Design I Final Competition
Fall 2020WELCOME TO THE PANDEMIC MITIGATION CHALLENGE
Welcome to the Fall 2020 Pandemic Mitigation Challenge where the top Design I teams (as picked in preliminary in-class competitions across 26 sections) showcased their final solutions and competed for prizes in a virtual pitch competition. The semester’s wicked problem was “Pandemic Mitigation,” where we were seeking opportunities to improve the current situation, whether a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic, or ensuing from mitigation efforts and responses to the pandemic based on what we have seen or experienced. With emphases on social dimensions of the problem and the socio-technical intersection, the brunt of solutions are technical in nature, but may touch on any technical field: electrical, mechanical, civil, environmental, computer science, chemical, geological, materials, mining, industrial, etc. Solutions should consider nontechnical and ancillary issues such as education, government policies, economics, logistics, etc., though not the brunt of the solution. Solutions designed by student teams should represent creative, novel responses to some facet of the challenges of the pandemic. (read the full Call For Proposals here).
Teams compete for cash prizes, including a special Subject Matter Expert Pick. Below you can see the grand prize winning teams as well as all of our finalists. Check out their video pitches (produced remotely while social distancing) and read through the judges’ Q&A on each of their team pages. For more information on Design I, click here.
THE WINNING TEAMS
1ST PLACE: TEAM NULL
Problem Statement: How might we make restaurants safer for the capacities of 50-250 people?
Team Members: Grant Baldwin, Michael Hills, Andrew Smith, Noble Thachiyath, and Andy Yu
Instructor: Cara Juergensen, Section J
2ND PLACE: The Wuhan Clan
Problem Statement: Keeping oil and chemical plants open or running at full capacity during Covid-19 using an autonomous gas well sensor.
Team Members: Kagan Giltinan, Alperen Ugus, Ivan Martens, Jack Burnham, and Matthew Galasso
Instructor: Bridget Wetzel, Section A
3RD PLACE: Baby Flying Avocados
Problem Statement: How might we prevent the spread of COVID-19 while individuals touch public doors?
Team Members: Gavin Graff, Sephia Lazzarino, Connor McGovern, Collin Bugash, and Dane Schuler
Instructor: Yosef Allam, Section Q
SME Award: Aescula
Problem Statement: How can we mitigate disease spread during and after the COVID Pandemic in a non-intrusive way?
Team Members: Yan Ostanin, Michael Leoni, Ethan Adam, Jack Jones, and Evelyn Garcia
Instructor: Mirna Mattjik, Section O
THE FINALISTS
