DifferenceMaker Spotlight

Spotlight is an update for all of DifferenceMaker’s participating teams. Below are the current reams and their present status.

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2016 College Competition Winners

DigiBank

Team Members: Channou Aing, Virath Chea, Siven Hang, Cullin Lam, and Chanmary Lau

Project Description: A digital financial transaction system that will allow users to deposit the change made during cash transactions directly into their banking accounts.

Awards & Achievements:

• 1^st place winner of 2016 DCU Innovation Contest, $3000 (each team member received $600 – $100 for being a semifinalist and $500 for winning))
• Total Money Raised: $3,000

Project Starfish

Team Members: Travis Kessler, Christopher Johnson, Gregory Dorian, Maxwell Roy, and Roma Aurora

Project Description: An effective, non-invasive and cost-effective prosthetic hand is accomplished by using a combination of cutting-edge technologies, such as 3-D printing and advanced machine learning software.

Awards & Achievements:

• 1^st place winner of 2016 Engineering Prototyping Competition – Undergraduate category, $1,000
• Total Money Raised: $1,000

Cyborg

Team Members: Jishnu Menon Asokakumar, Ram Das, Adam Ferguson, ChandraSekhar Kolli, Dhiren Rathod

Project Description: A Hybrid Musical Instrument, designed to transform any object into a touch sensitive musical instrument.

Awards & Achievements:

• 1^st place winner of 2016 Engineering Prototyping Competition – Graduate category, $1,000
• Total Money Raised: $1,000

Breezy

Team Members: Anne Faber and Scott Stapleton

Project Description: A device provides real-time air quality monitoring which can be tracked with mobile phone or online. Breezy will also alert you when the air is unsafe

Awards & Achievements:

• 2^nd place winner of 2016 Engineering Prototyping Competition – Undergraduate category, $750
• Total Money Raised: $750

BASH – Biodigestor Aided Solutions in Haiti

Team Members: Michael Doane, Nicole Belanger, Owen Gannon, Alanna Grondine, Kayla Dooley, Maureen Kelly, and Jeff Beck

Project Description: A new waste management system for the city of Les Cayes, Haiti that would improve the quality of water sanitation while creating job opportunities.

Awards & Achievements:

• 2016 Idea Challenge Honorable Mention, $2,500
• 3rd place winner of 2016 Engineering Prototyping Competition – Undergraduate category, $500
• Travelled to Haiti, Jan 2017
• Total Money Raised: $2,500

Lorebooks

Team Members: Alan Foster

Project Description: A software platform that allows its users to take the stories they write and turn them into realistic, interactive 3D e-books.

Awards & Achievements:

• 1st place winner of 2015 Engineering Prototyping Competition – Undergraduate category
• Working to develop application. Interface is developed.
• 2016 EforAll, 3rd Place, $500
• 1st place winner of 2016 FAHSS Creative Venture Competition – $5,000
• Total Money Raised: $6,500

2016 Idea Challenge Winners

eNABLE Lowell

Team Members:

Katherine Bilodeau, Allison Dunbar, Kreg Kaminski, Craig Kelly, Peter Larsen, Shannon Maguire, and Alexander Peters

Project Description: A chapter model to help expand eNABLE – an international volunteer organization that produces 3D printed prosthetic hands for kids around the world.

Awards & Achievements:

