Invent for the Planet

Invent for the Planet (IFTP) is an innovation fostering 48-hour global collaborative competition, where students from almost 40 universities, including Swansea University, come together to tackle some of the biggest challenges facing our planet. The event is hosted by Texas A&M University and the IFTP participants address global needs topics, which this year focused on clean water in Papua New Guinea, safeguarding marine Life, sustainable energy solutions, sustainable housing for growing populations and the water crisis in low-income countries. Students address these topics by creating concepts, prototypes and elevator pitches which are presented to a panel of expert judges.

First place: Pure Flow

Project:

Pure Flow’s prototype focused on providing a solution to clean drinking water in Papua New Guinea by utilising the natural waterways in the country, specifically the rivers. Their mechanism proposes using the natural force of the river flow to pump the water through their passive, non-electrical water filtration system 24/7. By being installed directly in the river, the turbine would then redirect water through the system into a pump, pressurising the water and filtering it through a reverse-osmosis filter, leaving clean drinking water to funnel directly into a storage container, connected to a tap to allow the local population access whenever they need.

Students:

Chessie Jarvis – Mathematics and Computer Science
Sean Calacug – Chemical Engineering
Harry Griffiths – Mechanical Engineering
Oskar Augustin – Mechanical Engineering
Hywel Crawley – Mechanical Engineering
Sanskar Aryal – Mechanical Engineering

Awarded: £1,500

Second place: Hydro2Hope

Project:

Hydro2Hope’s solution focused on utilising local materials as an integral part of the design. By creating a rooftop gutter from bamboo to collect rainwater, filtering through palm leaves and into clay storage tanks, and then through a second slow sand filter, each key element of the design will use readily available materials to the local population. The team used research regarding the average house in Papua New Guinea as well as average rainfall to calculate the amount of clean drinking water that could be produced through their method. The rainwater would be collected, then filtered through soho palm leaves to remove any course materials, then through a second bio slow sand filter to remove microbes and finally through biochar, to remove any odours or tastes from the water.

Students:

Saidur Tipu – Civil Engineering
Ashima Anand – Civil Engineering MSc
Tanimonse Amokomowe – Chemical Engineering
Bradley Ayisi – Chemical Engineering
Benjamin Kee – Chemical Engineering
Oluwadara Bobade – Electrical and Electronics Engineering

Awarded: £1,000

Third place: Solar Rock

Project:

SolarRock focused on finding a solution to the lack of access and lighting in sub-saharan Africa. They did this, by creating their Solar Rock Heat Storage Unit. The unit would provide 24-hour access to power by converting solar energy to heat. This is done by using solar panels obtain the energy and then storing this in naturally-sourced rocks from the surrounding areas. The heat produced would then be contained in a storage system using fibre glass and steel, allowing homes to be able to cook and boil water whenever needed. The solar panel installed would also allow for excess energy to be contained into small batteries, to power portable lighting systems in homes. By using rocks to as a converter for the energy to heat, it significantly reduces the price for the system.

Students:

Summer Villas – Chemical Engineering
Ekemini Ukpe – Aerospace Engineering MSc
Jamie Deadman – Physics
Nasim Razzak – Mechanical Engineering
Mohammed Abdul Mateen – Mechanical Engineering
Juan Keny – Computer Science

Awarded: £500

Positive feedback

Invent for the Planet is an incredible event as it allows students from across the Faculty of Science and Engineering to develop their innovation skills and make real-world applications utilising knowledge from their studies. The funding provided by Engineers in Business allows us to demonstrate the value of this competition by raising the profile of the event across our institution, as well as to prospective students.

Dr Caroline Coleman-Davies
Deputy Head for Academic Partnerships
Swansea University