PROBLEM STATEMENTS
Six Challenges | One Mission
How it works
Each challenge has a headline problem statement and three specific problem statements. Teams may select one of the specific statements or define their own sharper problem within the challenge, provided they justify it in the idea submission.
The Challenges
Expand a challenge to explore its refined problem statement, specific tracks, suggested technology and responsible-design watch-points.
Refined problem statement
How can we convert organic waste from households, housing societies, markets, campuses and farms into useful energy, and make communities cleaner and lower in carbon?
Specific problem statements
PS 1.1
Segregation at source
Wet and dry waste get mixed, which lowers the quality of feedstock for biogas plants. Build a low-cost tool (vision, smart-bin sensor or app) that guides residents to segregate correctly and gives feedback to societies and collectors.
PS 1.2
Biogas plant optimisation
Small and community biogas or compressed-biogas units under-perform because feed mix, temperature and pH are not monitored. Build a monitoring and prediction solution that recommends feed adjustments, flags faults and forecasts gas yield.
PS 1.3
Waste-to-value marketplace and carbon tracking
Waste generators, collectors and energy plants are poorly connected. Design a platform that matches feedstock supply and demand, optimises collection, and tracks energy generated and emissions avoided.
Suggested technology
Computer vision, IoT sensors (pH, temperature, gas, load cell), time-series forecasting, route optimisation, dashboards.
Ideal team mix
Chemical, mechanical, environmental and electronics engineers; BCA/MCA developers; MBA students for business model and carbon economics; agriculture and environmental science students.
Prototype & impact indicators
Kg of waste correctly segregated or diverted; forecast accuracy of gas yield; tonnes of CO₂e avoided (with the calculation method stated); cost per household served.
Responsible-design watch-points
Use simulated or low-risk set-ups for any gas-related hardware demo; anonymise household-level data.
Choose a challenge, sharpen the problem, and make your case in the idea submission.