• Pitched at 2016 convocation
• 2016 Campus-Wide DifferenceMaker, $6,000
• Raised $1,500 from Facebook Fundraiser
• Thus far, they have manufactured several hands including one hand for a specific child in need, Ethan, five hands for a project run by a partner chapter in Budapest that eventually made their way to Ghana along with a 3D printer and dozens of other hands, and are currently working on more elaborate designs to help other children that have reached out to the team. This team inspired a group in Ireland to create a chapter of their own. eNABLE Lowell is inspirational and is already making a difference across the world. They also launched an Indiegogo campaign where they raised over $1,000 to help fund material costs.
• Peter travelled to Haiti for two weeks in the summer of 2016 to set up a 3D printing shop that creates more realistic looking prosthetics
• Attended prosthetics conference in Boston in September 2016
• Paired with mentors Brenda Maille and Anshuman Chadda
• On the DM panel for the Oct. 19, University Entrepreneurship Celebration event
• Since their start in September 2015 they have helped 5 recipients and are currently talking to two more possible recipients that they can help in the future (1st – Ethan, 2nd – Lillie, 3rd – Emily, 4th – Dennis, 5th – Liam)
• One team member has been to North Ireland to visit Lillie and deliver her two hands. They have traveled to New York in October to work a booth at Maker Faire to promote the organization to thousands of attendees. Three members have travelled to Maine to check in on a recipient and deliver replacement parts. 3 members travelled to a North Reading grade school to meet with young students and one child actually sketched up his own design for a hand afterwards. 5 Members traveled to Medway, MA to present to 50+ high school students to promote the organization and encourage humanitarianism in high school students. (5 places in total).
• They have made 12 hands for recipients (including base model prosthetics hands and task specific devices to help kids swim and play basketball).
• The hands they made have traveled to Florida, Cambodia, North Ireland, Germany, and Maine.
• They have begun work on hands using myoelectric controls utilizing the muscles of the user and are working hard to improve the communication and feedback model for all of eNABLE to insure recipients have a good experience and create a sustainable model allowing recipients to grow up and feel comfortable with their difference.
• Planning a fundraiser event – Feb. 23, 2017
• Total Money Raised: $7,500

Expect

Team Members: David Machado, Emily, O’Brien and Amanda Reardon

Project Description: An application that facilitates communication between referring facilities/emergency medical services and accepting inpatient/emergency units.

Awards & Achievements:

• 2016 DifferenceMaker Fan Favorite, $1,000
• Paired with mentors Ralph Poole and Richard Juknavorian
• Total Money Raised: $1,000

invisaWear (Formerly known as Flaire)

Team Members: Rajia Abdelaziz, Erin Graceffa, and Raymond Hamilton

Project Description: A wearable device that connects to a smart phone via Bluetooth. With the simple push of a button, it sends help messages and location information to predetermined emergency contacts.

Awards & Achievements:

• 2015 3rd Place Engineering Prototyping Competition, $500
• 2016 Idea Challenge Innovative Technology Solution, $4,500
• Built working prototype
• Formed LLC in NH
• Filed to TradeMark invisaWear
• Pitched at 2016 convocation, won 2^nd Place, $1000
• Paired with mentors Bhupen Shah, Ray Southworth, Bod Dudley
• Pitched at Startupalooza in December 2016, won runner-up, no cash prize, but got connected to angel investors
• Was accepted to the EforAll Winter Accelerator December 2016
• EforAll Pitch winner, 2016: $750
• Using iHub space to meet regularly with mentors – 2016
• Total Money Raised: $6,750

Happy Heart Cart

Team Members: Irtiza Khtar, MaryKate McDonough, and Olivia Vieira

Project Description: A program that provides advanced therapeutic and holistic practices to improve patient stays in adult hospitals through an activity cart that can either be wheeled between rooms, or stationary and present in every room.

Awards & Achievements:

• Pitched at 2016 convocation
• 2016 Idea Challenge Honorable Mention, $2,000
• Paired with mentors Scott Boyages and Adam Rowley
• Total Money Raised: $2,000

OmniSense

Team Members: Bolutife Anifowose, Michael Dollogono, and Martin Lee

Project Description: A specialized device to track the bar path of a barbell when it is in motion. This device will sync to a smartphone so users will have real time access to their lifting data such as bar path and acceleration.

Awards & Achievements:

• 2016 Idea Challenge Contribution to a Healthier Lifestyle Winner, $4,500
• Paired with mentors Chris McKenna, John Morgan Bush
• Working with Prof. Hunter Mack to gain an engineering team member – fall 2016
• Total Money Raised: $4,500

Security Top

Team Members: Cleveland Atkinson, Joshua Desrochers, Travis Goodrum, Tabatha Ferreira, Craig Frigon, Malinna Pheng, and Andy Polanco

Project Description: A reusable bottle cap for the purpose of increasing the prevention of contaminates that enter a bottled beverage.

Awards & Achievements:

• 2016 Idea Challenge Honorable Mention, $2,000
• Paired with mentors Jon Unger and Mary Hart
• Made a prototype at the iHub in the fall 2016
• Total Money Raised: $2,000

SmartEater

Team Members: Yang Gao and Honghao Wang

Project Description: An Automated Diet Monitoring (ADM) System designed to help people to manage their dietary behavior.

