Transcript Document
MIT IDEAS Competition 2005 IAP Design Challenge: Invent a gizmo to process manioc/cassava! Design Challenge Kick-Off January 6, 2005 AGENGA • • • • • • • • • MIT IDEAS & why have a design challenge? What is manioc/cassava? Tim Heidel: EnGhana and cassava pounding Amy Smith: Haiti and cassava grating The 2005 IAP Design Challenge & Getting your hands dirty Important dates Resources & materials information Team-building Scrap-heap open and session sign-up Getting to know manioc/cassava Drought resistant crop in tropical and subtropical areas (Africa, Southeast Asia, the Caribbean and Latin America) that can grow in marginal soil conditions. Produced mostly on small-scale, nonmechanized farms as a subsistence farming crop. Versatile Food source for people and livestock Edible roots can be made into high calorie pastes/flours and leaves are a good source of protein and vitamins A & B Commercial applications Binding agent (paper/textiles) Big potential A 40% increase in cassava production helped Ghana reduce undernourishment more rapidly than any other country between 1980-1996. Current limitations High yield losses to pests and diseases Reproduction by stem cutting Harvesting is labor intensive Current limitations Processing methods (grating, pounding, scraping, drying, etc.) are labor intensive. Any new processing methods or devices must be thorough and fast. • Some cassava varieties contain cyanides, which must be removed. • Cassava roots can deteriorate quickly after harvesting. A better processing method/device can have a positive impact on nutrition (Ghana example) and economic development (substitute for imported grains/flours). Background and Demonstrations • Tim Heidel: EnGhana and cassava pounding • Amy Smith: Haiti and cassava grating The design challenge Important dates • Jan 7 Design Process Workshop. 6:00pm-8:00pm, 4-402 • Jan 13 Cassava Culture Lunch. 1:00pm-3:00pm, 4-402 • Jan 20 Design Review Session. 1:00-3:00pm, 4-402 • Jan 27 Prototype Demo and Judging. 6:00-8:00pm, 4-402 • Feb 3 IDEAS Generator Dinner and Design Challenge Awards. 7:309:30pm, Bush Room Please sign-up! Resources MIT workshops Edgerton Student Shop, 44023 http://web.mit.edu/Edgerton/www/Shop. html Hobby Shop, W31-031 http://web.mit.edu/campusactivities/hobbyshop/ Edgerton Lab, 4-409 Central Machine Shop, 38001 http://web.mit.edu/cmshop/mshop.html MITERS shop, N52-115 http://miters.mit.edu/index.php/MITERS Materials The scrap heap… Other sources of materials Team-building Scrap heap open for business!