Written by Team Ying Yang won the international student design competition for their concept for a portable product for growing crops using renewable energy. The students representing Gazi University saw off competition from 70 students teams from 24 countries to win the inaugural Designathon.
Ahmet Kaya and Ömer Kağan Yılmaz, who are studying manufacturing engineering, took part in the two-day Designathon organised by Autodesk and KnowledgePoint.
Commenting on their win they said:
“You can be creative as you can express yourself. Fusion gave us the opportunity to create everything we want, with just a few clicks. We worked hard (especially the flowerpots) and we had a wonderful time while pushing our limits when trying new things, and results came out better than we thought. Thanks to Autodesk and Gazi University, we achieved a great success, and a core memory to both of us. Can’t wait to be a part of more in the future!”
The two-day online event saw students complete a day of training on Autodesk Fusion where they gained vital digital design and modelling skills. On day two of the Designathon, the student teams were asked to respond to a challenge facing communities around the globe, the need for sustainable crops.
The students value the digital skills they’ve gained:
“We will use Fusion in many ways in the future. Sketching, modelling, measuring, analysing and simulating; so basically everything. Fusion is a well-developed, up-to-date software to catch up with the today’s technology, to get the best results from our most precious thing, time.”
The winning design
The Ying Yang mobile machine uses powerful suspension systems and wheels to keep up with the changing rhythm of the world. It has strong tempered glass to withstand harsh weather conditions and, in addition to a small ecosystem housed in its three-story body, it only uses renewable energy sources, specifically the most mobile of them all, solar panels, to ensure sustainability.
It has features such as modifiable plant pots, instant health analysis of plants and soil with built-in artificial intelligence support, and panels opening in the most suitable position for high yield. It produces minimal waste by converting its own waste plant outputs into biomass energy through the method of biomass combustion.
Validation by experts
The student entries were judged by an expert panel including representatives from Autodesk and KnowledgePoint. The judges were impressed by the calibre of the student submissions.
Commenting on Ying Yang’s entry, the expert jury said:
“This project had one of the most detailed models among the competition entries. It features a design that is tailored to ensure that multiple plants could be stored on shelves but with each plant positioned to maximize exposure to sunlight. The electronic components, the elements responsible for plant care, and additional components like solar panels have all been modelled in great detail, making full use of Fusion’s capabilities.”
Organised by KnowledgePoint, Designathon is part Autodesk’s commitment to education. The two-day online event saw students develop vital digital skills, and compete in the global Designathon challenge.
Learn more about the Designathon and Autodesk’s commitment to education here.