Track 05 · Open Innovation
Your idea. Your problem. Your solution.
Open Innovation & Real-World Engineering
Track 05 · Open Innovation
1 team registered in this track · updated daily
Problem context
The road outside your school floods whenever it rains, or the canteen throws away good food every evening. You noticed it. What would you build?
Problem statement
Theme: Open innovation: no fixed theme
There is no fixed problem statement on this track. Whatever idea you have, you can apply. Choose a real problem that matters to you, from your school, home, community, agriculture, health, environment, industry or anywhere else, and design and build a working solution to it.
You are free to choose the problem, the technology and the engineering approach. The track rewards a well-chosen problem, a strong and honest response to it, and a team that can explain every decision.
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Areas you will work on:
- Problem finding & framing
- Any suitable technology
- Users & impact
- Feasibility
What a good open-innovation project has
- A real problem that real people face, described in your own words.
- A clear idea for how your solution helps, and who benefits.
- A working prototype that you can demonstrate. A prototype is mandatory.
- Sensible use of safe, low-cost, school-appropriate technology.
- Evidence that it works: measurements, tests or observations.
Safety and originality
Use only safe, low-voltage electronics and school-appropriate materials. Work must be your team’s own; cite any open-source parts, libraries or tutorials you use.
Round 1: concept and proposed solution
- The problem you chose and why it matters
- Your proposed solution and how it works
- System architecture or functional block diagram
- Hardware and software requirements
- Preliminary cost estimation
Round 2: prototype development
- Functional prototype demonstration video (a working prototype is mandatory)
- Demonstration of the solution solving the problem
- Explanation of how it works and the choices you made
- Preliminary test results
Grand Finale: working prototype
- Fully working prototype
- Live demonstration solving the chosen problem
- Supporting test data and observations
- Technical presentation explaining the problem, the solution and your design decisions
Expected outcome
A working prototype plus a simple, honest case for why the problem matters and why your answer works.
What to deliver
A working prototype and a clear case for why the problem matters and why your solution works.
Evaluation
Scored on three rubrics; the Grand Finale rubric is provisional. See the rubrics
Timeline
Registration runs 12–31 October 2026. The Grand Finale is on 28 November 2026. See the full timeline