The greatest issues facing modern engineering today are a lack of access and the subsequent lack of collaboration between those from different backgrounds. This is compounded by the scarcity of opportunities for young engineers to contribute to large-scale projects. Engineering can only progress with the introduction of tools to enable collaboration between bright young thinkers and industry experts. These issues, and more, are solved by EngineHack - the platform uniting education, networking, and innovation in the form of user projects.
EngineHack is designed to provide a natural social experience between engineers and companies, with interaction enhanced through the addition of discussion pages, articles on relevant topics, and smaller groups to rally around shared causes and advocate for change, thereby creating a much-needed sense of community. EngineHack provides a centralised meeting point for innovators to collaborate in the cycle of product creation in a format that promotes inclusiveness and social responsibility.
The platform is based on an ICO (initial coin offering) concept, where the platform users are awarded points depending on the level of productive interaction within the system. This allows them to advance in its hierarchy and become more valuable members of the community, which yields higher returns on future work. With the cryptocurrency generated within the system, the users can either exchange it in a free-market structure or host an independent project. During the independent project, the host generates a subsequent token distributed to its technical contributors, with their tokens representing each member’s proportional share in terms of ownership over IP and profit share. Similar to the platform token, the project-specific coins can be exchanged and traded in the free market, setting their price following a demand/supply model. The proportion of potential project ownership will be determined by one’s knowledge in the required field of expertise and the level of experience within the platform and quantitative contributions.
It is important to balance the inclusivity of up-and-coming engineers with an appreciation for the high skill level of entry to the industry. The platform will provide an open course database (supported by Lynda and Coursera) that awards the user with a certificate in the given engineering field upon completion of the skill test. This allows anyone to engage in technical discussions within the community and involve themselves in more extensive engineering projects in the platform as they progress. EngineHack’s hierarchy allows engineers to bid for increased stakes in future projects based upon their level of experience, qualifications, and the quality of work on previous projects.
The platform's open-source nature will put power back in the hands of the individual engineer by giving them the freedom to choose which projects to work on. In addition, the platform will bring in different perspectives to engineering, with contributors from all walks of life. We believe that this platform has the potential to provide the resources we need to help bring people together to make a better future.
1. I very much greatly believe that the best way act responsibly in this world is to consume the most reliable and non-bias media reporting. This is why from this day forwards, I have decided that I will never buy the Daily Mail ever again, period.
2. A great interest of mine is mycelium technology and how it could be used to grow products in our future cities, and would love to do CAD work designing systems that could be grown using this mycelium technology in order to build items such as packaging and plates.
3. I want to take more time out of my life to get involved with my piano group. The interactions with the group in this designathon has reminded me of the importance of teamwork and group interactions and I thoroughly believe that the best way to change the world is through community!
1. I wish I were more reliable at recycling my waste. A large part of this is attributed to simply not knowing where to dispose of certain items. For example, composites used in food packaging perplex me - I once heard that you aren't meant to recycle cardboards that had carried food anyway. I will research the policies in my Local Authority over the next two weeks and make sure I dispose of things appropriately.
2. I’m just so very passionate on sustainable fashion, and interested in finding ways to use less clothing, reuse fabrics and recycle the raw materials into new materials! I am going to do my very best to buy less trendy clothing and make better decisions - this is a process that should come into effect immediately. I've already started to do this by ensuring I only buy quality items, meaning that I have to replace them less frequently.
3. I really want to be more invested in how to change public perception on the climate crisis through the medium of film and television. In my opinion the best way to change public opinion is through engaging audience in clever film making with well-structured, powerful environmental messages. I will be contacting film studios over the next few months and asking them whether I can get involved and contribute my ideas.
1. As a passionate drone enthusiast, I am very interested to do research into how to use drone technology to planet seeds and grow forests, as well as distribute food to people in need. Perhaps I could start prototyping distribution systems using my drones?
2. I am quite worried about the unfolding situation in Ukraine with Russian Invasion seemingly quite near I would like to try and stop buying products from Russia in order to help sanction Russia economically for their cruel actions for a safe and sustainable future.
3. I am very interested in finding ways to reduce sewage output of human “activity” into British waterways. I will conduct some field research in water treatment plants, and really get stuck into a massive problem that is causing environmental destruction on a terrifying scale. I will conduct more in depth research on the same back in India and compare them to learn more about how waste in water can be treated to prevent polluted oceans.
1. I am very interested in how pottery and ceramics could be used to build more sustainable products, since clays and natural ceramics are some of the most sustainable materials to build out of. I’d be really interested in taking part in more pottery lessons in order to improve my ceramic processing skills
2. I will take more note of my Best Friend Drishti’s mathematical skills and ask her to help teach me how to do more complex maths topics such as Partial Differential Equations. It is important to understand mathematical concepts in order to help build a more responsible future
3. I am very interested in sustainable modes of transport for the future, and I would be very interested to see how the concepts of magnetic levitation could be applied to the tube in order to reduce friction and therefore energy loss. I will conduct some research and speak with my professors about my idea.
1. Researching Alternate Political Systems would be an interesting action to take and I’d like to see whether the application of these systems could provide a more responsible basis for global development
2. I am really trying my very best to buy less Lego at the moment, as I have realised that I am quite prone to addictive tendencies when it comes to buying Lego which obviously has a carbon footprint and leads to the plastic waste crisis
3. I am committed to going vegan and therefore avoiding all animal products, after recent studies have suggested that the least sustainable plant based products are more sustainable than the more sustainable animal based products