As part of its ongoing #MakeTheFuture campaign, Shell recently sent a unique lunch truck around New York City and offered passersby an unconventional way to make payments.
Shell's Synergy Truck works alongside kinetic tile, which makes it possible for people to stomp or jump on the platforms to make a payment. The energy collected from interactions with these tiles showcases one of six ways that Shell is using energy from the natural world to power its kitchen on wheels—others include harnessing the wind and solar power, as well as using recycled waste from coffee and cooking oil.
The Synergy Truck was initially conceptualized at hackathons in Palo Alto and London, where engineering students were challenged to rethink the entire food truck experience with an emphasis on sustainability.
What's Driving This Trend
- Kinetic Energy
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop new technologies that capture kinetic energy from human interactions to power various applications and devices.
- Sustainable Food Trucks
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Create eco-friendly food trucks that utilize renewable energy sources like wind, solar power, and recycled waste to reduce carbon emissions and promote sustainable dining experiences.
- Tech-enabled Payment Systems
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop innovative payment systems that leverage technology to provide unique and interactive payment methods, such as converting footsteps into energy.
Who This Affects Most
- Renewable Energy
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Design and produce renewable energy systems that can be integrated into various applications, including food trucks, to reduce reliance on traditional energy sources.
- Mobile Food Services
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Pioneer the development of sustainable and eco-friendly mobile food services that are powered by renewable energy and focus on reducing environmental impact.
- Payment Technology
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Create advanced payment technologies that incorporate interactive and novel features, allowing for unconventional payment methods like converting footsteps into energy.
