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Summit

Summit

Evan McDougall
March 12, 2017
1 Comment

Summit is a modular, collapsible vessel that can grow algae and
create ambient oxygen. It accomplishes this task by using full
spectrum LED lights controlled by the circular interface and onboard
processor. This mimics natural light cycles, maximizing oxygen
production, while considering altitude and temperature levels.
Oxygen is expelled from the device much like humidity from a
humidifier. When needed, oxygen is maximized and when not in
use, Summit’s smart light cycles allow the algae to expel excess
carbon dioxide. This system is highly efficient at creating oxygen
while also maximizing battery life by only using light in the
most efficient way possible.



I came up with the idea for summit after watching a documentary that talked about how 70 to 80 percent of earths oxygen is produced by photosynthetic algae and that NASA is considering using it as a way to convert CO2 to oxygen for a manned mission to mars. If this technology was powerful enough to potentially get humans to Mars then why not try to harness its power terrestrially?

The form of the modular device was designed with portability in mind. Users would be hiking, backpacking or travelling with the device meaning it must be highly portable.


Through quick sketches I quickly generated a form and a mechanism for the device to be assembled. Through paper prototyping I quickly mocked up the shape to get a feel for the size and form. After this I moved quickly to CAD (Solidworks) and created renderings using Keyshot and Photoshop.






Overall, response to the project has been positive. The project is entirely conceptual at this point, but the technology is their to make it a reality in the near future. The conceptual nature of the project has drawn some criticism though from people who only like to see projects grounded firmly in current technology. I find it more fun to speculate about the future when coming up with conceptual design ideas.

Evan McDougall

Evan is a Freelance Industrial Designer creating meaningful products and experiences for companies big and small.

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