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Students compete in TOP DOG pitch contest
Oct. 29, 21 teams of Louisiana Tech students shared their innovative ideas in the annual TOP DOG Idea Pitch competition.
Students interact with product teams at the TOP DOG pitch competition.
During the event, each team had five minutes to make their pitches to judges. After, the room was opened to the public to view and discuss ideas.
Some participants returned to TOP DOG from earlier competition in last month’s pitch event, Doggone Good Idea. Since then, these returning students were able to refine and further develop their ideas, now with a formal brand name and in some cases, a working prototype. Returning teams included Chris King’s Hermes Hydration, Henry Cottom’s Automatic Magazine Loader, and previous winner Robert Strange’s Strange Light.
In addition to returning ideas, there were several new additions as well. One team of students, named S.P.A.T. (Superior Pressure Applying Tourniquet) produced designs for a more user-friendly tourniquet for emergency situations.
“We’re trying to cut down on the time it takes, the skill that it takes, and the amount of knowledge that it takes to make tourniquets readily available in catastrophic events,” team member Cameron Surratt said.
Another new idea came from Christopher Crawford named School Me, where he used his supply chain management skills to come up with a system that buys school supplies in bulk to save money for students who may need extra help.
“Some students don’t have the supplies that others do,” Crawford said. “My mission is to provide savings for schools and parents so that future students can have the resources and opportunities to succeed.”
The team from Hermes Hydration discusses a mouthpiece sensor that allows athletic trainers to monitor hydration levels of athletes in real-time.
Other pitches ranged from a clothing brand called MOST SLEPT ON Clothing to a smart, automated curtain rod called RODnee. One team even provided samples of a healthy alternative to sugary drinks derived from African teas, which they called Tales of African Flavors. In addition to the samples they provided, the team also included a digital chart indicating all of the health benefits of the drinks as well as information behind their origin.
AutomaAbility, another one of the projects presented, is a virtually intelligent device that allows children with disabilities to control and operate a toy car with only the use of their eyes. For example, if the person using the device were to look left or right, the car would respond and move in that direction.
“Essentially, it’s marketed for children with paralysis but it’s just a cool thing and it can also be marketed to any child or parent,” McKenna Barker said of her team’s product.
The team with the highest number of student audience votes was Cooling Unplugged, a device designed to keep leafy greens fresh. Coming in second was team S.P.A.T.
The next step for the TOP DOG Idea Pitch teams is the TOP DOG New Venture Championship in the spring.
2019 TOP DOG Idea Pitch teams
Automatic Magazine Loader: A device that automatically loads loose rounds of ammunition into amagazine to save time and wear and tear on the hands.. Henry Cottom, Noah Borden, Ben Grice, Mechanical Engineering.
AutomAbility: A remote control toy car that allows children with limited muscle function to operate a toy with minimal assistance. McKenna Barker, Biomedical Engineering; and Carli Raupp, Mechanical Engineering.
Bulldawg’s Beauties & Beauxs: A service to help students maintain proper upkeep of appearance and prepare for job interviews. Madalynn Warner, Business Management and Entrepreneurship.
Cooling Unplugged: A unique cooling device to keep recently harvested leafy greens in quality condition.Emily Bourgoyne and Jenny Chapman, Business Management and Entrepreneurship; Patrick Hernandez and Ryan Vedros, Mechanical Engineering.
D.A.W.G.: (Developing Another Winning Generation) is a campus-wide, alumni mentorship program for incoming freshmen. Grant Lewis, Business Finance.
DuaSock: Socks that detect pressure and heat problem areas for diabetic patients to guard against footinfections. Devin Tooley, Fatima Hussain, and Dace Cole, Biomedical Engineering
Exotic Bird Sanctuary: Allows visitors to have personal interactions with exotic birds to learn more about them. This site will serve as a constructive pastime and a naturalistic environment allowing bird species to thrive. Richard Payne, Animal Science.
Freeze Alert: Shows homeowners when the power going to the freezer is out or if the temperature is notworking at maximum capacity. Jillian Beshear, Cyber Engineering.
Futuristic Headphones: Provides consumers with access to FM radio while outside of their vehicles. Arthessius Hampton, Anh Tran, and DeJason Fowler, Electrical Engineering.
Hermes Hydration: Mouthpiece sensor that allows athletic trainers to monitor hydration levels of athletes in real-time. Ethan Reed, Mechanical Engineering; Oliver Powell, Business Management and Entrepreneurship; Alisha Brown, Biomedical Engineering; and Chris King, Electrical Engineering.
Hydro-Pen: An easier to use penile implant. Leann Tengowski, Biomedical Engineering; and Parker Willmon, Biomedical Engineering and Mathematics
Most Slept on Clothing: A clothing company selling motivational streetwear giving customers the opportunity to “wear what you believe in.” Brittney Smith, Architecture.
NIMS: The Neonatal Intensive Monitoring System creates a safer and more comfortable environment for babies and their families. Emil Fonseca, Tosh Morgan, Marissa Nguyen, and Brandice-Taylor Tilley, Biomedical Engineering.
OHP Cool Panels: A product that cools solar panels to increase the amount of total energy produced. James Danley, Matthew Cambre, Joshua Richardson, Mechanical Engineering; and Jakia Green, Business Management and Entrepreneurship.
Orange: A service that gives customers the ability to unlock electrical outlets remotely so they can charge their devices in public. Joanna Ham, Marketing, Dylan Zickefosse, Economics; and Nathan Coker, Finance
RODnee: The Smart Curtain Rod: a sleek, new way to automate curtains. Zachary Brashears, Computer Information Systems
School Me: A service to schools giving them the tools to help with wholesale buying and consolidating spending for school supplies. Christopher Crawford, Supply Chain Management
Smart Fire Helmet: Provides firefighters with accurate and up-to-date information about their surroundings while increasing their safety. Mark Allen and Jackson Torrey, Electrical Engineering
S.P.A.T.: A Superior Pressure Applying Tourniquet. Derek Delo, Wariebi Suobo, Hansel D’Cruz, Eva Dickenson, Mechanical Engineering; and Michael B Green, Cameron Surratt, Business Management and Entrepreneurship
Strange Light: Attractive light emitting panels and patches that are applied to clothing to increase the visibility of the wearer. Robert Strange, Nanosystems Engineering.
Tales of African Flavors: Beverages produced with African teas that provide health benefits. Simon Boycott, MS-Biology; Fatoe Toure, Finance; Premina Sivagnanasundaram, PhD-Molecular Science and Nanosystems; and Chukwumaobim Nwokwu, PhD-Molecular Sciences and Nanotechnology.
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