Innovation Labs 2024: Empowering AI for Business Innovation
The MSOE AI-Club wrapped up an exciting chapter of 2024 with the culmination of Innovation Labs, a two-month-long challenge sponsored by Brady Corporation. Held at MSOE's Diercks Hall, this event gave students the unique opportunity to apply their skills to real-world business problems, fostering innovation and collaboration across disciplines and campuses.
Real-World Impact Through Collaboration
Innovation Labs invited 108 students from MSOE and UW-Milwaukee to tackle a challenging problem statement from Brady Corporation. The goal? Develop AI-driven solutions for volume prediction that were not only innovative but also practical for business applications. Over the course of eight weeks, students worked tirelessly to prototype, iterate, and refine their solutions.
Judges included Adam Haile, Franz Stoneking, and Ben Paulson, who evaluated the projects based on technical merit, creativity, and business relevance. The event was a testament to the power of collaboration, as students from diverse backgrounds and institutions came together to solve complex problems.
Highlights from the Competition
The final presentations were held in the NVIDIA Auditorium at MSOE, where the top teams competed for a $5,000 prize pool. The level of talent and dedication on display was extraordinary, and all participants should be proud of their accomplishments.
First Place: Liquid Boogaloo
This team stood out for their seamless integration with Brady Corporation's tools and a focus on expandability for future bespoke models. Their solution included a tracking interface for previous scans, all run locally for maximum efficiency.
Team Members: Mitchell Johnstone, Belinchon Garrido-Lestache, Bjarne Baasch, Owen Jacobsen, Josh Schelonka, Gabrielle Sladek, Alex Lopez, Travis Jankowski, Patrick Rafferty
Second Place: Liquid Lens
Known for its unmatched accuracy, this team utilized 3D projection maps and liquid simulation to push the boundaries of volume prediction. Their innovative approach leveraged MSOE’s ROSIE supercomputer for rapid prototyping.
Team Members: Caleb Gray, Austin Koske, Zak Goetter, Miles Trompeter, Jack LeCloux, Sebastian Dolecki, Vlad Wilson, Ishita Samrit, Isabella Ruiz
Third Place: UW-M Team
This team from UW-Milwaukee impressed judges with their polished interface and meticulous data preparation. Their solution incorporated over 1,000 labeled images, showcasing the team’s attention to detail and teamwork.
Team Members: Nick Murawski, Ethan Miller, Adam Polak, Joshua Dascoli, Owen Zimmer, Grant Jones, Cal Pinkerton, Gurleen Singh, Eyas Hamdan
Innovation Labs 2024
First Place: Liquid Boogaloo
Second Place: Liquid Lens
Third Place: UW-M Team
A Platform for Growth
Innovation Labs wouldn’t have been possible without the support of Brady Corporation, the dedication of the AI-Club e-board, and the students who balanced this commitment with their academic schedules. This event exemplifies MSOE AI-Club’s mission to empower students with hands-on experiences that bridge the gap between academia and industry.
“Seeing students take ownership of their ideas and transform them into actionable, business-relevant solutions was incredibly inspiring,” said Paulson.
As we gear up for 2025, the AI-Club remains committed to creating opportunities for students to innovate, collaborate, and lead in the field of artificial intelligence.
Thank you to Brady Corporation, the participants, judges, and everyone who contributed to making this event a success. The future of AI innovation is bright, and we’re excited to see where our students will go next!