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Baa Challenge

The Trolley Challenge

Over 30 million passengers depart from BAA airports every day and one of the challenges that faces the airports is to provide passengers arriving by car, train or bus, with a convenient method of getting themselves and their luggage to check-in. Good, efficient luggage transport is an important service
factor in modern air travel – at both international airports and regional interchanges. Currently a single trolley is used for all types of passengers irrespective of how much luggage they are carrying, whether they have children or even if they are disabled.
Have you ever considered the problems encountered by users of airports, especially those with large number of suitcases and bags, and accompanied by young children? Your challenge is to create a more flexible trolley design using new technologies. You may either take an existing solution and modify it; or design a completely new model.

Getting Started

The Challenge requires you to design an improved airport trolley that tackles some of these issues.
1. Flexibility with the quantity of luggage carried.
2. Be able to be used by people with disabilities.
3. Help parents with children.
4. Go up escalators.
5. Guide travellers through the airport.
6. Stop bags from being stolen off trolleys.

You may wish to consider:
• Whether you redesign current trolleys or use a totally new approach.
• How the trolley is propelled.
• If the trolley stays with the passenger, or if it finds its own way to check-in.
• Whether the trolley can be adapted to carry different types of load.

What to do

There are three stages to your work:
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Stage 1 – Research
• Investigate different trolleys used for different purposes (eg supermarkets, factories etc). Don’t forget to look at current airport trolleys.
• Look into the technology of your trolley. You will need to look at products that you may wish to use on your trolley such as motors and electronic direction systems.
• Don’t forget to research the cost and practicality of your trolley design.
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Stage 2 – Develop a design solution
Your design solution should provide a more flexible trolley design using either a modified version of the existing trolley or a completely new approach. Whichever approach you are taking your design should include the following:
• Have a braking system.
• Have a method of steering.
• Have a capacity to carrying 64Kg.
• Have an advertising space.
• Have a method of being stacked with other
trolleys.

PLUS Produce suggestions on how your trolley would tackle at least 2 of the problems the we have highlighted on the opposite page.
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Stage 3 – Produce a design folder
Your design folder should:
• Identify the problem your solution addresses.
• Contain evidence of the research that you have undertaken including any visits that you have made.
• Explain your idea or solution.
• Contain your design drawings.
• It should be no more than 4 sides of A4, plus drawings.
Successful entries will be invited to the national final where you will be asked to make a presentation on your design and have a working model.
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Your presentation should:
• Be approximately 5-10 minutes.
• Incorporate multimedia slides as support.
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Your model should:
• Demonstrate the principles of your design.
• Where appropriate, contain pieces of software to demonstrate your ideas.

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REGISTRATION
Complete the online registration form or contact Young Engineers for a hard copy of the challenge brochure.

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Young Engineers will acknowledge all entries and confirm the next stage of the competition. Register your entry by 1st June 2005. The challenge is open to registered Young Engineers clubs in the following age groups, working either as individuals or in teams of up to four students:

GROUP 1 Primary academic years 4, 5 & 6
GROUP 2 Junior academic years 7, 8 & 9 or P7, S1 & 2
GROUP 3 Senior academic years 10, 11, 12 & 13 or S3, 4, 5 & 6
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DESIGN SUBMISSION
Once you have registered your entry you should send your design portfolio/report (stage 3) to Young Engineers. The report/portfolio must be clearly marked with: School name and address, name(s) and ages of the students, group category and design solution title. All design submissions must be sent to Young Engineers by 15 May 2005; judges will then review the submissions and will notify schools of the results by 07 June 2005. All design submissions will be returned.

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CHALLENGE FINAL
Based on the design submission, entries will be selected to attend the Challenge Final Day – expected to be at Heathrow Airport Visitors Centre in July 2005. If selected to attend the final you will be asked to give a short 5-10 min presentation outlining the work that you have undertaken. Presentation will take place in front of an audience comprising a small group of BAA judges and the students etc from the other finalist teams. In addition, you will also be asked to display your work and model for the judges and other teams to view during the course of the day. Display boards and tables will be provided.
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PRIZES
Prizes will be awarded to the winners and runners-up in each category at the National Final from a prize fund of £2,250. Certificates for all students attending the national final will be presented.
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Dates to remember:
Challenge entry closing date: 15th May 2005
Design submission closing date: 1st June 2005
Challenge Final date: 18th July 2005
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TECHNICAL ADVICE
Remember to keep checking the web site as Young Engineers will post the latest challenge news on the challenge news page.