Petit Undergraduate Research Scholar Ana Gomez del Campo is standing on solid ground as a member of team Wobble, a collection of students from the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME), plus one from the Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering (ME). 

They qualified as one of the six finalist teams from across the Georgia Institute of Technology for the 2016 InVenture Prize.

The Wobble is an instrumented platform that translates in two dimensions, testing a subject's relative balance. Force sensors detect when a subject loses his/her balance and takes a step. This makes it useful for evaluating when a concussed athlete is healthy enough to return to play. 

In addition to Gomez del Campo, team members include BME students Matthew Devlin and Garrett Wallace, and ME student Hailey Brown. Gomez del Campo is part of the largest, most diverse Petit Scholar class in the 17-year history of the program, with 22 students. 

Georgia Tech’s InVenture Prize competition is designed to encourage and support undergraduate students’ interest in innovation and entrepreneurship. Once again, more than 500 students signed up for the competition. 

This year’s six finalist teams have invented ways to make life safer, healthier, and a bit more fun. The other five teams are:

FireHUD: A display and data monitor that will track and display real-time information to firefighters in hazardous conditions. The goal is to decrease the level of uncertainty firefighters face. Inventors: Zachary Braun, computer engineering; and Tyler Sisk, electrical engineering.

FretWizard: A virtual guitar teacher for students at varying levels. The inventors designed the site to give people a simpler and more intuitive way to learn how to play songs on the guitar. Inventors: Ali Abid, computer science; and Molly Ricks, international affairs.

RoboGoalie: An automatic retrieval device that collects a soccer ball and launches it back to the player. Similar to a batting cage, this device gives soccer players the flexibility of practicing alone. Inventors (all mechanical engineering majors): Siu Lun Chan, Ming Him Ko, Zhifeng Su, and Timothy Woo.

TEQ Charging: A power management system for electric vehicle chargers. The technology and design lowers the cost of installing current charge stations and increases efficiency by sequentially charging vehicles. Inventors: Dorrier Coleman, computer engineering; Mitchell Kelman, computer science; Joshua Lieberman, mechanical engineering; and Isaac Wittenstein, mechanical engineering.

TruePani: A household sanitation solution, consisting of a passive antimicrobial cup and storage water device that kills harmful microbes in drinking water. This invention was designed for children in rural India who are most affected by waterborne illnesses, but it also could be used in underserved communities worldwide. Inventors: Samantha Becker, civil engineering; Sarah Lynn Bowen, business administration; Naomi Ergun, business administration; and Shannon Evanchec, environmental engineering.

The winning team earns $20,000 and the second-place team receives $10,000. Both first- and second-place finishers will receive free U.S. patent filings by Georgia Tech’s Office of Technology Licensing and a spot in Georgia Tech’s startup accelerator program, Flashpoint.

A $5,000 People’s Choice Award will go to the fans’ favorite invention. Voting will be by text messaging during the finale, which will take place March 16 at the Ferst Center for the Arts. 

The event will also be aired live on Georgia Public Broadcasting. 

Look here to find out more about Wobble.

CONTACT:

Jerry Grillo
Communications Officer II
Parker H. Petit Institute for
Bioengineering and Bioscience