ESTP at the CMU Innovation Palooza: Impact-a-Thon

Conductive heat transfer, R-values and great teamwork came together when the ESTP team (Sidharth Raghu, Oluwatobi Adekanye, Yogesh (Yogi) Gopalan and Alberto Giron) participated in the Impact-a-Thon during CMU’s first annual Innovation Palooza on October 1, 2014. With the harsh winters in Pittsburgh drawing near, the competition focused on designing a portable, low cost shelter for the homeless to provide warmth and cover. The lightweight shelter resembles a hammock when opened and folds up into a rucksack when portability is required. The materials chosen for the shelter are washable and designed to provide warmth for a sleeping human being in temperatures as low as 0 degrees C. Pockets for storing personal belongings double as additional insulation when stuffed with commonly available material such as newspapers, cardboard etc. Stands made from recycled plastic lumber provide enough elevation to keep the occupants off the snow in case of extreme precipitation. The entire enclosure with the plastic stands cost less than $100 and weighs less than 25 lbs.

By:  Saakshi Gupta, M.S. ESTP student and Communications Intern; Concentration: Civil & Environmental Engineering, Focus: Energy Management