Cal U. students finalists in startup challenge
Courtesy of California University of Pennsylvania
Competing in the State System Startup Challenge were California University of Pennsylvania seniors, from left, Connor Egan of Bridgeville, Luke Melcher of North Hills, George D’Angelo of Ewing, N.J., and Joseph Donatucci of Philadelphia.
Courtesy of California University of Pennsylvania
Luke Melcher sports the helmet that warns riders of a potential hazard.
Luke Melcher rides a longboard equipped with safety measures.
Courtesy of California University of Pennsylvania
The creation of four California University of Pennsylvania seniors who will compete for the top prize in the State Systems Startup Challenge
Four seniors in California University of Pennsylvania’s mechatronics engineering program will compete for a top prize in the finals of the State System Startup Challenge in Harrisburg.
The finals will air live at 7 p.m. Wednesday on the Pennsylvania Cable Network and pcntv.com.
The State System Startup Challenge is an opportunity for students attending one of the 14 state-owned universities to compete for prize money of up to $10,000 for their innovative ideas. Winners receive prize money to assist in making their dreams of becoming an entrepreneur come true.
The Cal U. students’ plan, developed by the team of Luke Melcher of North Hills, George D’Angelo of Ewing, N.J., Connor Egan of Bridgeville and Joe Donatucci of Philadelphia involves safety features designed for personal electric vehicles like scooters, bikes and longboards.
“We found an interest in it and built our own boards,” Melcher and D’Angelo said. “We have the issue of having to ride on the street and be part of the traffic, but we also have instances of where people pull out in front of us.”
The system developed by the quartet warns of a potential hazard but does not brake.
“The processing part is on the vehicle, and we have a helmet system with a display that you can see through but will flash a warning light in your peripheral vision,” Melcher explained.
All competitors are encouraged to use their imagination to create their best business ideas. Each university has faculty and staff dedicated to provoking personal attention to students’ ideas to prepare them for launch in today’s marketplace. A team of judges reviews the submissions, and the finalists, as well as all of the competitors, are recognized at an awards ceremony.
The Cal U. students are one of the three finalists.
They began work on the project last semester as part of their senior project under the direction of Dr. Jennifer Wilburn, associate professor and mechatronics engineering technology program coordinator.
Dr. Mark Lennon, associate professor and director for the Center for Innovation, Technology and Entrepreneurship, provided guidance on entering the State System competition.
“This project really began out of the passion these students have for longboards, and for making this last-mile transportation and those similar to it safer for their riders,” Wilburn said. “However, the business aspect took off from the incorporation of cross-campus disciplines into the senior project proposal.
“Luke is minoring in business, and one of his professors, Dr. Lennon, has really mentored the students throughout this process. This project is an excellent example of what is possible when different disciplines across campus come together for a common purpose.”