The BIG Challenge

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation has outlined three key principles for Circular Economy, “(a) design out waste and pollution, (b) keep products and materials in use, and (c) regenerate natural systems." Currently, only 9% of conventional plastic is cycled, 12% is incinerated, and 79% is thrown away in landfills, or allowed to litter in environment. It is also predicted that 12,000 Mt will go into landfills or natural environment by 2050 [1].

Based on these principles, the College of Engineering and Mines student are challenged to propose an engineering solution to global plastic problem based on fossil fuels for Circular Economy. The proposed solution can be based on following ideas: (a) how we can develop new technologies to eliminate single user plastic usage, (b) how novel plastics can be designed which can recycled or reused, and (c) how we can circulate plastic items.

Students are encouraged to submit their ideas by Nov 5 in the format of 1-page proposal to Surojit.gupta@engr.und.edu. Four team finalists will be selected and asked to give a short three-minute pitch to a panel of judges and fellow students, who will rate each team based on the following factors:

• Originality (40/100) – How novel is the idea? Has it been done before?
• Potential Impact (20/100) – What is the likelihood that this idea will have a significant financial, social, or environmental impact on the world?
• Presentation (20/100)- How informative, entertaining and inspiring was the pitch presentation?
• Multidisciplinary Approach (20/100) – To what extent does the idea involve tools, concepts, or perspectives from multiple disciplines?

This month's challenge is being coordinated with the call for teams to compete in the 4th Global Grand Challenges Summit to be held in London, UK in September.  Five teams from the US will be selected to compete against teams from China and the UK.   Teams will propose an idea and develop a business model to address one of the following topics (see below for the details):

• Will AI and other transformational technologies change humanity for the better?
  • Example topics: equitable access, ethics, health care, neuroscience, extending life, engineering education, automation, employment, genetics, robotics, mental health, unintended consequences, AI bias, secure cyberspace
• Can we sustain 10 billion people?
  • Example topics: food, water, energy, waste, circular economy, urbanization, megacities, transport, resources, economic development, VR, health provision, digital enablement for rural dwellers

Your team needs to come up with an innovative, fun, and realistic approach to improve the educational experience for students in the College of Engineering and Mines.  The range of potential topics is broad, but here are a few questions to get you thinking:

• How can we encourage more women or students from other historically underrepresented groups to pursue degrees in engineering, computer science, or geology? 
• How can we improve our courses or degree programs to better prepare students for the future?
• How do we better connect distance students to the on-campus UND community?

 Do not be limited to those things possible with today’s technology- think BIG and be creative!  The registration deadline is Nov. 13^th. Final pitch presentations will be held on Nov. 29^th  and judged by a team of faculty.

This month’s challenge is sponsored by Bobcat.  Your team’s job is to come up with an idea to use unmanned systems to improve the construction site of the future.  Your solution may include improvements to safety, efficiency, etc. Do not be limited to those things possible with today’s technology- think BIG and be creative!  Final pitch presentations will be held on Sept. 26^th and judged by engineers from Bobcat.

The BIG challenge is a month-long student competition to come up with an innovative solution, design, device, app, etc. applicable to Campus Parking! Win up to $2,000    awarded to the winning teams. Read about the challenge below and start forming your teams- multidisciplinary teams are suggested, and the competition is open to all class levels. This is an ideation-only proposal design, so it won’t require an invasive time commitment and will be a fun and creative design process without the constraints of typical projects. If you don’t have a team, you can sign up as an alternate and we can try find you a team.  

Assistive Technology (AT) bridges the gap between Ability and Disability for many elderly and people with disabilities which allows them to better care for themselves and live independently longer instead of being moved to assisted living residences. These Assistive Technologies help improve abilities ranging from vision, hearing, home safety, mobility, communication, and helping with daily activities for people wanting to stay within their home setting who struggle with many common health problems such as frailty, limited mobility, or mild cognitive and memory issues. Your challenge is to identify a need and propose a Big Idea solution for a new Assistive Technology device focused on Remote Sensing, Smart Devices, or similar.

Half way through the month your team will need to pitch your proposal, with the top teams being selected to give their final presentation to a panel of judges and audience at the end of month to determine who will win the Awards. The winning team will then be provided the opportunity and resources to further develop their idea into a possible prototype, intellectual property, or marketable product to help make their Big Idea into reality.