Challenge Week 040: 'You really have to get inside people's heads'

MBO student Casper van de Broek was soldering. A teammate from Fontys had quickly built an app the evening before. This is how MBO, HBO, and WO students complemented each other during Challenge Week 040. For a week, they worked together on real-world problems from the Brainport region. “It is difficult, but also really very interesting,” says Casper, an Engineering student at Summa.

MBO, HBO, and WO students are used to working in different ways. Mark Helder, Engineering Technician lecturer at Summa, has noticed this as well. He has been involved in the organization of Challenge Week 040 since the first edition. “At Fontys and TU/e, they work according to design thinking. We use a different method. It does align with it, but students often don't feel like they are working on the same thing.”

Therefore, the week began this year with a two-day preliminary program. Students from Summa, SintLucas, and international universities were introduced to design thinking. With this method, you devise solutions based on the user's needs. The students also practiced collaborating when they did not speak each other's language well. On Wednesday, students from Fontys and TU/e ​​joined. That was when the three-day challenge began.

During Challenge Week, it is not just about what students know and can do from their degree program. It is primarily about their talents and how they use them together. Helder: “Here, we really look at a student’s talents and how they grow, not so much at the techniques associated with a field of study.”

Casper's team consisted of MBO, Bachelor, and Master students from various countries. Communication was sometimes a bit difficult, but the tasks were quickly divided. Everyone brought their own knowledge and skills.

Casper works in custom lighting alongside his studies. That practical experience came in handy. “I just called my boss: can we make this? He said: yes, of course we can make that.” His employer immediately gave an initial cost estimate.

The students set to work on three issues from the Brainport region. For the Municipality of Eindhoven, they devised ways to make residents more aware of their electricity consumption. This is important because the electricity grid is at capacity, and as a result, some homes cannot be connected.

For the Next Nature Museum, students investigated whether technologies such as implants and wearables are a dream or a nightmare. And for care organization Pluryn and specialist in adapted play materials Barry Emons, teams designed a digital playground for people with multiple disabilities.

According to Helder, some ideas are so concrete that they might actually be implemented. “I have heard from the stakeholders. They say: we can make this almost one-to-one.”

Casper's team worked on the issue of electricity consumption. They came up with a pole in the street that turns green, orange, or red, depending on how much electricity the street consumes. "It's not per house, because we thought that was too personal," says Casper.

The idea is that residents will gain more insight into electricity consumption in their neighborhood. Is the pole showing red while you are being frugal yourself? Then you might decide to have a chat with your neighbors. At the community center, residents can see on a map how much electricity is consumed per street. The team also devised a screen with games about electricity consumption.

For Casper, the assignment meant he had to think differently than he is used to. Not only from a technical perspective, but especially from the perspective of the people who will be using the solution. “We thought: we chose power, that’s engineering. But it’s not that at all. You really have to get inside people’s heads.”

Summa organizes Challenge Week 040 together with Fontys and TU/e. Students from various study programs and countries get to know each other, discover each other's working methods, and collaborate on solutions for real-world problems.

It is precisely that last point that makes the week valuable, according to Helder. “Students like doing something that will actually be used. It is important to show them that what they do matters.”