Danielle Stone/Winonan

The Microsoft Imagine Cup is a worldwide technology competition that supports technological innovation among students to help solve the world’s toughest problems.

Last year Winona State University had a team, called the Miracle Workers, that made it all the way to the national competition in Seattle, Wash., where they took second place for an infant sleeping pad to help prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

The Miracle Workers consisted of Chase Lundstrom, Parbati Sanjel, Tauseef Hemayet and faculty mentor Patrick Paulson.
“Mentor Patrick Paulson has a history with the Microsoft Imagine cup. He sent out an email inviting anyone who was interested to come up to the Microsoft Technology Center, and the three of us responded,” said Lundstrom as he explained how the Miracle Workers got started as a team.

Once they formed the team, Lundstrom explained they began a brainstorming process to decide what they wanted to do for the competition.

“You needed to pick something that really speaks to the judges,” Lundstrom said. Eventually they decided to develop the sleeping pad to help prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

The competition required the team to create a video demonstrating the utility of the device they created. The judges sent the top projects to the national level of the Imagine Cup. The Miracle Workers took second place in the Software Design category at the national level. The project took first through online voting in the People’s Choice category.

Because the Miracle Workers took second place, they were rewarded with a trip to Australia to see the international level of the technology competition.

The Miracle Workers made it as far as they did through the support and help of other campus departments.

“We talked to the physics department because we needed help with the sensors. We started working with Tech Support because we needed assistance with the programming,” said Paulson, the faculty mentor. The group also received assistance from the nursing department, the communication department, local businesses, and Winona State University Alumni.

“The experience has been great. I had been here three years and never met as many faculty and people from other colleges. It was amazing to see all the brilliant professors and have their support,” Lundstom said.

On Monday, Paulson took a group of about 20 students to the Microsoft Technology Center in Minneapolis to learn more about the technology available to groups considering competing in the Imagine Cup this year. Another purpose of the trip was to give students a chance to learn about potential areas for technology innovation, receive rules for the competition, provide inspiration for brainstorming and possibly form groups.

Students interested in participating in the Microsoft Imagine Cup can attend a meeting Paulson will be holding for those who were unable to attend the trip to the Technology Center.

Another trip to the Microsoft Technology Center is planned for spring.

Contact Danielle at [email protected]