Three students from Texas A&M University’s Department of Mechanical Engineering placed in October’s Aggies Invent challenge. Aggies Invent is a 48-hour challenge that gives students an opportunity to use their innovation, creativity, knowledge and passion to enhance the world of tomorrow. The theme of the October event was “Internet of Things,” which gave students an opportunity to develop devices and processing techniques and to add intelligence to addressable devices.
James O’Connell of team Guardian Electronics helped his team create portable and wireless devices to improve the laundry process, including alerting users when the laundry cycle is complete, and when maintenance may be needed. O’Connell and his team won second place and a $750 prize.
Julio Garza was part of team hybrID, which created a Bluetooth-based ID card and a mobile app as an upgrade from typical plastic identification cards. hybrID received an honorable mention and a $250 prize.
Aggies Invent provides students with valuable experience in working with prototyping tools and, in the end, a developed product/solution that the team can be proud of. Students are selected to participate in the challenge based on their application materials. Aggies Invent strives to give motivated students with a variety of skills and backgrounds a chance to propose their solution to a real-life problem/societal need, and encourages them to take their solutions to market.