InCube: ETH x MIT: Thinking Inside the Box

InCube is a global startup competition started by the ETH Entrepreneur Club in 2016 and that took place from September 21 to 24 in 5 locations: Sihlpost, Zürich; Polyterasse, Zürich; Crans-Montana; Grosse Schanze, Bern; and the MIT Campus, Boston. During a four-day time frame, a team of students that comes together for the first time, eats, sleeps and works together in a see-through glass cube to solve a critical engineering challenge. The cube is placed in a busy public city location for passers-by to see from the outside what’s going on inside.

The result of the InCube

During the evening reception, the MIT team consisting of Erica Yuen, Samuel Solomon, Paolo Adajar, Jordan Harrod, Eswar Anandapadmanaban presented the AugMedic system that they had developed during the four-day competition.This system enables paramedics to perform critical tasks and monitor key vital signs. We also heard from the ETH InCube Organizing Team (Signe Lin Vehusheia, Benoît Jordan, Philippe Nicollier and Arno Schneuwly) who themselves also had to be entrepreneurial and figure out how to place the “cube” on the MIT campus and navigate the needs of various stakeholders. Finally, Thomas Luly, Senior Program Manager, MIT Innovation Initiative, described how competition like InCube enable institutions like ETH and MIT to achieve their broader mission.