More than 100 students at Florida Poly participated in the Poly Protothon Lab, a three-part event that involved idea generating, fast prototyping, product testing and launch!
Harris Corporation partnered with Florida Poly for the event, which aimed to expand student knowledge while challenging the participants to create a first-stage prototype, according to Dr. Ryan Integlia, a Florida Poly professor and event organizer. “This was a purpose-driven collaboration competition to build, test, refine, demonstrate and innovate using both hardware and software,” said Dr. Integlia, noting the support of the University President, Provost and the entire campus community in organizing the event.
The Poly Protothon Lab was held throughout the spring semester, starting in March and ending in May.
- Phase one: Students brainstormed concepts.
- Phase two: Students took part in an immersive, collaborative process to bring their designs closer to a prototype for testing.
- Phase three: The event concluded with students receiving feedback and the knowledge to plan the next phase of product development.
“This gave students a unique experience to grow new ideas and take part in a rapid prototyping process, constantly adjusting their design in the process based on test results, as well as feedback from judges, supporters and mentors,” Dr. Integlia said.