We're happy to share the submissions to our Gas Stations of the Future project. They range from the technical to the satirical. Check them out below (click on any image to expand it). We're asking you, the GOOD community, to vote on which vision of the gas station of the future you think is best.
Once you have spoken, we'll take the top five submissions, and in concert with Beyond the Edge, make a selection of the top three. Remember, the winner will receive $1,000 from Beyond the Edge. The first runner-up will receive $500 and the third-place entry will receive $250.
You can cast your vote here through Tuesday, March 23. We'll announce the winners shortly thereafter. Best of luck to everyone.
\nFrom Alex Dumler:\n
E.capsule is a concept about transportation and energy consumption in our very near future. Energy is everywhere we have so many possibilities to use it and be independent from dirty, inefficient and conventional energy production, like burning fossil fuel and coal or using nuclear power. We have even to rethink the term "gas station" to something like "Energy Station." These stations are smaller and more flexible than conventional gas stations, by the greater number to provide better supply.
From Dave Pinter:
From Elina Muceniece: The whole idea is that there's going to be mostly electrical cars in the future, since they're ecological, stable (not dangerous) and the technologies are already developing really fast. The batteries will be located just under the roof, because during the daytime car can obtain Solar energy through the cells on the roof and store it in the batteries. When you ran out of power in one battery (there are at least two) and plan on driving a long way, it's time to fill up- change the battery.
You drive in the station. Insert your driver's licence in the machine. The station scans your car, how high it is and where are the batteries located, the lift adjusts the optimal height of your car for the exchanging mechanism. And then the exchange starts. You press a button to remove the empty battery, the machine obtains it, measures how much of a discount you get, because of the power left in the battery, and shows the total price for obtaining a new one on the screen. Then, if you press an OK button, the machine takes it out completely and replace it with a new fully loaded one. You can decide if you want to pay by credit card or send the bill to your driver's license account. The lift returns to the normal height and that's all- you're fully charged again.
There's no personnel involved, the stations are run automatically. If you're having problems there's a possibility to report for a bug in the main menu of the machine. If all the batteries in the station are fully charged the charger turns off, so there's no waste of energy.
From Greg Lancaster:
This is what I think (hope) gas stations will look like in the near future. The reason the station looks beat up and run down is to get the point across that hopefully we won't be depending on them in the future and we can be using solar power more efficiently. I hope that something will be done with the gas station building, like a locally ran business, art gallery, what have yoi. The hover part is just because that would be totally rad.
From Kim Gyr:
I propose linear cities where everyone can walk from where they live into open fields, both to grow their own food, and to supply those who are still stuck in existing cities, and towers like those above.
The orange tunnel bordering the fields contains high-speed rail, along with medium and low-speed lines, which are the only form of transportation outside of bicycles, electric cars and ships that can be driven by wind. Everyone lives within a 10 minute walk of their own field, chickens and fruit trees, and all can very rapidly reach the existing cities using the high-speed rail link, which uses only about one-third of the energy/passenger mile that cars and aircraft use.
The wind turbines (along the top) along the edge of the north to south linear city capture the energy of the prevailing westerly wind that has been accelerated as it passes over its three to five stories. Present day expressways can be used deliver building materials to build linear cities just alongside, as below, and we can start by installing conventional wind turbines first 1), followed by both high-speed rail and "high temperature" superconducting induction tracks in the roadway to drive electric vehicles, giving them unlimited range 2), followed by the construction of the linear cities themselves 3): The intermediate stage of elevated platforms a) for quick-change battery pit stops for autonomous electric vehicles. All residents are within walking and cycling distance of fields.
From Kinyali Muia:
The energy stations of the future will be unobtrusive and it will blend in with the surrounding environment. The mode of fuel and energy transportation will change drastically. Energy stations will be based on a system of anywhere and everywhere is a station and every renewable source and any renewable source is a fuel. The purchase of energy for transportation will be RFID based since energy stations will be decentralized and in abundance and operated locally.
From Matt McInerney: What if the gas station of the future is no gas station at all? In my vision, as electric cars become more popular because fossil fuels have become more expensive, we'll need less places to pump and more places to plug in. While many people will just plug in their cars at home, there will certainly be those of us who need to plug in while we're at work or running errands. Instead of stopping to charge the car on our way to these activities, what if we could just plug in where we park? And instead of designing a new "gas pump," perhaps we could make use of a payment system we're already accustomed to: parking meters. By adding a touchscreen interface that allows the user to pay for both parking and charge time simultaneously, rarely would anyone ever have to rely on stopping at a station solely dedicated to providing fuel for vehicles.
From Haik Avanian:
My idea is simple: trains will replace the current car-based system of mass national transit, and commemorative coffee shops will be created at designated rest stops which are designed to look like gas stations from the past. These rest stops will now be selling delicious coffee, to fuel the passengers of the train and to give them enough energy to make it to their destination without tiring out.
From Hulland + Anderson:
By re-purposing the rusted broken down gas stations that have become a familiar sight in most inner cities or along the edges of our nation's suburban slums we believe that we can create a solution capable of addressing some of the most pressing societal woes. Through increasing access to much needed resources such as fresh healthy food, increased bicycling infrastructure, the tools and information needed to decrease energy usage on the road and in the home, and locally produced bio-fuels these re-imagined gas stations will not only address energy usage, but also our nation's energy consciousness and overall health.
From Matt McPeak:
Here's my idea for how we will fuel our cars in the future - it's called ECOBAND:
ecoband is a wearable device that absorbs energy.
Natural Energy ecoband will capture energy from body movement.
As we walk around-the office, or mall, or grocery store, or gym-our bodies are releasing energy. This band will absorb and store this energy allowing us to use it to power our cars. The band is lined with ribbons on the interior which transfer energy produced by the body into the storage unit of the device.
Solar Energy ecoband will also capture energy from the sun.
If we're outside working or playing this band will harness the sun's energy and store it for later use. If we find ourselves inside (and not creating much natural energy) we can place the band in sunlight to capture more energy throughout the day. The outside of the band is built to adsorb sunlight. It transfers this energy into the storage unit - the same way as it does with Natural Energy.
Energy Transfer The energy stored in ecoband can be transferred to the car's battery through a two-way power outlet. The storage unit of the band disconnects from the strap and can be plugged into a USB adapter, releasing the energy into the vehicle.
Energy Storage As advancements are made with energy storage, it will soon be possible to capture and store vast amounts of energy in a small device or battery. Currently there are experimental chips that can power mobile phones from a day's amount of natural energy. There's no reason why this technology can't translate into bigger applications such as transportation as we move forward.
From Forrest Smith:
The future of gas (or refueling) stations is that there won't be any. My proposal shows several options as a result of wirelessly charged vehicles (like new devices that wirelessly charge iPhones and other portable gadgets). For most instances, people will charge their vehicles at home, but this doesn't remove the need for recharging for longer trips. The likely result will be special driving lanes that charge vehicles as they drive, perhaps fed by large energy producing structures along the road, which could be used as recognizable architectural branding by energy companies.
From Paul Zullo:
The gas station of the future will alleviate the worst problem affecting the current gas station: having to stop. I have conceived a design for a no-stop gas station that will allow automobiles to be refueled while moving. Cars will pull off the highway or road and a battery of robot fuel pumps will communicate with the homing signal created by the gas tank opening combined with a laser guided system, allowing the fuel pump to insert itself into the fuel filling plug. Payment will be handled by a credit card authorized radio frequency communication device.
UPDATE: One piece has been removed due to its simmilarities to an already existing piece of art.
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