Wall Climbing Robot is a Competition Finalist

Wall-climbing robots, food waste concrete and firestop solutions amongst ideas shortlisted for construction innovation competition

Ideas to improve the built environment have been received from across the world for the 2022 COINS Grand Challenge, a global competition organised by Construction Industry Solutions Ltd (COINS) to encourage innovation in the construction sector. www.coins-grandchallenge.com

This year’s shortlist has now been announced, with finalists hailing from Estonia, US, UK, Macedonia, Switzerland, New Zealand, Malaysia and Ghana.

The challenge has two entry categories, professional (Open Competition) or student (Undergraduate Competition), with shortlisted ideas ranging from wall-climbing robots and technologies to optimise building circularity to passive daytime radiative cooling (PDRC) materials.

Open Competition finalists are:

• Jack Cornes, a co-founder of UK company HausBots, with a wall-climbing robot designed for the inspection and maintenance of the built environment. This will increase safety, reduce cost and speed up work at height.
• Estonia based Tarvo Kärgenberg with click-on Solarstone, a pioneering design which transforms standard PV panels into a 2 in 1 weatherproof roofing material.
• US construction life safety consultant Sharron Halpert with bespoke firestop solutions for mass timber construction.
• Isabelle Gough, with London-based Cercula, an automated access point for construction carbon data.
• Kristijan Nelkovski of North Macedonia, with a system for fast energy-efficient modular construction.
• Australian based Peter Neil, with ZEBE, a sustainable high-performance building system, driven by digital manufacturing technology.

Student Competition finalists are

• Edwin Nsoh Awariyah, a student at Ashesi University in Ghana, with a safer, melamine-free alternative for waterproofing concrete.
• Nathan Chen from New Zealand, currently studying at the University of Pennsylvania, US, with an idea for ‘Passive Daytime Radiative Cooling’ (PDRC) materials which are designed to cool urban spaces without excess energy consumption or emission of harmful chemicals.
• Subarna Sivashanmugam, a student at Teesside University, UK, with a digital platform to optimise building circularity through semantic integration of BIM and LCA databases, enabling the supply chain to measure and manage life-cycle emissions.
• Malaysian student, Lai Jun Tung, with an idea for food waste interlocking concrete with cladding.

Robert Brown, CEO of COINS, who has played a major role in the COINS Grand Challenge since its inception in 2015, comments: “It’s great see such a wide variety of ideas aiming to improve construction sustainability, efficiency and safety shortlisted for this year’s COINS Grand Challenge. We are very proud to see the challenge go from strength to strength and hope that all the finalists go on to pursue a career in construction whether they win the competition or not.” 

The final judging will take place on 11 October 2022 in Birmingham (UK), when the finalists will present their idea to a panel of judges influential in the construction industry, including:

Nicola Barclay MRTPI FRSA / HOUSING EXPERT

Stuart Binstock /PRESIDENT AND CEO – CONSTRUCTION FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION (CFMA)

Oliver Novakovic / TECHNICAL & INNOVATION DIRECTOR – BARRATT PLC GROUP

Katie Tamblin / CHIEF PRODUCT OFFICER – ACHILLES INFORMATION LTD

Neil Pike / HEAD OF BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT – OVERBURY PLC

Dr. Neha Gopinath / ASSOCIATE LECTURER IN MANAGEMENT – UNIVERSITY OF ST ANDREWS

Jon Murrell / MANAGING DIRECTOR – CS ACCELERATE

Lee Chadwick / CEO – SPOTLER GROUP

The COINS Grand Challenge finalists have the opportunity to be awarded up to £100k in prizes, which are:

• Winner Open Competition £5,000 (sponsored by Barratt Developments Plc)
• Winner Student / Undergraduate Competition £2,500 (sponsored by Single Point Solutions)
• Runner Up Open Competition £2,000 (sponsored by COINS)
• Runner Up Student / Undergraduate Competition £1,000 (sponsored by Henley Information Systems)
• COINS Investment Prize – an investment of up to £100,000
• COINS Software Innovation Prize – internship and work experience opportunities

For more details visit www.coins-grandchallenge.com