PLATTEVILLE—UW-Platteville’s Shelbi Endres took first place and $1,000 prize in the WiSys Prototype Hackathon @ UW-Platteville in late November.

The hackathon—sponsored by WiSys, UW-Platteville Office of Research and Sponsored Programs and the Platteville Regional Chamber—engages students to design innovative product prototypes and demonstrate their commercial relevance. Teams had dedicated days to design and build a prototype. A month later, after additional refinement, the prototypes were presented and judged based on functionality, market need, and the overall presentation.

Endres, a sophomore industrial engineering student, developed the product “Pack-et” during the hackathon to allow users to turn their coats into usable backpacks when they are no longer needed for warmth.

Juniors Marc Aruguete and George Case, a mechanical engineering student and a civil engineering student, respectively, took second place in the hackathon with their presentation for “PoliMarket”—a marketplace and algorithm for research and development of nonmetal materials. The team split a $500 prize.

Senior software engineering student Josh Wood took third place and a $250 prize in the competition for a prototype and website to sell customizable ultralight backpacks.

Students had the opportunity to take advantage of two dedicated build days for working on their prototypes in the Huff Family Innovation Center in late October. Students were also mentored by WiSys and UW-Platteville leaders. The projects were presented on Nov. 29 in the Harry and Laura Nohr Gallery in Ullsvik Hall.

Overall, 7 teams and 14 students presented projects during WiSys Prototype Hackathon. Judges for this year’s event included:

• Wayne Wodarz, Executive Director, Platteville Regional Chamber.
• Ela Kakde, Regional Economic Development Director, Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation.
• Stuart Anders, Owner/Founder, Allied Industries.
• Dr. Thomas Zolper, Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering, UW-Platteville.
• Dr. Philip Parker, Interim Dean, UW-Platteville.

The WiSys Prototype Hackathon was a continuation of another WiSys program, WiSys Innovation On-Ramp. That five-week learning experience trains students to advance their ideas—regardless of their field or goal. It stressed mentorship, networking and building an innovation skill set. Students who participated in WiSys Innovation On-Ramp were encouraged to use it as a springboard into WiSys Prototype Hackathon.

WiSys is a nonprofit organization that works with faculty, staff, students and alumni of the UW System to facilitate cutting-edge research programs, develop and commercialize discoveries and foster a spirit of innovative and entrepreneurial thinking across the state.