A scientific innovation team led by three undergraduate students from the University of Michigan-Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Institute (UM-SJTU JI, JI hereafter) was awarded the first prize in the recently concluded 2022 China-U.S. Young Maker Competition Shanghai Division for their project “Degage White: A Brushless Tooth Flusher”. The team also qualified for the global grand final of the competition set to be held next month.

JI Sophomore Cheng Zheng, Yidi Huang and Berk Baykal joined hands with two students from SJTU’s School of Design and School of Medicine in the competition to present their team efforts in designing and manufacturing the brushless tooth flusher. An expert panel selected the team from over 160 candidates as the top prize winner after three rounds of evaluation.

Team leader Cheng Zheng takes a photo at the Tang Junyuan Student Innovation Center

The 2022 China-U.S. Young Maker Competition themed “Co-Making the Future” was sponsored by the Ministry of Education of China to advocate for young makers to start from the concept of a community with a shared future for humankind, focusing on the common challenges and opportunities of climate change and sustainable development, combining futuristic thinking and innovative design, and using scientific and creative ideas to generate green, inclusive and sustainable products.

Participating teams attend an online meeting of the competition.