Purdue University Polytechnic Institute of Columbus hosts Accelera by Cummins event to showcase student prototypes and award scholarships
The Purdue University Polytechnic Institute of Columbus is hosting the first-ever Accelera by Cummins Design and Innovation Challenge, where local students will present their prototypes in a bid to win scholarships. The event, sponsored by Cummins, Inc., aims to foster innovation and provide a platform for students to showcase their skills and ideas. With $10,000 in scholarships up for grabs, the challenge promises to be an exciting opportunity for the students to demonstrate their creativity and problem-solving abilities.
Bringing Together Bright Minds and Real-World Challenges
The Accelera by Cummins Design and Innovation Challenge brings together the brightest and most creative minds from the Purdue University Polytechnic Institute of Columbus. The event aims to tackle real-world engineering and design challenges, encouraging the development of innovative solutions. Nancy Lollar, the director of Purdue Polytechnic Columbus, emphasizes that the challenge provides students with an opportunity to showcase their skills and ideas.
The Final Test for Freshman-Level Students
Five student teams from the local campus, all enrolled in the freshman-level course “Design Thinking in Technology,” will compete for the scholarships. This event serves as both their final class in the course and their final project. Throughout the semester, the teams have been working on different projects, keeping them secret until the big reveal. The challenge is designed to hone the students’ innovation and creativity, encouraging them to find solutions to significant problems and work together as a team.
Prototypes and Innovation
As part of the challenge, each team had to create a prototype of their idea. These prototypes were made using 3-D printers, showcasing the students’ technical skills and ability to bring their ideas to life. The use of prototypes adds an extra layer of innovation to the challenge, allowing the students to demonstrate the practicality and functionality of their designs.
Presenting to a Panel of Judges
On the day of the event, each team will have 15 minutes to present their projects in front of a panel of judges from Cummins. The judges will evaluate the prototypes and the presentations, considering factors such as creativity, problem-solving, and feasibility. The awards ceremony will take place later in the evening, with scholarships being distributed evenly among the winning teams.
A Platform for Future Collaboration
The Purdue Polytechnic Institute hopes to make the Accelera by Cummins Design and Innovation Challenge a recurring event. There are plans to collaborate with other campuses, such as Ivy Tech and IUPUC, to involve more students and ideas. Nancy Lollar envisions potential competitions between campuses, fostering collaboration and allowing for a broader range of innovative solutions. This collaboration could also align with Cummins’ clean energy technology brand, encouraging students to consider ideas that further the company’s decarbonization and hydrogen energy initiatives.
Conclusion:
The Accelera by Cummins Design and Innovation Challenge offers a unique opportunity for local students to showcase their skills, creativity, and problem-solving abilities. With scholarships on the line, the event encourages innovation and collaboration among the students. The challenge not only serves as a final project for the students but also provides a platform for them to explore real-world engineering and design challenges. As the event continues in the future, it has the potential to become a platform for collaboration and the development of innovative solutions that align with Cummins’ clean energy technology brand.
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