Insight members represent the best undergraduate talent at the University of Wisconsin Madison. Our members work in interdisciplinary teams on client-based or original-idea based projects to solve real-world problems and prototype solutions.
Insight on tedx Madison
Solar Lamps
The team designed, built, and wrote a step-by-step workshop for building cheap solar lamps. These lamps were implemented in impoverished homes in Kenya, and they empower the community to work or study past day light. The team worked with client Lesley Sager (head of Merry-Go-Strong non-profit), to implement the solar lamps and conduct workshops in Kenya over 2016-2017 winter. The team will be visiting Kenya over 2018 winter to implement improvements and ensure their product meets the community's needs.
3D Clinostat
The team worked with clients Dr. Simon Gilroy and Dr. Richard Barker to design and improve a 3D Clinostat that can rotate in all three axes to stimulate micro-gravity at the center. The client hopes to use the 3D Clinostat to study the effects of micro-gravity on plants, specifically 'arabidopsis thaliana.' The team utilized 3-D printing, stepper motors, slip rings, and bearings to prototype the design.
Study Guide Collective
The team worked with Becky Split from Study Blue to create a web platform that can analyze, organize, and return a complete set of notes to the students. The output was a culmination of all the student's notes with emphasis on common, important topics. They are also exploring options to apply OCR (Optical Character Reader) to allow for handwritten notes to be converted to electronic notes.