Shark’s Den Live Hack: Part 3 of 3

By Vincent Khau

Final day of Shark’s Den and that only means one thing; finish off your prototypes because it’s pitch time! So as soon as the doors opened for the 3D Printing Showcase, final product iterations were put on to print, whilst simultaneously rehearsing pitch presentations. All contestants were excitedly anticipating pitching their ideas in front of a panel of investors; and with a panel so prestigious who wouldn’t be nervous! The task of picking a winner for Shark’s Den was given to Prof. Iven Mareels (Dean of the Melbourne School of Engineering), Dr Charlie Day (Director of Carlton Connect), Dr Fiona Tweedie, David Guttmann (Director of Strategic Alliances) and A/Prof Colin McLeod; and after seeing the quality of all the teams, this was no easy task!

The MakeCreate team kicked things off with their solution to the endless mounds of drink bottles amassing in rubbish dumps; recycle them into a drone! With the ingenious idea of mounting the electronics inside a water bottle, consumers will be able to buy and create a waterproof drone for less than $500, beating the price point of many drones on the market. 

Following the BottleDrone, we had the Freelance team presenting their idea for a solar powered lamp, harnessing the power of sunlight and storing it later use; a product that I’m sure will be popular with the energy conscious generation!

SelfHealth was next to pitch, presenting an alternative to current cervical cancer testing methods. The kit is designed to be used at home and operated by the user, removing the uncomfortable and awkward appointments that may put women off the testing procedure. Next step? Consult with medical professionals and gynaecologists!

Kutting Edge developed new hygienic kitchen products that could be used in both commercial, and home kitchens. An easily removable sink design that allows for scrap disposal, and a knife rack that dries your knives once inserted? Yes please!

Last to pitch was Access Electronics. Their product was to create a device that behaves like a 3D printer, but produces custom PCBs for household use! Handy! This would facilitate easier and more widespread education on electronics, as well as potential business development opportunities.

As much as we’d like to award all teams for their inspiring and creative innovations, there can only be one winner. After careful consideration and much deliberation, the judges reached an unanimous decision so congratulations to SelfHealth for coming up with a fantastic innovation addressing an issue affecting women both locally and beyond.

Shortly after the end of Shark’s Den, Dr Charlie Day gave the closing keynote of the 3D Printing Showcase, highlighting the embodiment of both the Showcase and Shark’s Den; innovation is about fresh thinking and creating value. What a wonderful and fitting conclusion to what has been a fantastic, fun-filled, and enlightening event. A big shout out and thanks to Paul Mignone, whose efforts have made this Shark’s Den possible; it wouldn’t have happened without him, so cheers for organising it! Well, until the next Shark’s Den, that’s it folks! Keep an eye out for the next chance to be a part of this event, where we teach you the skills to rapidly design, prototype, and pitch your ideas to investors!

Check out what happened on Day 1 and Day 2 of Shark’s Den!

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  1. resbaz posted this