ESCP Students Are the Second Place Winners in the Industry 4.0 Challenge with Comau and EURADA
ESCP’s MSc in Digital Transformation Management & Leadership students came second in the Industry 4.0 Challenge with a product that could offer valuable improvements to minimally invasive surgeries, such as laparoscopy, by simplifying the medical procedure, reducing the risks of surgery, and lowering manufacturing costs.
The Challenge, under the topic, ‘Educational robotics as an aid to people for the development of Industry 4.0 skills’, was organised by Comau and EURADA on 25-26 February, as part of the EU Industry Week 2021.
10 teams consisting of industry professionals from leading technology and manufacturing companies across Europe had the opportunity to access the e.DO Cube, a virtual simulator of e.DO Robot, with constant support from the Comau team. e.DO Robot is an educational robotic arm developed by Comau, while e.DO Cube is a product that allows users to program a virtual e.DO Robot, even without the robot itself.
Each team, with their own skills and creativity through e.DO Cube, were challenged to invent, design and propose innovative solutions within the field of Industry 4.0. The results and winners were announced on 12 March 2021. The teams had to design an innovative product, using Additive Manufacturing (3D Printing) and a six-axis robot, to solve a problem related to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, keeping in mind factors like innovation, feasibility and originality. Teams had to showcase their product to the jury by using a video presentation; program a robot to show the manufacturing process of the product; and finally, submit a document to support the design of the product and its application.
The winning idea
The ESCP Business School team included, Nancy Tohme, Daniel Sze, Carlos Villanueva and Varun Behl, from the MSc in Digital Transformation & Leadership programme and BizTech Society. The students came up with a product based on compliant mechanisms and called it ‘SEAM’ (Surgical instrument designed using the e.Do robot and Additive Manufacturing), to simplify surgery and minimise risk.
Compliant mechanisms could offer valuable improvements to minimally invasive surgeries, such as laparoscopy. The SEAM prototype design aims to merge the three main components needed for the laparoscopy procedure (surgical tools, a high-intensity light, and a high-definition camera) into one single instrument that performs the same functions.