Lift It Up

There’s been an accident in the science lab and the scientists need your help. Follow the Design Thinking Process to create a lifting device to clear dangerous materials from the lab safely.

Subjects
STEAM, Science, Design and Technologies

• Makedo Invent Kit

• Upcycled cardboard

• Resource: Design Thinking Process

Pose the following scenario:

There has been an accident in the science lab!

Everyone has been evacuated and no one can go back inside until all the dangerous materials have been cleared away. The science equipment and materials can’t be picked up by hand so you must create something to grab, lift, scoop or carry the items out of the lab to safety. Some items are very small while others are quite heavy.

The scientists need your help!

Your Goal: Use Makedo tools and connectors with upcycled materials to create a lifting device to clear away items in the science lab.

Your Role: You are part of the elite cleanup crew for dangerous materials.

Your Audience: Scientists who need help creating a safe place to work after an accident.

The Scenario: A science laboratory handling dangerous chemicals and materials.

The Product: A functioning prototype of a grabbing and lifting device including moving parts made with Makedo tools, connectors and upcycled cardboard.

• What aspects of your design are you most pleased with? 

• Were there similarities between the designs that were most effective? What were they?

• What was difficult about this challenge? Did anything surprise you?

• What would you do to improve your design if you embarked on this challenge again?

• Design a lifting device to carry tiny objects as well as big heavy objects.

• Consider whether you could use robotics or any other technology to improve your design.

• Design a creation that can be pre-programmed or remotely operated to lift and carry objects.