Double win in the "STEM Innovation Contest"
Two teams of students of the Silesian University of Technology won the international competition "STEM Innovation Contest" organized as part of the EURECA-PRO consortium. The finals took place on July 6-7 at the University of Leon in Spain.
The STEM competition involves students solving real problems posed by industrial partners under the scientific supervision of a mentor. It is attended by national teams, composed of students from one university of the EURECA-PRO consortium, and international teams, whose members come from various partner universities. Both finals were won by the teams of the Silesian University of Technology.
The winning national team is "AvGeeks", composed of students, a doctoral student and an employee of the Faculty of Transport and Aviation Engineering, whose mentor is dr hab. Eng. Damian Hadryś, prof. SUT, vice-dean for education at the Faculty of Transport and Aviation Engineering and Wioletta Cebulska, M.Sc., from the Doctoral School at the Silesian University of Technology.
In the international finals, the winner was "Safe Wheels", composed of students, PhD students and employees of the Faculty of Materials Science and Chemistry, Politecnico di Milano and INSA Toulouse, whose mentor is dr Eng. Tomasz Pawlik from the Faculty of Materials Engineering of the Silesian University of Technology, Agata Raczyńska, M.Sc., and Jakub Smoleń, M.Sc., from the Doctoral School at the Silesian University of Technology.
Interestingly, both teams took up the same challenge: Bicycle safety & security: a solution to improve safety and security of bike riding through the protection of users and equipment from unexpected incidents (e.g., crashes, accidents, thefts or misuses), but they approached the subject from different angles.
The "AvGeeks" team designed an innovative bicycle helmet, while the "Safe Wheels" team designed an innovative laser system to warn drivers of an oncoming cyclist.
- Both solutions were greatly appreciated by the international jury and our teams defeated other teams in great style, which we are very proud of - said dr hab. Eng. Edyta Hetmaniok, prof. SUT, deputy dean for education at the Faculty of Applied Mathematics, coordinator of the competition at the Silesian University of Technology. - Participation in this competition brings many benefits, it is primarily the opportunity to respond to real, current problems faced by the industrial partners of the EURECA-PRO project, it is also an opportunity to deepen their knowledge, acquire practical skills, and cooperate in a team - she added.
This is the second edition of the "STEM Innovation Contest" and the next one, in which the winners are students of the Silesian University of Technology. Last year's premiere contest was won by a team from the Faculty of Materials Engineering of our University.
