The 72-Hour Race to Build a Gonzo People Mover

This summer's Red Bull Creation Contest challenged teams from around the U.S. to build something that could move a 100-person person without using fossil fuels, while incorporating only scrap materials or stuff they brought with them to New York. Oh, and they had to do it all in three days. These are some of the kooky creations the teams came up with. By Mary Beth Griggs

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On an insanely hot Sunday in July, 16 sweaty, exhausted teams from around the country rolled, pedaled, skated and cranked a collection of unusual machines across an asphalt field in Brooklyn, New York's McCarren Park. The teams were vying for the $5000 grand prize in the first-ever Red Bull Creation event?an attempt to add a little competitive spirit to the nascent maker movement. They had been given three days to hammer, weld and wire together as much as 200 pounds of gear they brought with them with whatever they could salvage from a communal junk pile, as well as from the streets of New York City itself. On day one, the challenge was revealed: Construct a device capable of moving a 100-pound person without using fossil fuels. The results would be judged by a panel of professional technology junkies, including Popular Mechanics' senior editor Glenn Derene.

What ensued was a down-to-the-wire drama of competition, imagination and a surprising amount of cooperation as the teams pursued the cash award and a state-of-the-art laser cutter for each winning team member. Most important, the winners got the ultimate in geek bragging rights?and the opportunity to bring forth order from chaos.

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