inspiration

After brainstorming once assigned our groups, and reviewing all the team-members initial ideas, we decided we wanted to work with Lubing's initial idea. His concept in relation to biomimicry was to create an umbrella/parasol that would mimic the sunflower's action. Sunflowers turn and face the sun and his idea was to have a parasol that would follow the sun so that it would block it and you wouldn't have to move!

As a team, we decided that we really liked that idea but that we wanted to make it into something that helps a broader audience and that is in a larger scale. 

So, we decided we wanted to customize this idea so that it would be suitable for agriculture.   

After researching minimal surfaces for the design of the shading part, this was the one we decided to go with.

Last sunday, while on our way to the home depot for supplies, we found this which we though would be helpful for us. We thought that the base of our project could look something like the base of the center piece sunflower and also the model making grass will be good to represent earth/plantation.