“Invent Oregon” finals showcase student innovators from across the state

PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) – Some of Oregon’s most innovative college students showed off their hard work and creativity.

Teams competed in the Invent Oregon finals showcase Thursday representing 10 universities and colleges from across the state.

Fifteen finalists pitched concepts at the Redd East Event Space, hosted by Portland State University, for a chance to bring their ideas to life.

The winner? A team transforming the way you work out.

From eco-friendly clothing to accessibility solutions the concepts presented by college students during Invent Oregon’s 2023 finals were all about ingenuity and problem-solving.

“The name of the product is Slap! Weights for the iconic slap sound it makes,” Daniel Bordenave, Oregon State University, and a member of the SLAP! Weights team, said.

The winning team represented Oregon State University and is looking to change transform the fitness industry.

“Generally, when you’re working with dumbbells, the units go up by increments of five, which depending on the workout, five pounds is no small means. So, this is actually a two-point-five increment increase that you can attach on any dumbbell,” Bordenave said.

They said their product gives people more options to customize a workout.

“Any dumbbell you pick up off of the shelf, this is going to work,” Bordenave said.

And the SLAP! team is confident their universal design is a weight class above the competition.

“Just magnetically attaching to the side, but with a lot of dumbbells being made out of rubber, it sort of just falls off,” Bordenave said. “These that can attach to the handle, but they can kind of shift around.”

More than the roughly $10,000 they’ll receive to invest in their idea, the winners said Invent Oregon has been an invaluable experience.

“You get the opportunity to meet all these people who’ve like innovated businesses before,” Bordenave said.

The six other winners also received a smaller portion of the total $30,000 of prize money.

As for what’s next for SLAP! Weights? They tell Fox 12 they’re looking for a manufacturer.

Learn more about the collegiate competition here. [link: https://www.inventoregon.org/]

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