## Inspiration

While we were thinking about the sustainability track, we realized that one of the biggest challenges faced by humanity is carbon emissions, global warming and climate change.
According to Dr.Fatih Birol, IEA Executive Director -
*"Global carbon emissions are set to jump by 1.5 billion tonnes this year. This is a dire warning that the economic recovery from the Covid crisis is currently anything but sustainable for our climate."*
With this concern in mind we decided to work on a model which could possibly be a small compact carbon capturing system to reduce the carbon footprint around the world.

## What it does

The system is designed to capture CO2 directly from the atmosphere using microalgae as our biofilter.

## How we built it

Our plan was to first develop a design that could house the microalgae. We designed a chamber in Fusion 360 which we later 3D printed to house the microalgae. The air from the surroundings is directed into the algal chamber using an aquarium aerator. The pumped in air moves into the algal chamber through an air stone bubble diffuser which allows the air to break into smaller bubbles. These smaller air bubbles make the CO2 sequestration easier by giving the microalgae more time to act upon it. We have made a spiral design inside the chamber so that the bubbles travel upward through the chamber in a spiral fashion, giving the microalgae even more time to act upon it. This continuous process in due course would lead to capturing of CO2 and production of oxygen.

## Challenges we ran into

3D printing the parts of the chamber within the specified time.
Getting our hands on enough micro algae to fill up the entire system in its optimal growth period (log phase) for the best results.
Making the chamber leak proof.

## Accomplishments that we're proud of

The hardware design that we were able to design and build over the stipulated time.
Develop the system which could actually bring down CO2 levels by utilizing the unique side of microalgae.

## What we learned

We came across a lot of research papers implicating the best use of microalgae in its role to capture CO2.
Time management: Learnt to design and develop a system from scratch in a short period.

## What's next for Aria

We plan to conduct more research using microalgae and enhance the design of the existing system we built so that we could increase the carbon capture efficiency of the system.
Keeping in mind the deteriorating indoor air quality, we also plan to integrate it with the inorganic air filters so that it could help in improving the overall indoor air quality.
We also plan to conduct research on finding out how much area does one unit of Aria covers
## Inspiration

30 percent of the total US carbon CO2 emissions were produced by the transportation sector. That's nearly 2 billion metric tons of CO2 per year that we send into the atmosphere.

We need to do something and do it quickly since the Earth has already been feeling the effects of humankind on its well being: sea levels have risen, ocean temperatures increased, and global warming is a real threat. Luckily, non-profits like Cool Earth have already jumped on the problem, with the mission of reinvesting the donations they get into cleaner and greener energy sources. They calculated that for every tonne of CO2 that is being sent into the atmosphere, they can offset its negative effects with a donation of just **$1.34** dollars.

The initial idea for Zeppelin came through when we thought about how much it would cost to offset one flight-worth of CO2. After reading papers from different non-profits, we realized that a flight from Los Angeles to New York would cost only $4.22 per person. Who wouldn't want to help the Earth, greatly offset the carbon footprint, and do it for just a fraction of a cost of a normal ticket? We decided to make it easy for people to make this step forward, so we created Zeppelin.

## What it does

Zeppelin has a plethora of different features that make it as easy as pressing a button to make a difference in today fight against Global Warming. So let's go through a scenario of someone who might use it after flying or driving in a car:

1. Jake just landed in Atlanta with his flight from San Francisco, and by opening Zeppelin, facing the camera at his boarding pass, and pressing a button, he was quick to donate to the non-profits he knows can help his cause. Luckily, his credit card is stored securely on the app, so there is no need to do any extra typing.
2. Reni is about to go on a road trip with his friends from New York City to Denver. By opening Zeppelin, typing in where they are going, and pressing the "Donate" button, Reni kept his mind at ease during the trip about his carbon footprint.

We can scan boarding passes, calculate your CO2 emission by car and by plane, store your credit card for when you want to donate, and we can wire the money to companies like Cool Earth for you.

## How we built it

Zeppelin is built in React Native, which means that this app can soon be available on iOS, Android, and Windows phone, and after a little bit of tweaking, can even come up as a website. We first sat down and discussed what we wanted in the minimum viable product, and later brainstormed potential features we can add. We were happy to have finished out MVP pretty early, and after dividing up the additional features, we worked on accomplishing those.