Awards & Achievements:

• 2016 Idea Challenge Honorable Mention, $2,000
• Paired with mentors Chris McKenna, Evan Kirstel, Liz Driscoll
• Faculty Advisor – Guanling Chen
• Total Money Raised: $2,000

TopaCan

Team Members: Justin Lozier, Jonathan Benefiel, and Wilmer Ventura

Project Description: This is a top that can be clipped on any empty can. It solves the cigarette butt waste problem by creating a new creative way to dispose of cigarette butts.

Awards & Achievements:

• 1^st place winner of 2015 Engineering Prototyping Competition – Graduate category, $1,000
• 2016 Idea Challenge First to Market Winner, $4,500
• Developed first prototype
• Working on more development and packaging
• Paired with mentors Jeffrey Hamel and Mark Girolamo
• On the DM panel with Mark Girolamo for the Oct. 19, University Entrepreneurship Celebration event
• Total money raised: $5,500

Veteran’s QRF

Team Members: Henry DeLima, Terry Fox-Koor, Brian Holt, Ann McGill, and David Tetreault

Project Description: A web platform that will simplify the application process for Veteran service connected disability benefits.

Awards & Achievements:

• 2016 Idea Challenge Significant Social Impact Winner, $4,500
• EforAll Fan Favorite 2016, $500
• Held 5K Fundraiser race in Oct 2016
• Paired with mentors Ralph Poole, Susan de Mari and Andrew Sutherland
• On the DM panel with Andrew Sutherland for the Oct. 19, University Entrepreneurship Celebration event
• Total Money Raised: $5,000

WordPro

Team Members: Ruban Isagolov and Yovaldi Venter

Project Description: A vocabulary builder – Digital flashcards – aimed at high school students learning a second language.

Awards & Achievements:

• 2016 Idea Challenge Honorable Mention, $2,000
• App is available in Google Play and Apple Store
• Travelled to South Africa twice for research and development purposes
• Paired with mentors Jack Wang and John Norden
• On the DM panel for the Oct. 19, University Entrepreneurship Celebration event
• Total Money Raised: $,2000

2015 Idea Challenge Winners

KeNDERS Athletic Body Armor

Team Members: Elizabeth Kender, Laura Kender, and Stephen Kender

Project Description: A novel design for sport equipment using shear-thickening fluids.

Awards & Achievements:

• 2^nd place winner of 2015 Idea Challenge Innovative Technology Solution category, $2,500
• Won $250 at UMass Lowell Board of Trustees meeting in December 2015
• Pitched at 2015 UMass Lowell convocation and won 1^st Place, $1,500
• Total Money Raised: $4,250

Love of the Game

Team Members: Daniel Schmith, Jessica Dion, Rachel Silk, Dylan Doucette, and Lucas Parsons

Project Description: A community outreach program that provides sports opportunities to those with physical and cognitive disabilities.

Awards & Achievements:

• 1^ST place winner of 2015 Idea Challenge ‘s Signification Social Impact category, $4,000
• Pitched at 2015 UMass Lowell convocation and won 2^nd Place, $1,500
• Organized a successful athletic event for disabled children in the Merrimack Valley area on October 18^th
• Was represented on a panel at the Student and Alumni Celebration in Oct 2015
• Planning and developing more programming and events
• Partnered with several community organizations
• Partnered with UMass Lowell Rec Center and Athletic Department
• Won $250 at UMass Lowell Board of Trustees meeting in December 2015
• Received alumni mentor, Tammy Concannon
• Club status 2015-2016, $350
• Applied to NetScout Grant in Spring 2016
• Total Money Raised: $6,100

Playable Therapy

Team Members: Mark Mcgrotty, Anthony Pitaro, Lucas Brown, Damir Ismagilove, and Suhaib Alfegeeh

Project Description: A platform of exercises and games that, with Microsoft Kinect, will allow for motion tracking of a physical therapy patient during their exercise routine at home.

Awards & Achievements:

• 1^ST place winner of 2015 Idea Challenge Contribution to a Healthier Lifestyle, $4,000
• Applied for Lemelson foundation’s MIT grant
• Applied to HoloLens Academic Research Request for Proposals
• Received alumni mentor, William Hanchett
• Pitched at 2015 UMass Lowell convocation and won 3^rd Place, $500
• Total Money Raised: $4,500

uCampus 

Team Members: Joshua Carter

Project Description: A web platform aiming to bridge the gap between domestic students and international students.

