The three winners, all students at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), came up with a concept for a product they named the Belleville Spring Tire, which would replace air sacs with bands of plastic, rubber, or metal, eliminating the possibility of a blowout as well as improving performance. Monte Jade Southeastern will assist the winning team in applying for a patent for this concept.

Stanaland is on track to finish his Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and will enter a Master’s program immediately thereafter. Tsaur is a junior majoring in mechanical engineering with a minor in computational data analysis. Kim is a senior majoring in information technology management who also works for Delta airlines.

Arnob Banik, a mechanical engineering student at the University of Akron, took second place in the competition with his project, Wet Friction Characteristics Mimicking Frog Toe Pad. Ashkan Nazari, a PhD candidate in mechanical engineering at Virginia Tech, took third place for his New Two-Air-Chamber Design with Sensor-Controlled Conical Tire. Another trio of Georgia Tech students working as a team, Alan Ko, Lillian Ko, and Michelle Kung, earned honorable mention for their concept, Tread Paint.

Sponsored by Maxxis, Future Tires was one category of Monte Jade Southeastern’s Innovation Competition (MJIC). Entrants were required to submit detailed designs or prototypes plus supporting information. First, second, and third-place winners received cash prizes, plaques, and the possibility of internships or mentoring in the industry.  Maxxis supported the competition with the goal of attracting high-achieving STEM students to the tire industry.  

A branch of the global Monte Jade Science and Technology Association, Monte Jade Science and Technology Southeastern (Monte Jade Southeastern) was formed in Atlanta, Georgia in 1993. Monte Jade Southeastern conducts seminars, conferences, and other events every year.