As part of their final year of training, five apprentices from the Mechanical Engineering program took on the challenge of competing against 28 other teams. They had three months to present an innovative project: a unique opportunity to create, design, and produce a successful prototype... and launch themselves into entrepreneurship!
Supported by coaches, the goal was to raise their awareness of entrepreneurship and innovative product project management. They also benefited from practical training in the areas of innovation and patents, eco-design, marketing and communication, market research, commercialization, and more.
They presented their project, Gpulse, a portable electric guitar with a built-in amplifier, to a jury and were awarded the Grand Prize for Innovation and the Audience Award.
Joint interview with Maxence FONTANA, Nicolas COPERET, Teva MARBAUD, Gaspard RAGUENEAU, and John MADOIRE.
What is your academic background?
We are a group of five students following an innovative work-study program offered by Arts et Métiers.
Our academic backgrounds are varied. Some of us were university students, others were senior technicians or preparatory class students.
However, we are united above all by a shared passion: music.
We firmly believe that the key to our success lies in this unique combination of our complementary skills and our shared passion.
Today, we are united around a common goal: to push the boundaries of innovation.
By integrating our technical expertise in areas such as mechanics, engineering, electrical systems, and design, we were able to successfully complete this creative project.
How did you come up with the idea of creating Gpulse?
As we were all guitarists with varying degrees of experience, we sometimes wanted to put on impromptu concerts during our evenings in the countryside. But we were quickly brought back to reality: the countryside, nature, and electricity don't always go hand in hand. We had to find a solution.
And that's where the "Innovation Project" proposed as part of our Arts et Métiers training Arts et Métiers in. We had the idea of reconnecting people with music while keeping current environmental issues in mind. So we turned a problem—the frustration of not being able to easily play electric guitar in all environments—into an eco-friendly and sustainable solution.
What is Gpulse?
The idea arose from the need to centralize all the equipment of an electric guitarist, which is normally very bulky and difficult to transport, in a very compact space, namely the body of the guitar. All this without sacrificing sound quality.
If you ask an electric guitarist why they don't always carry their guitar with them, they'll probably tell you that they don't want to lug a cart with their drum kit and amp weighing 30 kilos to the beach, the forest, or even the Fête de la Musique, which is fast approaching.
Technically speaking, we are keeping the same functionality as a classic guitar with an amplifier, preamplifier, and speaker, while retaining the analog signal, but we are definitely considering a second model with a digital signal.
Why did you choose this name for your project?
Gpulse is a vibrant name that echoes the sensation you feel when playing the guitar.
How has your training at Arts et Métiers contributed Arts et Métiers this experience?
By joining Arts et Métiers, we sought to combine the quality of manual work with theoretical support. The apprenticeship program was a real asset, as it allowed us to compensate for our lack of practical training and to face real-life situations in the workplace.
It was above all the specialization in mechatronics during our final year of study that opened our eyes to the world of multidisciplinary design and engineering project management. This enriching experience was essential in developing our skills and refining our vision of the professional world.
Our training was beneficial in a number of ways. For example, our courses in manufacturing, CAD, vibration and resonance simulations enabled us to size the amplifier and speaker. Our training in project management was also extremely useful in terms of organization, distribution, and task monitoring.
What are your plans after graduation?
We were immediately drawn to the idea behind this promising project. Whether or not it won the innovation competition, we were determined to invest our time and skills in this adventure, which was rich in learning and lessons.
The highlight was winning the Grand Prize for Innovation from the jury and the Audience Award, which showed us the resonance our project could have with a diverse audience.
All the students and jury members were impressed by the project, and we received a lot of encouragement and advice.
Many people showed interest and even offered to invest in our company.
We are seriously considering continuing in this direction. For now, our priority is to develop a new, more advanced and technically superior prototype.
The goal is to strengthen our theoretical and practical knowledge of the electronic-acoustic coupling of the guitar. Signal processing is also crucial and complex to master.
Only with these complementary skills will we be able to make the best decisions for Gpulse!
Any advice for people interested in pursuing a project or launching a start-up?
Our experience, albeit limited in this field, allows us to testify that the key to our success lies in choosing a truly innovative project. This challenge acted as a springboard, with the support of experienced people in the field and a motivated team.
Doing business with friends can be complex, but when everyone is fully committed, the quality of the results is greatly enhanced.
If you would like to join us on our journey into the realm of innovation, feel free to follow us on Instagram: @gpulse_official!
