As part of its partnership with Texas A&M University, Arts et Métiers has for the 2nd time participated in a 48-hour intensive design experimentation session that is part of TAMU’s Aggies Invent programme: Invent For The Planet (IFTP)
Eleven student teams (seven in Aix-en-Provence, Chambéry and Cluny and four in Châlons, Paris) took part in IFTP, an international hackathon with prototyping that brought together 24 universities from around the world from Friday 10 February at 4pm to Sunday 12 February at 6pm (local time).
This year, the Aix-en-Provence campus welcomed 34 students from the Aix and Cluny campuses and the Chambéry institute, including 6 Aix students from ESSCA, IAE, the Gardanne Ecole des Mines and four students from TAMU who were studying abroad for a semester.
The Chalôns-en-Champagne campus hosted 20 students, including 5 from Paris.
INVENT FOR THE PLANET: A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE
Invent For The Planet is a great opportunity for students and campuses to showcase their industrial innovation and management skills to tackle global challenges such as natural disaster management, victim rescue, water sanitation, clean energy, and human services.
The stakes are high. Art et Métiers will have at least one team that will fly the flag for the School and present its solution to the international jury and try to be one of the five teams selected for the final phase in Texas next April.
HOW DID THE HACKATHON GO?
Twenty-two management and technology coaches (11 for each campus) supported the teams at each major stage throughout the weekend to ensure that they addressed the issues in a timely manner.
The multidisciplinary teams were formed, and the weekend was punctuated by three main events:
- The Design. On Friday 10 and Saturday 11 February, the students worked on ideas and solutions.
- The Doing. On Saturday and Sunday 11 and 12 February, the teams built their prototypes and prepared their pitches.
- The Deal. On the afternoon of Sunday 12 February, the students continued to work on their prototype, a 90-second video and a compelling, 10-minute final pitch.
The teams presented their projects at the end of the weekend. A jury at each campus voted for its three best teams.
>>>The jury on the Aix-en-Provence campus, composed of Féthi Ben Ouezdou, Campus Director, Dominique Augey, Deputy Mayor of the city and Regional Councillor, Olivier Provitina, in charge of partnerships at campus partner CEA, Kevin Polizzi, company director, and Damien Dietsch, director of a local incubator, selected the following solutions:
- The gold medal was awarded to the AbaniCH20 team for its universal solution for purifying artificially polluted water
- The silver medal went to the Feash team for its solution to increase the energy efficiency of a fishing boat by using its own waste
- The bronze medal winner was the TempoFix team for its accordion-folding modular house solution offering a range of materials (recycled plastic, cross-laminated wood, sustainable green roof) and design options
>>> The jury on the campus in Châlons-en-Champagne, composed of Giovanni Radilla, Campus Director, Clovis Francis, teacher, Patrick Chareton, CARE President, Alain Longchamp, former teacher and CARE member, selected the following solutions:
- The winning team, MyShelter, designed a modular housing system that can be easily deployed and used as temporary housing for 6 months to 3 years.
- The second-placed team, MHAD, also designed a modular housing system that uses standardized parts, including prefabricated insulation panels and interlocking brackets that allow temporary structures to be quickly created.
- The ReRock team, which won third place, has designed an app that uses the power of AI to allow consumers to reuse old clothes to create new ones, limiting the environmental impact of creation new textiles.
