MTConnect Student Challenge Competition Extends Deadlines

The MTConnect Student Challenge sponsored by the MTConnect Institute (McLean, VA) is extending the deadlines for both its Idea Creation and Application Development competitions. The new deadline for the ideas competition is March 15, 2016; the new deadline to submit applications is July 15, 2016.

MTConnect is an open, XML- and HTTP-based communications standard that works as the building block of the Industrial Internet of Things for manufacturing. The MTConnect Student Challenge is an innovation competition that taps into students’ creativity and technical skills by asking them to create and develop ideas and applications that utilize MTConnect, which enables communication between and data collection from manufacturing equipment and devices.

The challenge is open to all U.S.-based college students at any level of study – graduate or undergraduate, university or community college.

The goal of this is to improve manufacturing intelligence through student-created ideas and applications. As the manufacturing industry has increasingly moved toward the digital enterprise, small and medium-sized manufacturers have struggled to take advantage of the opportunities afforded by this technological revolution. Submissions will be judged on their ingenuity, ease of deployment, impact on industry, and overall quality. Students also benefit through their participation by potentially connecting with future employers, and also coming away with a project that demonstrates their knowledge and skill, and can be included in a professional portfolio.

The Student Challenge encompasses two distinct competitions. In one competition students are tasked with creating an idea for using MTConnect and writing a five-page paper that explains the idea. Students are encouraged to interview a manufacturer to learn about their specific issues, but it is not a requirement. Students are welcome to submit previously completed classwork that could be applicable. Winners will be invited to attend the [MC]² Conference in Dallas, April 19-21, 2016. Full rules and details please click here.

The other competition is application development. Ideas become reality in this competition, where contestants will be required to develop a working software application that utilizes MTConnect. Entrants will need to submit a written summary of the application, a video demonstrating the application in action, and an icon that represents the application. As with the Idea Creation competition, students can submit non-commercial projects previously completed, provided they utilize data in the MTConnect standard. Winners will be invited to attend IMTS-The International Manufacturing Technology Show in Chicago, September 12-17, 2016. Full rules and details please click here.

The MTConnect Student Challenge is sponsored by the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) Defense-wide Manufacturing Science and Technology (DMS&T) and executed by AMT-The Association For Manufacturing Technology, the U.S. Army Benét Labs, the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM), and the MTConnect Institute, in partnership with SME and the National Tooling and Machining Association (NTMA).

MTConnect is an open, royalty-free standard that fosters greater interoperability between devices and software applications. By establishing an open and extensible channel of communication between devices, equipment, and systems, MTConnect enables applications aimed at providing more efficient operations, Improved production optimization, and increased productivity.

The MTConnect Institute is a not-for-profit 501(c)(6) organization established to further the development and adoption of the MTConnect standard and is a subsidiary of AMT—The Association For Manufacturing Technology. The Technical Advisory Group (TAG) is the avenue for input from industry via working groups and quarterly meetings. The Technical Steering Committee authors the MTConnect standard. The Institute’s activities are overseen by a Board of Trustees. Membership in the MTConnect Institute is free.

www.mtconnect.org