class, so we spent extra time during off-school hours to work on it as a team.
How did your team decide how to divide responsibilities?
We split the research into 6 divisions, the residential, the industrial, the commercial, entertainment, the sea-wall, and the ocean. After we knew about what we were going to build, everyone was assigned a section. We got the resources and built our own sectors of the city.
What processes did your team use to stay on schedule?
Once we settled on our location, we listed out all of the problems and attached solutions to build our city on. This was our blueprint to help us shape our essay and model. We wrote our essay from October to the end of November. Then, we worked on our presentation and model. We were able to bring in many discarded household items and take some parts from our previous models to build our new city. We divided and conquered to do the most productive work in the least time as we could manage.
Did any of your team’s initial goals evolve as you worked on your project?
We planned to add a zoo into our city, but later on we replaced it with an aquarium and a recreation center. The addition of a stadium added the idea of sports tourism and a mixed use space for entertainment and safety.
What industries drive the economy in your city? What types of jobs are available?
We sell clean energy produced by our solar panels, wind turbines, tidal turbines and sea walls in the form of solid state batteries. We grow bamboo as fast growing, eco-friendly materials for consumer goods such as housewares and clothing. We recycle plastics to use as materials to make new housewares and furniture. Our tourism is centered around our sports team, the District 14 Pumas and the underground commercial city sector. There are jobs for mechanical, civil, software, and environmental engineers, climate change experts, agricultural engineers and electrical engineers in our city. Healthcare professionals, researchers, financial professionals, and teachers also popular jobs.
How does your city support low-income or vulnerable residents?
Universal healthcare and city-wide health insurance guarantees access to hospitals and physician care. We offer free education and transportation to every citizen as well.
What factors did you consider while laying out the zones in your city? Are the zones separate or mixed-use?
We planned 3 zones. The residential and commercial are together so people have access to healthcare and city services. The industrial zone is separate from the residential and commercial areas to avoid pollution. Our city has two levels - above ground and underground. We have an underground city modeled after Crystal City in Washington D.C. that is a network of shops and commerce for residents commuting on the underground maglev transportation system. This is a protected zone from above ground inclement weather. It features a storm center connected to the above ground Doppler system, storm shelters in case of hurricanes and a clinic. In case of power loss, the underground city zone can draw from stored energy in the underground solid state batteries. The underground level is also a big draw for tourism and thousands of people visit to tour the unique space.
Describe your city’s transportation system. Is it public (like today’s trains and buses) or private (like an individual car) or a combination?
It’s a combination. A public MagLev train system, bikes, helicopters, smart scooters, and self-driving cars.
How do residents in your city communicate with each other?
Everyone has a smart phone and free wifi. They also use email, zoom, whatsapp and other apps to communicate.
