Lyle School seeks students in all majors for annual innovation competition
SMU's Lyle School of Engineering’s multi-disciplinary Innovation Competition will host a kickoff party and information session at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 22 in the Huitt-Zollars Pavilion in the Embrey Engineering Building.
Student teams from all disciplines – not just engineers – will develop a concept and build an invention in the third annual competition. Sponsors provide seed money for finalists to develop their prototypes, cash prizes for the winners, and also will help students seek patents for their inventions. The first place team will receive $2,500 and two runner-up teams will win $1,250 each.
Last year’s first place winners created a device that senses an object or individual behind the person wearing it, and then issues a warning through vibrating motors on the neck. The runner-up teams built an inventory tracking system that used smart phones, and a redesigned bolt action for assault rifles.
Nathan Huntoon, director of the competition and the Lyle School’s Innovation Gymnasium, called last year’s competition in 2011 a great success, and stressed
that it is open to all students. “We hope non-engineering students will bring us their good ideas and their passion.” The Lyle school can help develop teams that can bring their ideas to life if they need technical help, he said.
The students’ written proposals for the competition are due October 21st. The top five written entrants will be invited to give oral presentations on November 11, and the top three will build prototypes in the Innovation Gymnasium during the first half of the Spring 2012 semester. The competition is organized under the Lyle School’s Caruth Institute for Engineering Education.
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