## Challenges we ran into

It was the first real opportunity most of us had to experience React Native, so there were many learning challenges we experienced. Setting up the local SQLite database and connecting with the Stripe API was the hardest of the challenges.

## Accomplishments that we're proud of

We took a lot of time in ensuring that our app looks polished. Even though this is a hackathon project, the app looks professional.

## What we learned

## What's next for Zeppelin

Technologically, we would love to connect the app through social media, to add a social aspect to lowering carbon emissions. Additionally, we would like to offer a larger range of potential non-profits people could donate to, so our users can see themselves who they like best.

On the business side, we see very big potential with airline companies: with large companies today helping fight climate change, airline companies can add the potential donations on future tickets, so the flyers can become better educated on what they can do to help.
## Inspiration

Midway through the pandemic, multiple individuals, social organizations, and conversationalists shed light on a humongous upcoming challenge that was a byproduct of our use of masks and single-use personal protective equipment (PPE). It was estimated that around 1.56 billion masks will enter the oceans by the end of 2020, amounting to between 4,680 and 6,240 metric tonnes of plastic pollution- adding to a glut of plastic waste that already threatens marine life. Teams had found disposable masks floating like jellyfish in seas and oceans and waterlogged latex gloves scattered across seabeds. This was also, a loud reminder of a big existential threat we as a society are facing which is Ocean Pollution. This caught my eye and the need for an efficient system is what lead to this proposed product/system.

## What it does

Proposed and built is a system that collects ocean garbage in high capacities mid-ocean deploying a very long array of floating barriers that act as an artificial coastline, allowing the ocean to clean itself. Accompanying in a water cleaning vehicle that brings the collected waste onboard and has the capacity to process and maneuvers it using minimum energy needs.
The vihicle part

* The water vehicle would collect garbage using a water wheel powered conveyer belt
• Retractable sea bins will be deployed radially outwards from the water vehicle and cleanse
the ocean chemically
• The Ocean collection part is depicted below
• CONCENTRATE THE PLASTIC AND TAKE IT OUT

## How we built it

The prototype of both the floating coastline and vehicle were designed on **Autodesk Fusion 360**
An accompanying video explaining the concept in detail was made using **Autodesk Maya** , specifically bringing to use the Bifrost Ocean Simulation System (BOSS) to bring oceanic simulations to life.

## Challenges we ran into

Being a single membered team, I was unable to explore about the more technical aspects of the Water Vehicle like its Electronics, gear tran etc.

## Accomplishments that we're proud of

The proposed system is theoretically using just the natural forces to automate the collection , this is such a big conceptual big because it negates the use of the exponential amount of money that would otherwise have been involved, gives a near-perfect theoretical efficacy and it totally useable.
I'm also proud to bring together existing solutions like the se-abin and incorporate it into the machine to make it useable for multiple water body systems. Additionally

1. There, as of now exists no single machine which deals with pollutants of all kinds of water
bodies.
2. The sighting of the word ‘holistic’ multiple times stressing on our products wholeness sets its
far ahead of any existing solution
3. Our products focuses not just on the physical but chemical cleansing of the water body
which is extremely important when it comes to well being of aquatic life.
4. The use of renewable power sources in multiple forms, results in 1. Cost cutting 2.
Prevention from environment degradation
5. Our prototype mainly focuses on using less and less energy and being able to generate its
power with the help of renewable energy such as solar, hydraulic and even using ocean
current.
6. There is also a backup that will work when none of the renewable energy is sufficient to
power the vehicle which is array of Methanol Fuel cells.
7. There is no realistic way to clean up the accumulation zones, each several million square
kilometres in size. Coastlines are evidently very effective in catching plastic. Unfortunately,
there is no landmass in the middle of these gyres so it is difficult to accumulate those
garbage. Our product focuses on creating artificial coastlines in the middle of the ocean. The
logistics and monetary benefits it comes with are extremely tough to break even using any
other technique

## What we learned

Learned extensively about designing, animation and editing, ocean systems, chemical physical water cleansing etc.

## What's next for Omniclean

A fullly functional and technologically sound small scale prototype