Three students at the Rochester Institute of Technology took the top software prize this week in a college technology competition sponsored by Microsoft, called Imagine Cup. The students developed a network of sensors that allow people to monitor how much energy their homes or communities consume. The sensors capture readings about temperature, humidity, lights, sound, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and motion — all of which can alert people to appliances and lights they may have left on inadvertently or that don’t work efficiently.
The students who were part of the project are, from left to right: Joe Zhou, a junior, Adam Risi, a sophomore, and Zachery Shivers, a sophomore. The students won a total of $12,000 for their creation and will travel to Paris in July to compete for the Imagine Cup international prize.
The theme for this year’s Imagine Cup was using technology for environmental sustainability. About 16,000 students from more than 125 colleges competed in the event. The finals were held in Los Angeles this week and the winners — a full list of whom is available here — were announced on Tuesday, Earth Day.—Andrea L. Foster
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