Awards & Achievements:

• 2^nd place winner of 2015 Idea Challenge Significant Social Impact Winner, $2,500
• Partnered with international department on campus to begin implementation
• Has two faculty advisors: Paul Jermain and Mariam Margala
• Total Money Raised: $2,500

2015 College Competition Winners 

Bank BR

Team Members: Jonathan Burgin and David Rocca

Project Description: A phone application that tracks the items consumers spend money on each month and the amount of money left in their “spending budget”.

Awards & Achievements:

• 1^st place winner of 2015 DCU Innovation Contest, $1000 ($500 each for winning finals)
• DCU finalist, $500 ($250 each for becoming a finalist)
• Partnered with two students through Prof Tracey Green’s class to get application developed, $200 (Those students each received $100)
• Total Money Raised: $1,700

EZ Removal

Team Members: Hamid Mohseni, Soma Hajian, Norman Hallissey, and Peyman Poozesh

Project Description: An automated snow removal system for solar panels.

Awards & Achievements:

• 2015 Engineering Prototyping Competition, People’s Choice Award, $250
• Total Money Raised: $250

Get Girls Going

Team Members: Nana Younge, Matilda Matovu, Queenly Amankwah, Gladys Kibunyi, Sashoy Bailey, and Christy Saint-vil

Project Description: A program that provides a support system for at risk girls in high school while providing female college students with responsibility and leadership roles.

Awards & Achievements:

• 1^st place winner of the 2015 FAHSS Creative Venture Competition, $5,000
• Total Money Raised: $5,000

2014 Idea Challenge Winners

BioBubbler

Team Members: Rachel Paquette and Nawal Khan

Project Description: A water purification system which has successfully been implemented in to Haitian homes.

Awards & Achievements:

• 1^ST place winner of 2014 Idea Challenge ‘s Significant Social Impact category, $4,000
• Travelled to Haiti twice to implement the BioBubbler and test the device
• Successfully implemented 7 BioBubblers into Haitian homes
• Was represented on a panel at the Student and Alumni Celebration in Oct 2015
• Won 1^st place prize at UMass Lowell Board of Trustees meeting in December 2015, $750
• Total Money Raised: $4,750

Fresh Beets

Team Members: Savannah Marshall

Project Description: A food truck and music venue that unites food, music and education in the Greater Lowell community.

Awards & Achievements:

• 1^ST place winner of 2014 Idea Challenge ‘s First to Market category, $4,000
• Pitched at 2014 UMass Lowell convocation and won 2^nd Place, $1,000
• Took a 6 month internship to Austin Texas to work in the food truck industry to gain real-life experience and expertise
• Received faculty mentor, John Morgan Bush
• Total Money Raised: $5,000

 

Support Our Students

Team Members: Teresa Shroll, Mary Tauras, Alison Lai, and Forrest Gill

Project Description: A meal donation plan system on campus to help students in need.

Awards & Achievements:

• Winner of 2014 UMass Lowell Campus-wide DifferenceMaker, $7,000
• Partnered with Aramark (UML catering company) to implement the donation meal plan system
• Helped 83 students since fall 2014
• Raised 748 Guest Meals since Sept 2015
• Raised $3,318 in donations​ since Sept 2015
• Gave away 4,739 Meals since Sept 2015
• Won EforAll Accelerator Program in 2014, $1,000
• Received faculty mentor, John Morgan Bush
• Pitched at 2014 UMass Lowell convocation and won 3^rd Place, $500
• Raised $1,680 through Hawk Hatch
• Received $500 donation check in Dec 2016
• Received $1000 donation check in Dec 2016
• Received $25 donation check in Dec 2016
• Total Money Raised: $15, 025

ZHUUM

Team Members: Darin Eidens, Chuyen Hong Lau, Dan Coughlin, and Wai Yuen Tang

Project Description: A mobile application that allows customers to view the menu and order products directly from their mobile devices.

Awards & Achievements:

• 2^nd place winner of 2014 Idea Challenge’s First to Market category, $2,500
• Received two mentors: one community mentor, Trish Fleming and one alumni mentor, Mike Covino
• Partnered with the ICC and Aramark at UMass Lowell to conduct a beta testing of their software/hardware
• App is on Google Play
• Total Money Raised: $2,000

 

2013 Idea Challenge Winners

HIVE

Team Members: Rohit Krishnan and Khyteang Lim

Project Description: A content-aware and intelligent notebook that provides correction, and connects learners.

