Monday, July 19, 2010
Greetings from Motor City!
The DASH+ Grand Prize Experience trip has gotten off to a great start! This morning, EDV Technologies team members Kelvin Noronha, Jake Moghtader and Nikhil Shinday wowed our panel of auto experts with the presentation of their dashboard of the future. The panel was particularly impressed by the dashboard’s unique feature which awards Green Points for eco-friendly driving. The auto industry experts recognized the importance of incentivizing more fuel-efficient driving and leveraging shared information through social networks. Again and again, the panel expressed their admiration of the team’s hard work and good thinking.
Following the presentation , the panel engaged in a thoughtful Q&A session with the students. The team was asked about:
· Their motivation for developing such a forward-thinking design
· The unintended consequences of a system that rewards drivers for particular driving habits
· What types of audience research was conducted by the team
After the panel, the team was joined by leading battery expert Ann Marie Sastry of Sakti3 for a private luncheon where the conversation focused on innovation. During the lunch, the team learned about Dr. Sastry’s experience in the industry and received valuable feedback and advice.
Later in the afternoon, the team toured The Henry Ford with an archivist who walked the team through the history of the automobile. At the conclusion of the tour, he reminded the students that the future of the museum depends on continued innovations from creative young minds like the EDV Technologies team. They also had the privilege of stopping by to check out their own work in our Under the Hood, Drive Change Today exhibit, which is another key part of our national education outreach, also funded by the U.S.Department of Energy.
Next the team explored the museum's Greenfield Village for a ride on a real Model T Ford, a vintage steam engine, and an exploration of the lives of past inventors, including Thomas Edison and the Wright brothers.
We’ve had a great first day here in the Detroit area. Check back tomorrow for an overview of the day’s activities.