PSU Engineering
Students Develop Technology for Local Company
A Portland
State University student engineering team proved PSU’s
motto of “Let knowledge serve the city” by creating new technology valued at
$50,000 for a local start-up company. The student project was done at no cost other than time to the company.
“We gave
the students an idea which they optimized so completely that we can see how to
build a market around what was really only an idea last November,” stated APTIV
President and CEO, Philipp Kirsch.
APTIV is a start-up
company located in PSU’s Business
Accelerator. It specializes in developing earth-friendly means of controlling
unwanted insect populations. According to Kirsch, insects cause millions of
dollars in crop damage in the United States annually. With growing world populations and rising
agricultural commodity prices, any improvement in existing insect management solutions
would help to relieve food shortages and economic tensions. APTIV also focuses
on reducing harm to the earth and people through excessive use of pesticides.
This
summer Kirsch and his Vice President of Product Development began work with a PSU engineering project team that was looking for
its final real-world project to finish the students’ degree programs. The
projects are called “Capstone Projects.” Justin Lind, Rebeka Davidova, Rico
Delapaz, and Tin Nguyen are all undergraduate students in the Maseeh College of
Engineering and Computer Science at PSU. APTIV asked them to come up with a way
to detect insect invasion in orchards or farmlands that does not require visual
inspection. Current methods require visual inspection of insect traps, and APTIV
was looking for a better, cheaper and faster way to provide farmers key
information on insect presence.
“The
Capstone team did a fantastic job of designing a low cost system that worked
reliably and met all the design goals of the project,” said Chris Hoffman,
APTIV Vice President of Product Development. Hoffman estimated the value of the technology investigation and solution
to be worth $50,000 to APTIV.
The team created an upgraded trap device that incorporates a
sensing device. That device is then integrated into what the team calls a
Wireless Remote Insect Monitoring Network. The result is a time- and
resource-saving trap for farmers who must remain vigilant about insect
detection. APTIV plans to make minor refinements of the system and then take it
to market.
Capstone
projects are an integral part of the curriculum at Portland State
University. They provide students
with an applied learning opportunity. All undergraduate students complete a
Capstone project prior to receiving a Bachelor’s degree. Capstone courses allow students the
opportunity to step out of the classroom and into the field by working on a
community project. Capstone projects for
the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering are coordinated by Mark
Faust, Assistant Professor and involve student participation on real-world
projects sponsored by local companies and governmental agencies. During the 2007-08 academic year students in
electrical and computer engineering completed 18 projects as part of their
degree program.
The Portland State Business Accelerator
(PSBA), where APTIV is located, helps startup companies by providing affordable
office space and labs, as well as a wide array of support services to help its
resident companies get to market faster with stronger technologies. It’s one of
about 1000 incubators and accelerators in the United States. One of the PSBA’s
key resources for companies is access to the University community of faculty
and students. During the 2007-08
academic year, 100 percent of the 23 companies in the PSBA worked with students
on Capstone projects or other university programs. Interacting with startup companies enables
students to have opportunities that they may not have with larger
companies.
The Maseeh College of Engineering and
Computer Science at Portland State University creates an inspiring educational
and research environment for students, faculty, and staff to expand knowledge
and improve lives through innovation in research and engineering education. The
hallmark of the college is a locally relevant and globally significant impact,
demonstrated by: a diverse portfolio of collaborative and cross-disciplinary
research; exceptional students who apply cutting-edge research to current
issues and who are sought after in the global market; strong partnerships with
industry, government, and non-profit organizations that promote economic
opportunities and contribute to the economic development of the region.
