{"id":157224,"date":"2024-05-23T17:05:36","date_gmt":"2024-05-23T21:05:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.indianatech.edu\/?post_type=news&p=157224"},"modified":"2024-05-24T08:43:44","modified_gmt":"2024-05-24T12:43:44","slug":"innovation-challenge-2024","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.indianatech.edu\/news\/innovation-challenge-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"This year’s Innovation Challenge teams focus on helping mankind"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Indiana Tech\u2019s Innovation Challenge<\/a> has been giving students a platform to showcase their great business ideas against fellow student entrepreneurs since 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This spring\u2019s competition was stocked with teams that shared a focus on making life better for mankind. Four teams were rewarded for their innovative ideas with funding that will help them move their ideas forward\u2014hopefully into viable business opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Innovation Challenge never fails to amaze in the way it inspires forward-thinking approaches to problem-solving and teamwork among students of various disciplines,\u201d said Dr. Naga Musunuri, assistant professor of mechanical engineering. \u201cThis year\u2019s submissions have significant social, economic and environmental impacts, which is quite impressive.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Teams submitted applications to participate in the Innovation Challenge, which included a project summary. From there, teams selected to move forward got an opportunity to pitch their ideas in front of a panel of judges, which included Dr. Musunuri, Dr. Zak Al-Hamouz, associate professor of electrical engineering, Dr. Mauricio Torres, associate professor of mechanical engineering, and Dr. Staci Lugar Brettin, professor of marketing and management. Below are summaries of the top four projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First Place<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Dr.<\/a>
Dr. Ying Shang, Dr. Kate Watland, Madison Maes, Kylie Baron, Dr. Karl Einolf<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Water Filtration System for Underserved Communities\u200b<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Team Members:<\/strong> Kylie Baron, Chayton Bass, Madison Maes (all mechanical engineering majors; Baron and Bass graduated in May, Maes will graduate in 2025)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prize:<\/strong> $1,000<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Project Summary:<\/strong> Baron, Bass and Maes developed a design concept for Clean Flow Innovations, a portable, lightweight water-filtration system that is solar-powered. The system is designed with a large funnel to collect rainwater, which will pass through a filter and a sanitizing ultraviolet light before ending up in a final collection tank. The team anticipates this product will be a portable and affordable solution that will help provide safe drinking water for people who have none. According to the group\u2019s research, 2.2 billion people worldwide do not have safe drinking water while 76% of the world\u2019s countries have limited access to safe drinking water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur main goal is to help others\u2014we focus a lot on the greater good, Baron said of what motivated her team to come up with this product. \u201cKnowing that people go through situations like we have researched, it was very important to us to create a product to help mitigate those issues.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clean Flow Innovations\u2019 customer base would include governments of countries affected by clean water shortages, missionaries and other humanitarian initiatives such as the Peace Corps and Doctors Without Borders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moving Forward:<\/strong> The team will be completing its prototype to do real-life testing in the fall. It is also seeking organizations with which it can partner to do more in-depth and proper testing. From there, the group will use its findings to fine-tune its product. If all goes as planned, Clean Flow Innovations will be ready for customers by the end of 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThankfully, due to our similar outlooks on life and helping others, every moment of this project has gone smoothly so far,\u201d Baron said. \u201cMy most impactful takeaway is when you have an idea that you are passionate about, don\u2019t hesitate to make it a reality. Just a single thought or idea can impact so many people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Second Place <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
Andreas Lavdas, David Perez, Tobias Machourek<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Prototype to Convert Tidal Energy into Electricity<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Team Members:<\/strong> Tobias Machourek, David Perez, Andreas Lavdas (all mechanical engineering majors, who graduated in May)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prize:<\/strong> $500<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Project Summary:<\/strong> Influenced by data that estimates 760 million people lived without electricity in 2022, Tobias, David and Andreas began working on a tidal energy prototype to generate renewable energy. Their prototype will harness the power of the ocean and utilize a coil and magnet system to convert kinetic energy into electricity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis project was important to us because it combines our passion for renewable energy with the opportunity to innovate in wave energy conversion, offering a practical solution to harness untapped natural resources and contribute to sustainable development,\u201d Machourek said about his team\u2019s motivation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moving Forward:<\/strong> This team continue to test and refine its prototype to optimize its performance. To be successful, the prototype must:<\/p>\n\n\n\n