MIIPS Students Light the Way at 2019 Impact-a-Thon
By Elizabeth Donaldson
MIIPS students lit up the 2019 Rothberg Catalyzer Impact-a-Thon, winning first and second place with their lighting solutions for off-the-grid settlements.
MIIPS Advanced students Gaurav Asthana, Satyan Chawla, Cem Ergin, Karan Naik, Qicheng Yang, and Sisi Xi Yu received second place with Sole-Tile, a solar-powered lighting module that costs less than $5 to produce. Sole-Tile magnetically connects four light modules, so multiple members of the same household can have access to a light source.
Sole-Tile prototype: one of the lighting blocks
MIIPS Advanced students Vaibhav Gupta, Ranveer Katyal, Shawn Koid, and Taylor Mau (MIIPS '19) won first place with Light Hub, a solar-powered charging station for four Light Sticks, each capable of producing 50 hours of light.
Light Hub prototype with charging solar panels
The team was concerned for the safety of refugees in temporary settlements and created a timer that activates when a Light Stick is removed from the charging station. If the Light Stick is not returned after fifteen minutes, the Hub signals an alert to the community.