Now it's time to meet the teams who will be vying for $10,000 in grants and prizes and the chance to represent Portland State at the statewide InventOR Collegiate Challenge.
Next-Generation Forest Fire Prevention
Team: Excellent Devices
Quote: “The firefighters who help keep our communities safe inspire us. We hope to make their job easier and safer.”
Team Members: Seth Rohrbach, Kai Brooks, Angel Gonzalez, Mikhail Mayers, computer engineering
Meet the New Urban Farmers
Team: Living Window
Quote: “This is only the beginning of bringing more smart, capable people into the food system automation realm.”
Team members: Stevie Taylor, electrical engineering; Talya Naftali, environmental science; William Lau, electrical engineering; Cristian Gonzalez, marketing; Ivan Segura, mechanical engineering; Christian Orellana-Bauer, art; Anthony Bruno, electrical engineering; Shoshanah Bernhardt, computer science; and Elizabeth Gartner, civil engineering
Technology for Curbing Food Waste
Team: Meals by the Day
Quote: “Passion and effort can result in something that can make a lasting impact.”
Team members: Sreyrith Seng, MBA candidate; Roat Seng, PSU alum and software engineer
Automating River Cleanup
Team: Mussel
Quote: “With our business model and low-cost design, our goal is to have a global impact on improving water quality.”
Team members: Juliaan Bossuyt, visiting scholar, mechanical and materials engineering; Jili Hu, visiting scholar, economics; Ryan Scott, mechanical and materials engineering
Recylcable Head Protection for the Urban Commuter
Team: Protechable
Quote: “We understand that a great concept alone will not save lives, it must be married with strong organizational strategy — we have a goal to provide safe, affordable, and accessible protective equipment.”
Team members: Sandeep Chandrasekhar, pursuing a Masters in Sports Product Design at UO; and Cecilia Baldiviezo, Natalie Watterson and Meng Xu, all MBA candidates at Portland State
Healthier Air To Go
Team: sanctuAIRy
Quote: “We are building a platform that can eventually generate a protected breathing zone in any dynamic environment, finally allowing customers a choice to take clean where we’re going.”
Team members: Arman Ahari, mechanical engineering; Elizabeth Hartman, MBA candidate at Willamette University; Mackenzie Doherty, mechanical engineering; Pradeep Ramasubramanian, PhD candidate, mechanical engineering
Eliminating the Carbon Footprint of Your Commute
Team: Turner Automotive
Quote: “Your 1996 Honda Accord can become a zero-emission vehicle with our kit.”
Team members: Blake Turner, mechanical engineering; Sean Krivonogoff, business