Brief description of project:
The power of the Maker movement is its community, so we are offering you all the chance to pitch your Maker project and earn financial support and M-Eng project and/or course credit. Maybe it’s a device that performs diagnostics on air conditioners to identify how they could operate better or when they need repair, or a real world Star Trek inspired communicator badge, or a sensor system that monitors local street pollution, a miniature satellite, or a house plant health system, the possibilities are endless. Plus you can enter your project into a nationwide competition being developed by Infosys with Cornell for a chance to win your share of a million dollars in prizes being award this year.
Projects should ideally require a small team of varying skill sets and be focused on creating a fully working and well tested prototype, with an objective performance evaluation within 1 academic year. To propose a project, you will need to answer these 3 questions in 1000 words or less:
- What is the challenge you’re trying to solve / What are the needs any solution to this challenge must meet?
- What is your solution and how does it meet your challenge’s needs?
- What makes for a good solution to your challenge vs. a bad one, in as objective terms as possible.
This last question is particularly important because it helps establish how well you understand your challenge and it’s best to be as specific as possible rather than just present ideas. For example, it’s better to say it must “cost under $25” vs. “low cost”. Or said another way, if your idea should be “easy to use”, what are the characteristics or functions it must have in order to be easy to use, i.e. how would tell/measure between two similar ideas which one was easier to use. However, if you don’t have the details yet, don’t let that stop you from applying; just give what information you do have.
Then you should write in addition to this 1000 words, what evidence can you provide that your idea is feasible and what resources do you think you would need, including the required expertise of the team. You may write as much as you like in this additional section.
Some well thought out projects may be selected immediately for credit and funding. Some we may encourage you to pursue your ideas with some financial support as a not-for-credit Cornell Maker Club experience to initially develop, prototype, and test your ideas before possibly turning it into a for-credit experience. Others we may not have the resources to support at this time but you are still welcomed to bring your ideas up to the Cornell Maker Club – and then still show us how awesome what you’ve made is. Who knows we may even support you to showcase your project at a World Maker Faire. This is also an experimental program so we are looking for dedicated people to help demonstrate what can be done through an opportunity like this.
Supported projects will also be required to take part in the new Cornell Collaboration Space Beta, an on-line Maker community centered around project mentorship. The Maker spirit has always been thriving at Cornell and through these efforts you can help Cornell take its next big leap.
M-Eng Project Credit and/or Course Credit Positions Available
To submit your idea for the beginning of this semester, you Must Attend One of the info sessions below.
All of the Million Dollar Maker Pro Challenge info sessions will be held in Upson B17 at 7:00 PM at the dates below. These will be immediately following the Intel-Cornell Cup info session that is occurring one hour earlier at 6:00PM in the same room.
Thursday, August 27nd,
Tuesday, September 1st,
Wednesday, September 2nd
Contact: head faculty advisor, Dr. David R. Schneider at drs44@cornell.edu or at (607)-254-5403.
Faculty sponsor: David R. Schneider (drs44)
also with Bruce Land
Cornell address: drs44@cornell.edu, 612 Rhodes
Project Web Site:
Time Frame: 2015-2016