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Georgia Tech's student designs jacket that becomes sheltering garment
16 Apr '21
3 min read
Pic: Georgia Tech
A fourth-year industrial design student has won 2021 Georgia Tech InVenture Prize for her invention of an inflatable, reversible, and waterproof jacket that transforms, through a series of zips, into an air mattress or a sheltering garment. Aya Ayoubi got $25,000 for the Delta Jacket which is geared to provide safety and dignity to homeless populations.
The unique garment took home top honours at Georgia Tech’s 13th annual InVenture Prize competition, which pits student innovations head-to-head. Ayoubi says she had to learn how to sew to execute her vision — an inflatable, reversible, and waterproof jacket that transforms, through a series of zips, into an air mattress or a sheltering garment to protect from the elements. She says the garment, the “humanitarian couture”, is geared to provide safety and dignity to homeless populations.
Not only did Ayoubi’s Delta Jacket win the $20,000 first place prize awarded by the judges, Ayoubi also took home the People’s Choice Award and an additional $5,000 after a public vote during airing on Georgia Public Broadcasting. Along with the cash prizes, the winner receives a free US patent filing from Georgia Tech valued at $20,000.
Delta Jacket will also be accepted into the Create-X Startup Launch programme, which will provide additional seed funding and access to legal assistance and expert mentors to build a successful startup company.
“Winning the InVenture Prize means I could help, potentially, hundreds of thousands of people, so thank you,” said Ayoubi.
During her winning pitch, Ayoubi explained the strategy of selling the Delta Jacket to outdoor enthusiasts as a means of creating access to the product for the homeless — with the donation of a jacket to a person in need, for every jacket purchased. Ayoubi has also been in contact with several nonprofit organisations, including the Red Cross, who have expressed interest in her garment.
Ayoubi is already filling online orders and plans to keep developing her wearable innovation as she completes her degree at Georgia Tech.
“I’ve already received 512 preorders and my website has only launched a few days ago,” she said. “The Red Cross has already committed to distributing 1,000 units of the Delta Jackets as soon as it’s manufactured.”
Two team members from StartProto took the second prize of $10,000. Engineering students Zach Cloud and Tim Felbinger developed a digital safety and analytics system that can be used to organise access and safety protocols in makerspaces at schools across the country. The software and app are already being tested by Georgia Tech’s makerspaces on campus.
The unique garment took home top honours at Georgia Tech’s 13th annual InVenture Prize competition, which pits student innovations head-to-head. Ayoubi says she had to learn how to sew to execute her vision — an inflatable, reversible, and waterproof jacket that transforms, through a series of zips, into an air mattress or a sheltering garment to protect from the elements. She says the garment, the “humanitarian couture”, is geared to provide safety and dignity to homeless populations.
Not only did Ayoubi’s Delta Jacket win the $20,000 first place prize awarded by the judges, Ayoubi also took home the People’s Choice Award and an additional $5,000 after a public vote during airing on Georgia Public Broadcasting. Along with the cash prizes, the winner receives a free US patent filing from Georgia Tech valued at $20,000.
Delta Jacket will also be accepted into the Create-X Startup Launch programme, which will provide additional seed funding and access to legal assistance and expert mentors to build a successful startup company.
“Winning the InVenture Prize means I could help, potentially, hundreds of thousands of people, so thank you,” said Ayoubi.
During her winning pitch, Ayoubi explained the strategy of selling the Delta Jacket to outdoor enthusiasts as a means of creating access to the product for the homeless — with the donation of a jacket to a person in need, for every jacket purchased. Ayoubi has also been in contact with several nonprofit organisations, including the Red Cross, who have expressed interest in her garment.
Ayoubi is already filling online orders and plans to keep developing her wearable innovation as she completes her degree at Georgia Tech.
“I’ve already received 512 preorders and my website has only launched a few days ago,” she said. “The Red Cross has already committed to distributing 1,000 units of the Delta Jackets as soon as it’s manufactured.”
Two team members from StartProto took the second prize of $10,000. Engineering students Zach Cloud and Tim Felbinger developed a digital safety and analytics system that can be used to organise access and safety protocols in makerspaces at schools across the country. The software and app are already being tested by Georgia Tech’s makerspaces on campus.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (SV)
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