CRUX-1: Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What is CRUX?
A. CRUX is the part of the problem which is the most important part of the idea/process/ algorithm/ device or any endeavor. Solving CRUX solves the problem or makes the difference you wanted to bring. It can be anything; it can be easy or the most difficult part of the whole idea.

Example:

IDEA: ABC is designing a fake-note detecting device. This device detects the genuinity of a note through scanning (and image-processing after it). It requires a good quality image of note being scanned. Scanned image is processed by a computer and if it detects the note be fake, it rejects it.

CRUX of this IDEA: Automatic scanning of each single note from a bundle of notes with appropriate speed and accuracy.

Q. How can I come up with ideas?
A. Every day we came across many things, many unnoticed problems like finding our cycle parked in academic area during 1st session. Can you devise an intelligent parking system?

There are many problems you came across daily while moving, sitting, playing, reading newspapers, magazines & also while discussing with your friends.

Dream! Imagine! Think! Explore! Network! Develop and Innovate!! You are a visionary now!!

Q. What kind of ideas I can give?

A. You can work on anything from as obvious as devising a switching off system for gas turner when there is a leakage to work on the depths of string theory, unfolding the mysteries of parallel universes.

Q. What is the competition CRUX-1?
A. The competition (CRUX-1) is a unique type of competition involving following steps:

Stage-1: Submission of an idea/process/algorithm/device or any endeavor and its CRUX in this format:

Title:

Idea: Maximum word limit: 150 words
CRUX: Maximum word limit 100 words
Keywords (major skills and techniques applied in defending and solving this CRUX, keywords not more than 6):
Name and contact details of the group members

Stage-2: Defense of the CRUX and propose a possible solution. One can be given at max two opportunities to defend the CRUX and propose its solution. The solution also needs to be defended.
If the group is successful, the group will be awarded

Results will be announced in Takneek.

Stage-3: groups qualifying Stage-2 need to submit a simple proposal summarizing their approach, timeline and resources required. Then the group will be provided basic resources to solve the crux. The buffer time for submitting solution to the crux may not exceed 20% of the total time needed to solve it.

Stage-4: Defense of the solutions.

If the group succeeds, it will be awarded

Eventually the group will have will have a patent and possibly publication also.

Results will be announced in Techkriti.

Q. Who can participate?
A. Any student of IIT Kanpur can participate in this competition. Faculty, Alumni and outside agencies may participate in CRUX by sharing their expertise, but it is the student group, which need to solve the CRUX on its own.

Q. How can one participate?
A. Explore things around you; find a CRUX and mail it in the above format with subject CRUX-1 to power@iitk.ac.in.

Q. What will be the size of the group?
A. The size of a group is flexible. It can be anything, from one person to any large number (no upper bound).

Q. Why should one solve only CRUX?
A. It is the CRUX of an idea/process/ algorithm/device or any endeavor which brings the difference. It is the most interesting, challenging and probably important part which attracts one to crack it. Solving the CRUX saves you from engaging your time and resources in a lot of redundant things which may be time and resource taking. Also, only focus on solving CRUX will not require much time, so it is compatible with the academic system where there are a lot of engagements and it is difficult to maintain dedication in a problem for a long time. The best feature of solving only CRUX is that has a high probability of yielding a tangible outcome in form of patent or a research publication.

Q. What is the schedule?

Launching Announcement: Sep 3, 2009
Last date of submission of crux: Sep 15, 2009
Primary short listing of cruxes to be defended: Sep 11, 2009
Defense of CRUX and solution: Sep 7-19, 2009. Entries after Sep 15 will not be entertained for Takneek.
Result declaration of successfully defended cruxes in Takneek: Sep 20, 2009
Submission of project proposals to solve the selected cruxes along with agreement: Sep 25, 2009
Commencement of projects to solve the CRUX: Oct 15 2009
The duration for each crux depends upon the crux and is negotiable. Major work of solution is expected to take place from Oct 15 to Jan 30.
Submission of solutions: Jan 30, 2010.
Defense of solutions to crux: till Feb 12, 2010
Final announcements of successful solutions and awards in Techkriti Feb, 2010

Q. What are the prizes?
A. INR 5,000 for qualifying Stage-2.
INR 10,000-20,000 for qualifying Stage-4.

Q. What will be policy for Intellectual Property Rights?
A. The intellectual Property generated in this process will be jointly owned by the group and IITK. If any alumni or an outside agency or individual is involved in this process, then there will be separate agreements after the problem is solved, depending upon the contribution of participating agencies.

The guidelines for participation of outside agencies will be released soon. But any group can approach Alumni or Outside Agency only after Takneek and it needs to inform PoWER regarding it. PoWER will not be responsible for any uninformed outside or alumni interactions.

Q. What will be the maximum number of cruxes to be selected?
A. A total of 5 entries will be selected at Stage-2.
For more queries, please contact power@iitk.ac.in.

Also visit: http://www.iitk.ac.in/dord/power/news.php for some more details.

Best Wishes
Team PoWER

Intensive Contact Program

Dear all,

Institute is creating a database of all students, faculty, alumni, labs, and researchers of IIT Kanpur. It will be used for:

1. Alumni Mentorship Program (will be announced soon :)
2. Profile of every individual analogous to his/her CV
3. Networking within and outside institute for projects, Council of Mentors
4. Designing policies, thrust area and research investment planning
5. Finding students for different industrial projects based on their interest

A total of 25 student volunteers will be selected for this program. All of them will be assigned a group of students, labs and faculty. They will be properly trained and informed. They have to get the people create their profiles on the website. Challenging :)

Mahatma Gandhi collected signatures of more than 3.5 lakh people in South Africa to protest British. All alone !!

Incentives:

1. Participation in Industry-Academia Meet in IIT Delhi. The travel charges will be paid by PoWER.

2. Accredition: They will be accredited for creation of this database. They will be also accredited as the founders of Alumni Mentorship Program, Innovation Database. Later this database will be created in all IITs and other universities. Some of the students may visit other universities or IITs as representatives of PoWER to help others to create this database. :)

3. Special incentives by rewarding them important responsibilities in Alumni Mentorship Program (unique of its kind to started at IITK), management team of PoWER and outreach team.

4. Information and Network within and outside institute.

5. The expertise of this program may be used for creation of a national level National Innovation Database and may be in UID Unique Identity (Team PoWER is in communication with National Team working on UID).

Last date of submission of request: September 5 (Saturday), 2009
Interviews and selection: September 6 (Sunday), 2009
Commencement of Work: September 7 (Monday), 2009

Interested students need to respond to power@iitk.ac.in latest by Saturday night.

For any query, drop a mail to power@iitk.ac.in.

Don't lose this historic opportunity.

Best wishes
Team PoWER

Innovation Acceleration Lab

Dear All,

The name of Tinkering Lab has been changed to Innovation Acceleration Lab.

regards
Veerender