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I'M HERE WITH RAFAEL SMITH, THE DESIGNER AND CREATOR
OF THE UBER SHELTER BEHIND US.
WHY IS THE UBER SHELTER CALLED "UBER SHELTER"?
I WAS ACTUALLY MINORING IN GERMAN AT THE TIME.
THE ORIGINAL DESIGN WAS ONE SHELTER STACKED
ON TOP OF THE OTHER.
THE IDEA WAS TO CUT DOWN THE OVERALL SIZE OF A REFUGEE CAMP
TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR EIGHT AGENCIES TO DISTRIBUTE FOOD,
WATER, AND MEDICAL ATTENTION.
SINCE THE DESIGN WAS A MODULAR UNIT THAT STACKED ONE ON TOP
OF THE OTHER, THE NAME "UBER" POPPED IN MY MIND,
BECAUSE UBER MEANS "ABOVE" IN GERMAN.
SO WHILE I WAS TRYING TO COME
UP FOR A NAME, IT CAME AND IT STUCK.
THE DESIGN HAS CHANGED QUITE A BIT SINCE THE ORIGINAL CONCEPT,
BUT WE STILL MAINTAIN THE IDEA OF USING VERTICAL SPACE
FOR INCREASED LIVING AREA.
WHERE DID YOU GET THE INITIAL DESIGN INSPIRATION FOR THIS?
THIS PROJECT STARTED
AS MY UNDERGRADUATE THESIS IN INDUSTRIAL DESIGN.
I CAME ACROSS SEVERAL ARTICLES THAT SPOKE
ABOUT THE TERRIBLE LIVING CONDITIONS
WITHIN RELIEF CAMPS, REFUGEE CAMPS.
SO THIS GOT ME THINKING THAT MAYBE THE PROBLEM OF SHELTER
AND DISASTER RELIEF
OR IN REFUGEE CAMPS COULD BE A PROBLEM SOLVED BY DESIGN.
WE STARTED OFF WITH DESIGNS, CAD MODELS,
A PICTURE ON A PIECE OF PAPER.
TO GET THE IDEA FROM PAPER TO PROTOTYPE WAS A HUGE, HUGE STEP.
I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO MEET A MAN WHO HAS CLOSE TO 40 YEARS
OF EXPERIENCE IN CONSTRUCTION THAT REALLY HELPED
WITH FINDING THE PROPER MATERIALS
WHEN WE WERE HAVING TROUBLES WITH STABILITY
OR WITH HOW TO CONSTRUCT THINGS.
HIS CONSTRUCTION KNOWLEDGE REALLY PLAYED A LARGE ROLE
IN DEVELOPING A PROTOTYPE.
I HAD SPENT LIKE 10 YEARS WORKING ON SOLVING PROBLEMS
FOR EMERGENCY SHELTERS,
AND MY IDEAS WERE MUCH HEAVIER AND MUCH CLUNKIER.
AND WHEN I SAW RAFAEL'S, IT REALLY STRUCK ME
THAT THAT'S MUCH MORE THE IDEA THAT NEEDS TO BE THERE.
AND I REALLY FEEL LIKE THE COMBINATION OF OUR TWO ABILITIES
ON THE DESIGN ASPECT OF THIS
IN SOLVING THE PROBLEMS HAS REALLY JUST CREATED A SYNERGY
THAT'S BEEN VERY STRONG.
THE SHELTER COMES IN A COLLAPSED 4x8x2 PACKAGE,
WHICH IS SHIPPED FLAT AND DELIVERED ON-SITE.
FROM THERE, THE SHELTERS IS UNFOLDED, AND ALL THE COMPONENTS
THAT CREATE THE SHELTER ARE STORED INSIDE.
THE SHELTER IS A TWO-STORY, THREE-ROOM STRUCTURE,
WITH TWO OF THE ROOMS BEING FULLY INSULATED.
THE SECOND FLOOR ACTS AS A SLEEPING LOFT, WHICH ALLOWS US
TO UTILIZE VERTICAL SPACE FOR INCREASED LIVING AREA.
ONE OF THE KEY FEATURES
IN OUR DESIGN IS HAVING AN ELEVATED FLOOR,
WHICH IS IMPORTANT FOR WEATHER PURPOSES.
THE FLOOR RESTS ON INDIVIDUAL JACK STANDS,
WHICH EACH ONE CAN BE INDIVIDUALLY RAISED OR LOWERED
TO ALLOW THE STRUCTURE TO REMAIN LEVEL ON UNEVEN TERRAIN.
CREATING A SHELTER THAT HAS THE ABILITY TO ADAPT
TO DIFFERENT CLIMATES, DIFFERENT TERRAINS,
EVEN DIFFERENT CULTURES IS SOMETHING THAT'S WHAT WE'RE
TRYING TO ADDRESS WITH THIS PRODUCT.
WHAT DO I NEED IN ORDER TO BUILD THE UBER SHELTER?
THE UBER SHELTER IS BUILT WITH JUST A WRENCH AND A RATCHET.
THE SHELTER IS DELIVERED IN A 4x8x2 PACKAGE,
AND ALL THE COMPONENTS
THAT CREATE THE SHELTER ARE STORED INSIDE
THAT COLLAPSED PACKAGE.
THE INDUSTRIAL DESIGN PROGRAM AT PURDUE WAS GREAT
IN ASSISTING ME COVER THIS TOPIC,
DO THE NECESSARY RESEARCH.
THE SUPPORT FROM MY PROFESSORS, FROM OTHER CLASSMATES WAS HUGE.
THERE ARE 42 MILLION PEOPLE DISPLACED WORLDWIDE,
AND OUR MISSION IS TO BETTER THESE LIVES THROUGH DESIGN,
AND I FEEL FORTUNATE THAT I GET TO WAKE UP EVERY DAY
AND DESIGN PRODUCTS LIKE THIS, AND WE FEEL THAT WE ARE
ON THE PATH TO SOLVING THAT PROBLEM WITH THE UBER SHELTER.
WITH ALL THE UNCERTAINTIES IN THE WORLD,
RAFAEL AND HIS TEAM ARE ON THE RIGHT TRACK
TO SOLVING THIS URGENT GLOBAL PROBLEM.
I'M ALLISON DOUGLAS FOR "BOILER BYTES."