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HP and Intel® Design Challenge: Life in Space
Congratulations, Carnegie Mellon University! Selected as the winner through public voting, the CMU team's design of the self-sustaining brace system is sure to impact life in space by helping to reduce exercise time and the muscle atrophy risk for our astronauts.
THE PROGRAM
In April 2016, NASA chose the HP ZBook Mobile Workstations, sending the machines to the International Space Station (ISS) and its five core space agencies, to help push the boundaries of science and discovery. Thanks to our workstations’ performance and reliability - they are helping the astronauts with mission command and control, experiment support, health monitoring and even grow food in space.
Now, HP and Intel® have invited students from 8 colleges and universities around the country to share their visions for improving life in space by using the groundbreaking HP ZBook Studio Mobile Workstation powered by Intel® Core™ i7 processor technology.
THE TASK
It's simple. The 8 schools' teams will use the five HP ZBook Studio Mobile Workstations which we've given to them to design a manufacturable product to improve life in space. Submissions will be broken down by three phases over the course of the 7-week challenge and must include CAD design files, design overview content and videos about the teams.
We invite you to take an inside look and cast a vote for the most innovative ideas these students are developing to impact our world and the future of space exploration.
THE FINALISTS
The eight teams have been working tirelessly over the last seven weeks to create incredibly innovative product designs that would improve the quality of life in space for our astronauts. Three teams have risen to the top and have been selected by a panel of judges from HP, Intel®, and NASA to be our three finalists.
A winner has been chosen! Learn more below about the finalists, and the winner, Carnegie Mellon University.
THE TEAMS
ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY
Gimbal Stabilization Device | TEAM MEMBERS |
The team at Arizona State University is tackling the issue of free-floating laptop computers and tablets being used by the astronauts in space. Their design solution is to create a gimbal stabilization device that would attach to the computers or personal devices of the astronauts to help eliminate the issues caused by microgravity. This device would utilize a single fan for propulsion, and would rotate along two axes. The device uses a gyroscope sensor to determine stability, and uses gesture control to interact with the astronauts. | David Wahls – Faculty Advisor Mark Naufel – mentor Josh Chang Abhik Chowdhury Lauren McBurnett Sami Mian Glenn Pace |
CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY
Self-sustaining wearable resistance system to enhance muscle activity in space | TEAM MEMBERS |
The proposed system consists of wearable components that offer resistance to limb movements, thereby simulating 1g workload for astronauts in space. A revolute joint based brace (brace_full.stp) is used for knee and elbow joints. The revolute joint assembly comprises of fins that move against a viscous fluid upon extension/ flexion of joint, thereby offering resistance to movement. Owing to multiple degrees of freedom, a ball-socket joint based brace (shoulder_brace_full.stp) is used for the shoulder. The socket has small elastomeric protrusions (or micro-patterned rough surface) that resists relative movement of ball, hence requiring the astronaut to exert greater forces. Finally, lateral elastic (viscous fluid-filled) bands on the upper back help in offering resistance to shoulder blade squeeze and depress movements. | Diane Turnshek – Faculty Advisor Eugene Yu Deepshikha Acharya Vishaal Dhamotharan Cecilia Ferrando Kevin Wang |
CLEMSON UNIVERSITY
The bioArk | TEAM MEMBERS |
The bioArk is a gardening device that will provide the astronauts with a pleasant reminder of what life is like back on Earth. Using rotational motion to resemble the force of gravity experience on Earth and centripetal force, the bioArk keeps the dirt and plants in place in a simulated gravity field. The Clemson University team’s design features a grate to protect the dirt and plants from falling out of the tub. The main device consists of several subsystems, including the control system for the device, a driving motor, a water delivery system, a seed placer system, a harvesting mechanism, artificial lighting, and an upkeep system. Once these systems are combined, the bioArK will provide astronauts with a variety of plants for their enjoyment and their well-being. | Dr. Jorge Rodriguez – Faculty Advisor, ME/BIOE Zack Hewitt Cameron Johnstone Andrew Montalbano Yogesh Rana |
GEORGIA TECH UNIVERSITY
Food Preparation Station | TEAM MEMBERS |
The design idea from the team Georgia Tech University is a Food Preparation Station which would enable an interactive cooking flow process from cutting food to customizing a multitude of tastes to delivering prepared food in an easily consumable manner – all steps that are missing from the current astronauts’ microgravity mealtime. The team has developed three personal targets for the final product: the ability to mix foods together to provide customized taste assortments; to facilitate preparation of food, such as cutting vegetables, in an easy and interactive manner; and to make food consumption in space more comparable to conventional eating habits on Earth. | Amit Jariwala – Faculty Advisor Eric Avari Heydn Ericson Yangyang Li Neeraj Dilip Rao Akarsh Vinod |
OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
