Hyperloop Optimization Project
Standards Assessed
Scenario
Colorado has one of the fastest growing populations in the United States. According to USA Today, 100,000 residents move into the state each year. This has resulted increased traffic and commute times along the Front Range. In November 2017, the Colorado Department of Transportation announced a partnership with Arrivo and the E-470 Public Highway Administration to develop a network of roadside tubes throughout the Denver Metro Area to help eliminate these traffic issues. These “Hyperloops” will carry passengers and their automobiles at speeds up to 200 miles per hour and reduce the time to drive from downtown Denver to DIA from 90 minutes to 9 minutes!
Pod design will be essential to creating a feasible hyperloop in the Denver Metro Area. Pods must hold varying weights of cargo/passengers, create a vacuum seal with the tube system, and reduce as much friction as possible between the pod and the tubes. How can we create a fast, reliable pod to move passengers and cargo of various weights on the hyperloop?
Pod design will be essential to creating a feasible hyperloop in the Denver Metro Area. Pods must hold varying weights of cargo/passengers, create a vacuum seal with the tube system, and reduce as much friction as possible between the pod and the tubes. How can we create a fast, reliable pod to move passengers and cargo of various weights on the hyperloop?
Learning Experiences
Day 1: What is a hyperloop?
"I can write a summary using interactive editing of a non-fiction text to explain what a hyperloop is and how it will impact Colorado."
Mini Lesson: Interactive editing
Work Time: USA Today Article
Debrief: Compare and Share Summaries
Day 2: How do we optimize designs using the Improvement Kata?
"I can work collaboratively as a team to improve the time it takes to solve a puzzle using the Improvement Kata"
Mini Lesson: Kata in the classroom by Kata to Grow (PPT and teacher resources here)
Work Time: Ravensburger Puzzle
Debrief: How does the Improvement Kata relate to the engineering design process?
Day 3: What is our design challenge?
"I can write a summary using interactive editing of a design brief to explain what our design challenge is."
Mini Lesson: Interactive editing
Work Time: Hyperloop Design Brief
Debrief: Compare and Share Summaries
Day 4: How do forces impact the performance of a hyperloop pod?
"I can use the hyperloop testing protocol to understand what forces are affecting a hyperloop pod."
Mini Lesson: Testing Protocol Demonstration (Pg 2)
Work Time: Create a group poster that shows the forces acting on a hyper loop pod.
Debrief: Class construction of force diagram
Day 5-8: Subsystem Investigations
Mini Lesson ideas:
1) What is a subsystem and why do they matter?
2) Controlled experiment review
3) What is the best way to display data?
Work Time: Subsystems (friction bearing/vacuum seal/weight) Design Your Own investigation (Template here)
Debrief:
1) What did we learn today?
2) What were your successes? Why?
3) What challenges do you need to overcome?
4) What resources are needed?
Day 9: Integrating subsystems into a prototype
Mini Lesson: What is integration and why does it matter?
Work Time: Sharing results and creating plan for prototype #1
Debrief:
How did studying subsystems prior to building a prototype help your design? hurt your design? Why do you think that?
Day 10-16: Optimizing Prototype Performcance
Mini Lesson Ideas:
1)Kata review
2) Next conditions
3) What does bad data tell us about our designs
4) When do we walk away from an idea?
Work Time: Prototype testing (Template here)
Day 17-19: Presenting our Design Process
Mini Lesson: Using Piktochart and Exemplar Analysis
Work time: Infographic creation
Debrief: Grows and glows with a partner
Day 20: Evaluating potential Designs
"I can write a summary using interactive editing of a non-fiction text to explain what a hyperloop is and how it will impact Colorado."
Mini Lesson: Interactive editing
Work Time: USA Today Article
Debrief: Compare and Share Summaries
Day 2: How do we optimize designs using the Improvement Kata?
"I can work collaboratively as a team to improve the time it takes to solve a puzzle using the Improvement Kata"
Mini Lesson: Kata in the classroom by Kata to Grow (PPT and teacher resources here)
Work Time: Ravensburger Puzzle
Debrief: How does the Improvement Kata relate to the engineering design process?
Day 3: What is our design challenge?
"I can write a summary using interactive editing of a design brief to explain what our design challenge is."
Mini Lesson: Interactive editing
Work Time: Hyperloop Design Brief
Debrief: Compare and Share Summaries
Day 4: How do forces impact the performance of a hyperloop pod?
"I can use the hyperloop testing protocol to understand what forces are affecting a hyperloop pod."
Mini Lesson: Testing Protocol Demonstration (Pg 2)
Work Time: Create a group poster that shows the forces acting on a hyper loop pod.
Debrief: Class construction of force diagram
Day 5-8: Subsystem Investigations
Mini Lesson ideas:
1) What is a subsystem and why do they matter?
2) Controlled experiment review
3) What is the best way to display data?
Work Time: Subsystems (friction bearing/vacuum seal/weight) Design Your Own investigation (Template here)
Debrief:
1) What did we learn today?
2) What were your successes? Why?
3) What challenges do you need to overcome?
4) What resources are needed?
Day 9: Integrating subsystems into a prototype
Mini Lesson: What is integration and why does it matter?
Work Time: Sharing results and creating plan for prototype #1
Debrief:
How did studying subsystems prior to building a prototype help your design? hurt your design? Why do you think that?
Day 10-16: Optimizing Prototype Performcance
Mini Lesson Ideas:
1)Kata review
2) Next conditions
3) What does bad data tell us about our designs
4) When do we walk away from an idea?
Work Time: Prototype testing (Template here)
Day 17-19: Presenting our Design Process
Mini Lesson: Using Piktochart and Exemplar Analysis
Work time: Infographic creation
Debrief: Grows and glows with a partner
Day 20: Evaluating potential Designs
Rubrics
Photo used under Creative Commons from Kevin Krejci