Students from Cal Poly and the University of Munich Applied Sciences won the Freestyle Demonstrator award at the 2014 Large-Area, Organic & Printed Electronics Convention (LOPE-C) for their collaboration on the printed electronics project "Flexible Timer for Rough Environments."
The team received one of four awards for its creation of a waterproof timer designed for rough environments — in particular, a surfboard. Named FluxTime, the timer tracks remaining rental time through an electrochromic display window. FluxTime can also be applied to beauty products and perishable food items.
Embracing an interdisciplinary and collaborative spirit, the team included students from a variety of majors at Cal Poly and the University of Munich. The team worked together through an exchange program with the University of Munich.
Cal Poly student participants were Stephanie Friend, Karli Sherer, Ginny Yan, Logan Spittler, Greg Bergdoll, Zoey Le, Errol Leon, Grace Luo, Joe Mazzanti, Ryan Moelter, Benny Ng and Haleigh Vierra.
Fifteen University of Munich students rounded out the winning team, including the five exchange students at Cal Poly: Daniel Clement, Stefan Eberle, Lukasz Guzik, Björn Jansen and Alexandra Mayr.
The team was advised by Professor Ulrich Moosheimer from the University of Munich with support from Professor Malcolm Keif from Cal Poly's Graphic Communication Department.
"We are very proud of the way this all came together. It is hard enough to win this competition and even more so when considering the logistical challenges of working with students across the globe," Keif said. "It really takes a focused group of students. It speaks to the dedication of the students and faculty at both the University of Munich and Cal Poly."
The LOPE-C 2014 convention, which took place May 26-28 in Munich, offers opportunities for students interested in the printed electronics industry to network with emerging industry professionals. It is the leading international trade fair and conference for printed electronics.
