Texas A&M University's College of Engineering hosted the final Aggies Invent competition for the year, in which teams were challenged to develop technology to keep law enforcement safe while they work.
Within 48 hours, students researched and designed a prototype with the help of mentors from the technology and law enforcement industries. Teams have the opportunity to expand their products into a business venture through the College of Engineering's Engineering Inc. program.
"It's a great opportunity for those of us involved in public safety equipment technology testing to see how the thought processes work," said mentor and judge Dr. Jason Moats, director of the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) Testing and Information Center. "As judges, we get to see the result of the 48 hours of work the kids put in, which is phenomenal."
Team PerilScope won first place for its members’ idea to create a device that maps out a clear vicinity near police officers and their vehicles. This way, police can see clear dangers while at a scene and can write more accurate reports with the ability to look back and see what was happening around them.
A judge for the competition, Deputy David Wilcox with the Brazos County Sheriff’s Office, shared the necessity for the team’s invention. “Law enforcement is on a path right now where we’re using an increasing amount of technology, so having engineers who are able to innovate this stuff and make it applicable to us is very important. We need to stay on that curb and make the best use of these technologies to keep us safe and serve the public.”
Team Spike won second place for designing Poison Ivy, a safer and more effective way to end high-speed pursuits. The device deploys spike strips to immobilize the target vehicle remotely. Once it has deployed and penetrated the target's tires, it can be retracted and reused.
Third place was awarded to team iCfire for creating a device for firefighters that detects major thermal changes in a fire scenario. The team’s device used a thermal camera-based system to alert the firefighters to extreme temperature changes detected.
Each team had members from diverse engineering backgrounds who helped solve the safety issues and design their products. They gathered incredible team-building skills by working together and playing to each other's strengths.
“Aggies Invent is something that every engineering student should be encouraged to do,” said Jim Donnell, professor of practice in the Engineering Entrepreneurship Program. “They pick up wonderful teamworking, problem-solving and presentation skills that will suit them well their entire careers, no matter what industry they enter.”