With the availability of low cost sensors, micro motors, microcontrollers, and easy to program, with integrated high level programming environment, single board computers like Arduino or Raspberry Pi, it has become Fun projects for senior EEE (Electrical and Electronics Engineering) or ECE (Electrical and Computer Engineering) students to turn ideas of smart devices into functional prototypes. There has been even competition to build such prototypes.
Some of them are interesting enough to create real value for customers, such as precisely watering Tomato or Strawberry plants based on moisture level, growth stage, soil condition and other determining factors. One of the most popular ideas among students is mobile robot, primarily following line or wall. As far as I recall, mobile robot making among students started getting popular with the introduction of design course at MIT in early 90s, with HC 11 based micro controller board. As a matter of fact, in late 90s, I also enjoyed in supervising a group of undergraduate students in making a swarm of such mobile robots to participate in a competition to find exit path in a maze. Multiple web sites hosting such projects including Electronics Hub or Arduino indicate that numerous such prototypes are being developed by growing number of EEE and ECE students across the globe.
On the other hand, despite the growth of overall job market in the area of Electrical and Computer Engineering, individual level job opportunity has been falling, primarily due to increased supply. As supply has been outpacing the demand, there has been negative externality in the job market. In some countries, like in Bangladesh, job prospect for fresh ECE and EEE graduates has become very depressing. The obvious question could be: with the availability of technology competence in making interesting product prototypes, why cannot such graduates build profitable business around them to create high paying jobs for themselves?
In order to create adequate willingness to pay among target customers, such prototypes to be developed further. In every semester, students start developing from scratch and end up more or less at the same finishing line, like their predecessors. As a result, such prototypes have been remaining at the same stage during even over a decade, as if they have been walking along a circular track.
Interest among students to be developed and pathway should be made clear to encourage them to pursue further development, after graduation. Universities can set up product innovation laboratories or incubators for graduates to upgrade their such undergraduate design projects into usable products, for which target customers will be willing to pay. Seed financing should also be made available to pay nominal pocket allowance to these graduates and cover additional expenses. To protect copying, some form of idea protection or intellectual property development support should also be developed. Assistance to these aspiring technology graduates should also include understanding market, developing business model along with strategy, creating manufacturing support systems, motivating them for long-term commitment to turn those latent potentials into profitable business, and preparing them in pursuing the journey over decades.
Upon having further maturity in turning prototypes to ready to use products, initial sales records, and having the team bonding strong enough to undertake long adventure in real business world, each of these teams will graduate as start-up. These start-ups will remain in the close loop with their parenting institutions in keep improving their products and the process to manufacture them, to expand the customer base, for never ending period. Such approach will not only turn those undergraduate project prototypes to commercial products, but also will create new ecosystem of innovation-- turning universities as incubators of new products, firms and jobs--starting the long journey of upgrading degree producing factories to entrepreneurial universities.
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