“Urban Mining” focus of 2013/2014 innovation project with Stanford

• Post by: Christian Johansson
• 26th March 2014
• 1 Comment

Volvo Construction Equipment, BTH and Stanford University is collaborating in solving an “Urban Mining” challenge together during the 2013/2014 academic year.

BTH and Stanford Mechanical Engineering students together with BTH team coach Massimo Panarotto, Product Development Research Lab. 

BTH and Stanford students are during autumn 2013 – spring 2014 working together on a project to develop a conceptual solution to deal with the rising problem om “Urban Mining” (deconstruction and resetting spaces in city environments).  The project is part of the course “ME310 Global” (Stanford University, Mechanical Engineering) which aims to build students capabilities in design thinking by matching students with real life problems, and hence in collaboration with corporate partners. From BTH students from the MSPI program and Industrial Economy program takes part.

After an exploratory phase that included benchmarking, needfinding and rapid prototyping, the students meet in Sweden. During this week the students do their own planning, and then conclude with site visit to Volvo CE in Eskilstuna to go deeper into the needfinding and to get hands-on experience with the machines.

After this the team split up and work in global collaborative mode, only to meet-up again at Stanford to make the final push of presenting the concept at the final show.

So, stay tuned for the final outcome in June, that will be presented at the yearly “Expe : Stanford Design Experience” at Stanford University.

“I’ve been collaborating with Stanford and the Design Division and d.school for several years and now we aim at deepening the collaboration between BTH Mechanical Engineering and Stanford Mechanical Engineering to be able to offer continuous project collaboration in global innovation projects together with industry“, says Professor Tobias Larsson of Mechanical Engineering / Product Development Research Lab.

He continues; “We are now scouting for projects with industry connection for upcoming autumn, and also interested students to participate. The projects are tough and demanding, but extremely rewarding.”

Partners in the 2013/14 project are:

• Volvo Construction Equipment
• Blekinge Institute of Technology
• Stanford University

The project is part of the KK Foundation Research Profile MD3S.

Previous projects:

• “Idéum”, 2012/2013 project.

For more information, contact Professor Tobias C. Larsson, tobias.larsson@bth.se, Product Development Research Lab.