After developing the initial design for the mobile labs, I realized that the

modular design of the labs alone wasn’t enough to make them truly mobile in the

rugged terrain of the ALEX region. As they were the labs may have been compact and

relatively easy to transport with trucks and trains, but that requires infrastructure – i.e.

roads and train tracks. While the AL-EX region certainly has these, they are sparsely

distributed and wouldn’t allow for an easy approach to areas far away from the radius

of roads or train tracks.

To allow a full range of flexibility, a major constraint of this project is that the

labs can be deployed anywhere in the AL-EX region, no matter how remote or

inaccessible. Therefore, relying on giant off-road trucks to transport these labs wouldn’t

have been very feasible when considering the rolling hills, soil with an array of different

densities, lakes and small rivers that would have to be crossed.

Also, moving many large, heavy labs over the landscape with conventional

means of transport such as trucks or trailers would cleave deep gashes in the landscape,

breaking up the natural beauty of AL-EX and creating an eyesore that would very likely

be met with opposition from the locals. The point of the AL-EX R+D network is to study

and preserve the landscape, not scar it. It would be counter-productive for the mobile

labs to leave a trail in their wakes when traveling from area to area, as it would cause

unpopularity and possibly limit the scope of research outposts we would need to

complete our goals. I therefore set out to find a way to minimize the footprint left by

the labs when in transit while allowing them to traverse many types of terrain.

There is one type of craft that has been around for a while now that can achieve

these two traits of being all-terrain and not leaving a mark on the ground: hovercrafts. A

hovercraft is a vehicle that rides floats a few centimeters off the ground on a cushion of

air. Since it has no structural components touching the ground, it can go from ground to

water to just about any other type of terrain with ease. Furthermore, a hovercraft never

comes into contact with the ground. You could let one pass right over your foot and all

you would feel is the gust of air that keeps the craft suspended.

At first this idea sounded far-fetched. While having a wide range of mobility,

hovercrafts are notoriously hard to control. The tip to have in mind when operating one

is: if you see an obstacle, you’re already going to hit it. This is due to the fact that they

have very little friction and are therefore difficult to steer. Hovercrafts are usually

propelled forward by another large fan mounted on the back that blows air horizontally

for motion. This would be a very poor method of transporting sensitive lab equipment

over remote terrain with trees and rolling hills. Another persisting problem was how to

unload these massive labs from its transport. Whether the modules were carried with

truck or hovercraft or whatever, they would still have to be unloaded onto the ground

and once placed, they would be rendered stationary once the crane left the site.

However, what if there was a way to utilize the hovercraft’s qualities of

negotiating terrain while making it more stable to allow it to be used as a method of

transport for the mobile labs, while making the labs themselves easy to move by just a

small human workforce? What if each of the lab modules themselves had a built in

hovercraft “skirt” that once engaged, would render the module virtually weightless?

Without installing the other horizontally-blowing turbine that gives a hovercraft its

haphazard motion, the skirts would allow the modules to achieve a state of being

suspended above the ground just by the down-force of air. Like a puck on an air hockey

table, the modules would achieve a state of virtually zero friction, allowing them to be

moved just a few people with little or no mechanical help.

This state alone would allow for the modules to be unloaded, transported,

placed, and rearranged without heavy-duty cranes or an extensive road/rail

infrastructure. With the ability to move and rearrange the modules using only the on-

site research team, the modular quality of labs would allow a much greater range of

formations that could be changed on a whim to suit the needs of the scientists using

them. Once stationary, the modules would function as any other lab, with the deflated

skirts taking up little space and in no way would hinder the activities of the labs. If the

team decided they wanted to rearrange the modules, all they would do is turn on the air

cushion and move the module to the desired location.

The long-range transport of the modules could be done by train. When deflated,

the modules could easily fit on the back of a freight train. Once at the nearest

destination to desired site, the modules could inflate and slide off of the train/truck with

a ramp. The modules could then connect to form a convoy that could then be towed by

an all-terrain vehicle to its destination.

These convoys could be towed by a single all-terrain vehicle to provide a more

stable propulsion system than the conventional and unstable system hovercrafts usually

use. To keep the modules in a straight line with the towing vehicle further measures

would have to be taken. One possibility would be to employ detachable stabilizing

wheels that would act like training wheels on a bicycle. In order not to defeat the

purpose of keeping the terrain unscarred, the wheels could be soft, inflatable tires that

wouldn’t damage the landscape. Coming into use only when the module pitches, the

wheels would stop the modules from drifting sideways when turning and causing a

possible collision or rolling the convoy. Given their buoyancy, the wheels would also

serve the same function should the convoy encounter a water-crossing situation.

Figure 1 - Deflated Module

Figure 2 - Inflated Module

Figure 3 - Module w/ Stabilizing Wheels & Hitch

Figure 4 - Junction of 2 Modules

Figure 5 - Convoy of Modules

Diversifying: Types of Modules

While it could be possible to have a small laboratory fit within one of the

modules, the idea of the caravan allows for a specialization of each module to combine

to create a lab of a larger scale with more complete facilities. These include:

1. A power source

2. Water filtration

3. Lab equipment(for transport)

4. Specimen storage

5. Culture growing area

6. Dormitories

7. Bathrooms

The different module types can then be integrated to form one complete lab that can be

disassembled and moved easily. The model I used for this the circle of covered wagons used by

pioneers of the American “Wild West”.

Back in the days when the west of the United States was uncharted, pioneers traveled west in

search of new lives. They usually went in convoys of covered wagons. When in small groups the

wagons were susceptible to the elements and Indian raids. The term “circle the wagons” comes

from the formation that a group of these wagons would make when under attack from Indians

or simply to make a sheltered interior space at night where a campfire would burn in the

middle.

This formation could be topped off with a quickly expanding Hoberman Dome to

create an enclosed space.

Figure 6 - "Circled Wagon" Formation

Figure 7 - Circle with Hoberman Dome

Figure 8 - Closed Dome

Note that the “circled wagon” formation is only one possibility for the mobile

labs. The point of the modular design is to allow for a virtually limitless number of

combinations that could lead to many different designs that are suitable for a wide

range of scenarios.

This scenario has some possible downsides. One thing that could be said is that

the engines that power the turbines that lift the modules would most likely be powered

by gasoline. One could argue that this emits CO2 and therefore is not environmentally

friendly. However the turbines would only be used when transporting the modules to

the site and when the modules need to be moved by the science team. These minor

emissions wouldn’t do any damage in an area as green as the AL-EX region. Since there

is relatively low density road infrastructure compared to the high density of plant life,

the emissions from the engines would quickly be turned into oxygen.

The benefit of preserving the beauty of the landscape along with the flexibility

of transporting the modules both over rugged terrain and rearranging the heavy

modules with only a small human workforce would be a system worth developing not

just for the AL-EX Project, but for similar potential projects in many parts of the world. It

may seem like a big undertaking to convert labs into hovercrafts, but hovercrafts have a

large fan base of amateur builders on relatively small incomes. Admittedly, this

undertaking would be a lot more complicated than presented at face value, but if

developed the system could be used for a number of uses around the world. It may

even start an amateur hovercraft following in the AL-EX region itself! This presentation

is meant to put the idea out there. The final solution may not be to make every module

have this air cushion skirt, but hopefully with some constructive criticism this idea could

develop into something that is true to the bold and innovative principles behind the AL-

EX Project.