Awards & Achievements:

• 2^nd place winner of 2013 Idea Challenge, Innovative Technology, $1,500
• Developed a working prototype (you can see more at www.hivelabs.it)
• Incorporated as a C-Corp in Delaware
• Meeting with 1517 capital
• Possible future acquisition with Wolfram
• The BayMax team has also just recently got accepted to the finals of the Intel Cornell Cup Challenge, representing UMass Lowell.
• Total Money Raised: $1,500

Nonspec

Team Members: Jonathan De Alderete, Erin Keaney, and Brendan Donoghue

Project Description: Low cost, high functionality, extendable replacement limb for children in developing nations.

Awards & Achievements:

• 2013 Campus-Wide DifferenceMaker Award, $5,000
• 2nd Place at Commencement Pitch, $1,000
• Top 10 College Entrepreneur of the Year by Entrepreneur Magazine
• IAPD Plastics Application Design Award, $1,000
• Moo Grand Prix Small Business Award, $11,000
• NCIIA E-Team Grant Stage , $5,000
• Design News Engineer to Watch 2014, Jonathan de Alderete
• AME IShow 1st Place Award, $25,000
• Patent Issued
• Received $2,590 donation through Hawk Hatch
• Received the NCIIA E2 grant, $20,000
• Featured in Telegram and Gazette, The Groton Line, NPR, The Sun, O&P News
• 1st Place at Sandbox Summit Pitch, $3,000
• MITEF Beantown Throwdown 2014 2nd place, $7,500
• MITEF Startup Spotlight 2015 Participants
• VentureWell Open Minds 4th place for booth at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, $250
• Started renting space in IHub 2015, 110 Canal St
• MakeSchools/Dremel Making Impact Winners, awesome Dremel equipment
• Started renting office space at UMass Lowell Innovation Hub in 2015
• Received faculty mentor, Tom ODonnell
• Was represented on a panel at the Student and Alumni Celebration in Oct 2015
• Won the Silver medals at the Collegiate Inventors Competition Expo – USPTO in November 2016
• Total Money Raised: about $220,000

Robotic Feeding Arm  

Team Member: Philip Colangelo

Project Description: Produces robotic arms to assist people where debilitating circumstances inhibit them form performing daily living activities.

Awards & Achievements:

• 1st prize winner of Idea Challenge ‘s Innovative Technology category
• Accepted to the 2013 Sandbox Summer Accelerator program
• 2014 Cornell Cup Finalist
• Toal Money Raised: $3,500

Grab a Bite  

Team Members: Aldo Beqiraj, Andrew Webb, Denis Lemos, and Andrew MacRobert

Project Description:
Social Food Network that engages users and helps increase restaurants’ customer traffic through marketing , ease of use and convenience.

Awards & Achievements:

• 1st prize winner of Idea Challenge‘s First to Market category
• Voted as People’s Choice at the Mass Innovation Foodie Night
• Finished testing phase with restaurants in Lowell areas
• Merged  with Click a Waiter, an online order site, and share 50% profit
• Raised $10,000 in Kickstarter campaign
• Total Money Raised: $15,000

3 Point Stick  

Team Members: Ramez Antoun and Ryan Connor

Project Description:
A product that gives tactile/kinesthetic feedback for both correct spinal alignment and breathing mechanic to quality movement.

Awards & Achievements:

• 2nd prize winner of Idea Challenge ‘s First to Market category
• Total Money Raised: $1,500

 

Lowell Sprouts 

Team Members: Mary Beth Burwood, Christopher Horne, and Sean Hicks

Project Description: Uses school gardens as a way to educate middle school children about the importance of sustainable organic agriculture.

Awards & Achievements:

• 1st prize winner of Idea Challenge ‘s Sustainable Environment category
• Total Money Raised: $3,500

Healthy Habits    

Team Members: Haley Mayne & Michelle Racioppi (original team) Peter Saing & CHECK club (new team)

Project Description: Inspire Children to achieve healthier lifestyles by eating nutritious foods, exercising and being active to prevent obesity.

Awards & Achievements:

• 1st prize winner of Idea Challenge ‘s Significant Social Impact category
• Total Money Raised: $3,500

 

The Bright Future Generation 

Team Member: Vanessa Colomba

Project Description: A mental health program addressing the need of Rwanda youth.

Awards & Achievements:

• 2nd prize winner of Idea Challenge‘s Significant Social Impact category
• Total Money Raised: $1,500