Innovation Challenge

EngineerAid, a charity organisation providing online engineering assistance to less economically developed countries, held a ‘Scrapheap’ style Innovation Challenge at the Edinburgh Training Centre, Edinburgh, on the 24th of March 2007, in association with the Institute of Chemical Engineering (IChemE), Chemical Industries Association (CIA) and Doosan Babcock Energy.

Nine teams battled it out against the clock and each other in putting together a working machine from old junk whilst raising money for EngineerAid and keeping a focus on the problems encountered within social development in the less economically developed countries.

Firstly, a communications exercise was used to help the participants appreciate the problems faced by EngineerAid and its engineer volunteers in trying to obtain correct briefings of the problem to be solved – Try using a post-it note limited to 5 words and asking within 10 questions the details of the problem to be solved!

Then secondly came the hands on exciting stuff where, once the participants were given a detailed brief of the problem they were to construct a working water pump with limited materials (in the form of junk!) and scarce number of tools, all within a set time! Some great and interesting, working prototypes were presented on the day but it was made sure a mop was kept to hand for all the water being splashed about!

Prizes were given on the day to participants for their efforts at various levels, amongst these were:

  • Most Innovative Design
  • Best Working Design
  • Worst Design of the Day
  • Most Sponsorship Raised by Team

The event also worked as a networking event with engineers participating from organisations such as Edinburgh University, Fuji Films, Siemens, Reactec, Napier University, IChemE and CIA.

Great fun was had by all, with successfully raising up to £1,200 for the charity. Requests are now coming in for this event to be held again next year, so watch this space and register your team early, because next year will be even better!!!

See the picture gallery here

Read more about the challenge here


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