UMAS (Understanding Muscular Atrophy in Space) | TEAM MEMBERS |
It is well known that extended spaceflight causes significant skeletal muscle atrophy in astronauts. The team at Ohio State University has proposed a product using miniaturized tissue-engineered skeletal muscle constructs to investigate the mechanisms behind skeletal muscle atrophy in microgravity. Utilizing standard biology lab well plates, tissue-engineered skeletal muscle, a camera, an onboard computer system with necessary instrumentation, a means of electrically stimulating the muscle cells, and a stabilizer solution known as RNAlater, this product will allow muscle cells to undergo the process of atrophy while in a microgravity environment. The camera will acquire data during flight, yielding a visual of the muscles contracting and relaxing. The RNAlater will be injected into the muscle cell cultures while in microgravity to freeze their gene expression, allowing further investigation in a lab environment upon return to Earth. | Dr. Ali Jhemi – Faculty Advisor Matt Arnott Kelly DeRees Vinny Funari Brandon Lundeen Fiona Muyo Andrew Wolfe |
OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
Retractable Blade to Dispense Tape | TEAM MEMBERS |
After thorough research and actual interviews with astronauts, a common annoyance expressed about life in space is the lack of a tape dispenser that can be used with one hand while working. Tape dispensers currently are not allowed aboard the ISS because of the potentially dangerous sharp edges. An ideal design would have a retractable blade to hide these edges. So, the team at Oregon State has come up with a design that currently uses a straight-edge, box-cutter blade to cut the tape. As the tape is pulled from the dispenser, the blade rises at a slight angle, such that there will be more concentrated force to cut the tape. Once the tape is cut, tension is released, and the blade lowers safely back into concealment. | Donald Heer - Faculty Advisor Hanna Anderson Jacob Dawes Scott Laughlin Behnam Saeedi |
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS
M.E.S.S. -- Modular Expandable Storage System | TEAM MEMBERS |
After heavy research into astronaut lifestyles, physical activity, work schedules, and numerous personal online interviews, our team concluded that the most effective design concept would need to mitigate an explicitly mentioned nuisance in microgravity. The most commonly reported problem we found was that in microgravity, objects need to be strapped down when not in use. Since there is no up/down reference frame, experiments, tools, and laptops can be stored on all six sides of a room. When performing experiments, an astronaut may need to move from one wall to another, constantly using and replacing different tools and equipment. Our design is aimed at logistically reducing the time spent 'hunting and gathering' by creating a portable, modular storage container that attaches to multiple types of surfaces, coupled with a "third arm" that can hold laptops, tablets, tools, and much more in strategic positions. | Dr. Sharon Wood – Faculty Advisor Calvin Giddens Brian Catozzi Rohan Dalal Arthur Erickson Joe McCloskey |
VIRGINIA TECH UNIVERSITY
Project: Modular Toolkit | TEAM MEMBERS |
Our team’s concept for the HP Life in Space Design Challenge is a compact, modular toolbox that astronauts will be able to use both in and out of the International Space Station. It will be small enough that it can be easily strapped to an astronaut’s space suit or carried under the arm for use inside the space station, and will contain screwdriver bits, socket heads, and tape measures at the bare minimum. The toolbox will also have a selection device that allows the user to select and access certain tools and parts while keeping the others hidden away. | Chris Blackburn Rebecca Ahn Jared Arkfled Hunter Caron Shun Pan |
THE PRIZE
Each participant from the winning team will receive a prize packaged valued at nearly $7,000 including:
- One HP ZBook Studio Mobile Workstation with the Thunderbolt 3 dock and a notebook bag
- A 4-day trip to Orlando for a tour at Cape Canaveral and a day at Epcot for an exclusive HP Mission Mars Experience
For more information about how HP technology is being used by NASA to help push the boundaries of science and discovery, visit hp.com/go/missionz
NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. Contest begins on 1/30/2017 & ends on 3/20/2017. *Open only to teams consisting of up to 6 eligible participants; up to 5 students & 1 professor or mentor. Students must be currently enrolled in an eligible participating school & the professor or mentor must be authorized by participating school. Each eligible participant must be a legal resident of the 50 United States or District of Columbia, & 18 years of age (19 in AL or NE) or ol der. Void where prohibited. NOT OPEN TO GENERAL PUBLIC. Grand Prizes-awarded to each team member (up to 6): HP ZBook Studio Mobile Workstation; HP ZBook 150W Thunderbolt 3 dock; HP Executive Backpack; & a trip to Florida. ARV: $6,700 each. Finalist Prizes-awarded to 3 Finalists Schools: 5 HP ZBook Studio Mobile Workstations; 5 HP ZBook 150W Thunderbolt 3 docks; & 5 HP Executive Backpacks (as delivered for use in this Contest). ARV: $11,000. Total ARV of all prizes awarded is up to $67,200. See Official Rules available at www.hp.com/go/lifeinspaceofficialrules for details on eligibility, entry requirements, prizes and judging schedule. Voting is open to the public, and you may only vote once. SPONSOR: HP, Inc., 1501 Page Mill Road, Palo Alto, CA 94304-1185.
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