Members of the GIX Consortium gathered Friday to mark the start of a new project year working with UW students in the MS in Technology Innovation (MSTI) program. Over the next six months these interdisciplinary student and industry Launch Project teams will create high-impact technology solutions to address societal challenges in the areas of health, environment, and more. Past projects have included a system for monitoring plastic waste in waterways, a drone that aids in search-and-rescue activities, ear infection sensing earbuds, and more.
“GIX has created a unique space where industry, non-profits, government and academia can join together to cooperatively solve pressing challenges,” said Anthony Robinson, Associate Director of Industry Relations. “Launch Projects go beyond the outcomes of traditional internships to become deployable, scalable, functional solutions that our Consortium members and partners can leverage. We’re incredibly proud of these real-world impacts.”
This year, GIX welcomes returning members Microsoft, T-Mobile, and Vulcan, Inc. as well as new partners Fetch Robotics and Kinova. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Washington Department of Natural Resources (Wildfires Division) will bring new projects, expertise, and mentors.
“One of the best things about the MSTI program is that students can work directly with professionals to collaborate on real-world problems,” said Linda Wager, Director of Academic Programs. “The Launch Projects take them through research, design, feedback, and iteration, and ultimately result in a high-fidelity prototype for launch.”
Teams will collaborate to identify a problem space, conduct user research, design, and iterate on a solution, and prepare a go-to-market plan for launch and deployment. Students will leverage a variety of novel and emerging technologies, such as AI and machine learning, computer vision, digital signal processing, connected devices, robotics, and more. The final Launch Projects will be revealed publicly in mid-December 2021 before students graduate.
View selected past Launch Projects here.
Learn more about the GIX Consortium.