Weather Bots Warren Jackson, an engineering graduate student at the University of Pennsylvania, was not interested in the weather until he started investigating how the National Weather Service collected weather data.
The weather service has collected most of its information using weather balloons that carry a device to measure items like pressure, wind, and humidity. When the balloon reaches about 100,000 feet and pressure causes it to pop, the device falls and lands a substantial distance from its launch point.
The National Weather Service and researchers sometimes look for the $200 device, but of the 80,000 sent up annually, they write-off many as lost. Convinced there had to be a better way, Jackson began designing a GPS-equipped robot that launches a parachute after the balloon pops, and brings the device back down to Earth, landing it at a predetermined location set by the researchers.
The idea is so inventive that the Penn's Weiss Tech House-a university organization that encourages students to innovate and bring their ideas to market-awarded Jackson and some fellow graduate engineering student's first prize in its third annual PennVention Contest. Jackson won $5,000, and access to expert advice on prototyping, legal matters, and branding.
PROJECT FOCUS
GPS and GIS can be used in all sorts of devices, in many different industries, for multiple purposes. You want to compete, and win first prize, in the PennVention next year.
Create a product, using a GPS or GIS, that is not currently in the market today that you will present at the fourth annual PennVention.