In 2019, the Grand Challenges Initiative started the tradition of honoring a community partner that helps our students, our postdoctoral fellows, and our community reach our goal of inspiring and empowering the next generation of scientists and engineers. This year, we can think of no partner more deserving than MatterHackers. Based nearby in Lake Forest,
For society to transition to a fully renewable power grid without dependence on slowly dwindling fossil fuel energy sources, a means of renewable energy storage is required. Renewable energy production fluctuates pertinent to the time of day, such as in the case of solar power, where large amounts of solar power are generated during the
The goal of our project is to bring awareness and educate the general population about indoor air quality and the harmful effects that high particulate matter concentrations can have on us. We believe it is important to learn about indoor air quality because there is statistical evidence that shows indoor air quality can be worse
In the neonatal period of life, it is very important that the measured weight of the newborn is as accurate as possible. An inaccurate weight prevents healthcare professionals from being able to assess and gain accurate information regarding the newborn’s health. Our solution to this, is to use hydrostatic weighing. The hydrostatic weighing method is
Access to clean water in poverty-stricken communities poses a significant and expensive challenge globally. The effects of consuming unfiltered water are detrimental to health and physical well-being, as it may lead to waterborne and foodborne illnesses. Our solution, a slow-sand water filtration system, entails the use of inexpensive and abundant natural resources that are proven
Many people do not trust autonomous driving technology to control a vehicle for them. We developed a simulation to compare a user’s driving skills to those of an autonomous vehicle to prove that these vehicles can be trusted. Confidence in Autonomous Vehicles
To help mitigate the impacts of wildfires, we are creating a smoke detector sensor that has a stable power source, able to transmit a message through Raspberry Pi, and capable of detecting a wildfire when it occurs. We hope by developing this smoke detection system, we can help notify the authorities at a quicker rate
With plastic pollution on the rise, the environment has seen a huge negative impact. While biodegradable alternatives have been around, are they really the most efficient alternative? Biodegradables often don’t degrade well and still cause a negative environmental impact. Looking specifically at straws, there are a few disposable alternatives to plastic, but which are the
We transformed the Lab safety experience into a virtual reality test where students are assessed on their lab proficiency. Targeted for an android device using a google cardboard headset. Alchem VR GitHub Link
Eliminating drunk, drugged, and distracted driving is a serious challenge that the world has yet to solve. We thought it best to approach this challenge from a technological direction. We built a self-driving car that receives a camera feed, reroutes it to a stronger server, and sends instructions back to the car. This method of