2023 Final Event
The 2023 Final Event was on Saturday April 29th, 2023. Thanks to everyone who participated!
Category Winners:
Product Feasibility: HWP - Adaptive Xbox controller to play Forza
Co-Designer Collaboration: MassBuilders - Autobraking and hi-visibility rollator
Technical Innovation: SafePath - Map/safety app for memory impairment
Documentation: The Pi Patisseries - Fall detection sensor with Raspberry Pi
Event Schedule
All times are Eastern (Boston) time.
1:00 PM - Welcome and CRE[AT]E Project Introduction (Main Room)
1:20 PM - Student Presentations and Q&A in four simultaneous rooms:
Room 1 - Age
Vextraordinaries - Adaptive grocery cart
The Pi Patisseries - Fall detection sensor with Raspberry Pi
Sterling Dreamers - Walking cane customization
SafePath - Map/safety app for memory impairment
Ocean Lakes - One-handed bottle opener
MassBuilders - Autobraking and hi-visibility rollator
EMUDesign - Standing attachment for white cane
Room 2 - Education
Alphabet Avengers - Reading aid for dyslexic students
BHS Innovators - Text-to-speech for students with autism
LEOnidas - Tactile ADHD planner
ReadEasy - Reading simplification tool
Shanghai Sensory Seekers - Object ID for sensory seeking child
TJ Rise and Shine - Classroom "hand raiser" for people with motor disabilities
Yellow Team - Drawing-to-text iPad app
Room 3 - Adaptive
Valkaries_for_AT - Wheelchair umbrella
Un-Lim-Ited - Headrest for scoliosis activity chair
TJ Switch It Up - Switch-adapted toy
TJ Scorekeepers - Switch-button scoreboard
HWP - Adaptive Xbox controller to play Forza
Goldstein Innovators - Flexible, convertible leg brace
AT Academies - Under wrist mounted gripper
Appendeg-ineers - Wheelchair table attachment
Room 4 - Lifestyle
Blue Team - Toothbrush for person with cerebral palsy
Brimagelle - Facial recognition hat for low-vision users
Evanston Wildkits - Toothbrush holder and actuator
Locked In - Prosthetic finger to help with weight lifting
Silver Sonics - High contrast and background removal Chrome extension
SupporTech - Typing attachment
Team Spirocheates - Braille and tactile nature guides
The OpTECHs - Computer vision for low-vision Uno
2:45 PM - Awards and Closing (Main Room)
Judging
Student submissions to the CRE[AT]E Final Event will be judged based on their video and document submissions. The four categories that will be judged are
Product feasibility - did the product work for the intended use case?
Co-designer collaboration - did the team work closely with the product's user(s) in the design process?
Technical innovation - did the product present a new way to solve a problem?
Documentation - was the team's documentation thorough and does it allow others to replicate what they have done?
One team will be selected as a winner in each category. Categories are judged across all teams, and are not specific to the rooms in which the teams are presenting.
Given the extremely diverse nature of the teams' projects and the challenges they face, the CRE[AT]E Challenge does not give overall project rankings.
Judge Bios
Marco Berkhout
Marco Berkhout is the Principal Engineer at Spanner, a product development company that specializes in the design and engineering of physical products for the world’s leading brands - from startups to Fortune 500s. Marco has been driving technical solutions both in the United States and Europe for more than 30 years and has had a hand in creating hundreds of smart, intuitive products that add value for clients, end users and society. Several of these products he holds patents for across a range of sectors - Consumer Products, Medical Tech, and Industrial. Solving complex engineering challenges throughout the product development process, he turns ideas into reality and creates business success in a wide range of industries. Marco holds degrees in Mechanical Engineering, Product Design and Electrical Engineering.
Lauren Cerino
Lauren Cerino is a Technical Associate at the MIT AgeLab in Cambridge, MA. At the AgeLab, Lauren’s research primarily explores the future of advice and retirement planning, emerging home technologies, and social robotics. Lauren also co-coordinates OMEGA, an outreach initiative designed to foster multigenerational connections between high school students and older adults. Prior to joining the AgeLab, Lauren received her BA from Connecticut College, where she studied computer science and human development and was heavily involved in community outreach initiatives and early childhood programming.
Chrissy Glover
Coming soon!
Evelyn Gómez
As an Invention Education Administrator of K-12 Programs, Evelyn Gómez supports schools and districts as they embed invention education into the school day. By working alongside our Partners in Invention Education and building on the strengths of each community, we aim to remedy historic inequities among those who develop inventions, protect their intellectual property, and build wealth from their creations. Evelyn’s efforts prioritize working with young women, Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and other disinvested communities.
Evelyn’s diverse background in engineering, education, and activism provides the perfect foundation for leading the local outreach efforts expanding invention education opportunities for young people of color. Before joining Lemelson-MIT in 2019, Evelyn worked for a broad range of education organizations, including policy work with local school committees, STEM-related nonprofit organizations, work as a math and science teacher in public schools, and work as an engineering instructor in community colleges. As a trained STEM educator, Evelyn infused her passion for inclusive STEM education to teach learners of all ages how to use math and science to invent.
Joel Grimm
Joel joined the MIT Beaver Works team in 2018 to help increase collaboration between MIT and Lincoln Laboratory by bringing real-world projects for students to develop solutions, and bringing years of engineering experience to help out. He has also become deeply involved with the MIT Beaver Works Summer Institute providing AI and engineering courses to middle and high school students that are taught by Lincoln Laboratory staff and MIT students. Since joining MIT Lincoln Laboratory in 1986, he has been involved in diverse projects from laser radars and airborne systems to large software development efforts.
Kevin Warner
Kevin Warner is a startup founder and military Officer. His company, Paradigm Shift Innovations, designs and engineers consumer and business products. He is also an MIT Lincoln Laboratory Fellow. During his twenty years of military service he has served as an Aircraft Structural Mechanic, Cyber Networks Systems Chief, and Computer Network Operations (CNO) Capabilities Developer. In 2015, his robotics team, SDSU Mechatronics, won the International Robosub competition. San Diego Mayor, Kevin Faulconer, the Office of Naval Research (ONR), and U.S. President, Barack Obama commended them for becoming the first team from San Diego to win the international competition.
Kevin is also a staunch advocate for expanding STEM, leadership and entrepreneurial education and resources to children in underserved communities. He partners with several community outreach and non-profit organizations across the country to achieve this goal.