Innovation Designed

This custom design and production project involved outfitting 3 trucks with advanced off-grid capabilities and a fully equipped mobile lab to support a maintenance crew of four.

The design features a robust power input system, including solar panels, generators, and battery storage, ensuring reliable power supply in remote locations. The aim was to create a versatile, self-sustaining vehicle that excels in providing on-site support and maintenance services, showcasing a blend of innovation, efficiency, and user-centered design.

Our research and planning process embraced human-centered design philosophies to ensure the final product truly meets user needs. We constructed a full-scale cardboard model of the interior, incorporating various swappable furniture and tools, allowing the service technicians to interact with the space and provide invaluable feedback. Additionally, we built the lab in virtual reality (VR), enabling technicians to explore the space with greater fidelity. This collaborative method ensured that the design met the practical needs of the users, accounting for constraints we might not have otherwise considered. This project exemplifies how we work alongside clients to realize the perfect solution for their needs.

Comfort and efficiency were key considerations for the lab's interior. Heating and cooling are managed by a heat pump mini-split system, supplemented by an electric heater for freezing conditions. A vent fan provides both light fume extraction and humidity control, essential in enclosed spaces. Generous mounting options are available throughout the lab to accommodate various packing strategies, including ratcheting straps for securing equipment. All work surfaces feature butcher block countertops, and wooden open-top storage bins are provided for miscellaneous items and cables, keeping the lab organized.

During the pandemic, we produced over 450 desks for underserved students, with the help of volunteers from Virginia Tech. These desks were essential for creating conducive learning environments for students who shifted to remote learning. While many were given out locally, we even shipped them across the US for free to those who asked. This initiative was just one of over 30 technologies, products, and solutions that Building Momentum developed to support COVID-19 disaster response efforts.

Providing students with dedicated study spaces is crucial for effective learning, especially in a remote learning environment. These desks are designed to create a focused and organized study environment, helping students to concentrate better and improve their academic performance. Features like cable management and storage hooks ensure that students have all the tools they need at their fingertips, reducing distractions and enabling efficient study sessions.

The desk's design is both clever and practical, capable of being produced flat and requiring no tools or hardware for assembly. The tenon and wedge joinery doubles as storage hooks for backpacks, jackets, headphones, and more. The writing surface features a laser-cut polystyrene insert to prevent damage from writing or hand oils. A lip at the back of the desk stores pencils and serves as a stand for an iPad. The desk's tall sides focus the student on the task at hand, helping to filter distractions common when working at home.

Durability and ease of use were key considerations in the desk's material selection. The use of sturdy, eco-friendly materials ensures that the desk can withstand daily use while also being easy to clean and maintain. The laser-cut polystyrene insert on the writing surface not only protects the desk but also provides a smooth, durable surface for writing and other activities.

The desks are designed for easy assembly, requiring no tools or additional hardware. This feature ensures that students and their families can quickly set up the desks at home without any additional assistance. The tenon and wedge joinery system is intuitive and robust, providing a stable and secure desk without the need for screws or bolts. The desk can be assembled with the work surface at multiple heights, accommodating students of any age. This flexibility also allows for the creation of additional storage space with a second surface underneath, ideal for storing books, papers, and other school materials when not in use.

Our clear mask was thoughtfully designed to enhance facial visibility and effective communication during the pandemic.

Designed during the pandemic, this mask combines economic manufacturing with functional design. Its clear, face-conforming shape supports essential visual cues and facial expressions. The innovative design reduces fogging and allows for the use of any filter material, making it an adaptable solution in times of need. Designed with comfort and visibility in mind, it serves as a reliable barrier without compromising on communication.

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This Mobile Lab is an affordable, self-sufficient, deployable capability for problem-solving.

In 2019, most mobile fabrication spaces cost well over one million USD, and were designed for highly specialized, narrow use cases. Building Momentum, with our extensive field experience, know that most field applications require more capability than many of these labs provide. Additionally, we’ve found that it doesn’t have to be expensive to be capable.

Designed by people with experience working in deployed spaces.

Our cofounders Brad Halsey and Albert Vega each spent several years all over Iraq and Afghanistan working in labs like this, and the result is a lot of clever features that you won’t find on other labs. For instance, what happens when your air conditioner breaks in a remote part of the world? Sourcing parts or a replacement is difficult with a high-end custom system, but window A/C units can be sourced almost anywhere. The A/C openings in our labs can fit any size air conditioner and gaskets can be easily modified to fit a new unit.

Our lab has a breadth of tools that allow the users to tackle a wide variety of problem sets. Each lab are client-configured, often containing several 3D printers, a laser cutter, electronics bench with R/F testing and drone building tools, CNC milling machines, off-grid welding capability, PCB mills, and general fabrication tools - all centered around a six-person conference table. All of the walls and even the ceiling are dry-erase compatible for spur-of-the-moment brainstorming.

Surface-mounted electrical conduit may not be glamorous, but it’s a great way to ensure long-lasting power configuration in a deployed space. It’s inexpensive, and if you need to rerun power, you don’t need to tear up the walls. This “don’t overthink it” method of problem solving is applied all over the lab, resulting in a product that is inexpensive, easily adapted, and elegant in its simplicity.

We designed this lab from the ground up with the knowledge that in the field, your needs and resources of the moment can quickly change. For instance, the six-person conference table can quickly fold down to create dedicated workspace for two with floor space for a large project. The welding and machining setups can be moved outside for better ventilation, which provides even more interior floor space for larger projects.

Each lab is equipped with an off-grid power system that can take advantage of solar or wind and a lithium ion battery bank. This allows the lab to reduce generator runtime or run completely independent of one.