MIPS Project Detail:
Company
Company Description:
vCalc is an online, crowd-sourced calculating encyclopedia (wiki) with over 12,000 free, online calculators. The company’s information comes from engineers, university professors, students from around the world, and anyone else that chooses to contribute. In addition to accessing the database of calculators and formulas, users are also able to create and contribute their own equations for personal or public use.
MIPS Project
vCalc and STEM Ed
Project #
5704
|
MIPS Round
57
|
Starting Date:
Feb 2016
MIPS Project Challenge:
vCalc was developing an online library of calculators and equations. For its second MIPS project, the company sought high-value, college-level math formulas and data to be added to vCalc.
Project Scope:
For its second project, the company planned to expand its database for STEM subjects like physics, chemistry, biology and mathematics. Researchers at the college were asked to identify key formulas and then supervise graduate students as they programmed those formulas into vCalc’s database for future educational use. This project also resulted in a library of STEM calculators that were translated into Spanish.
Results:
VCalc now offers 12,000 online calculators that are free to the general public and are used in over 100 countries on a regular basis. The company also acquired a $420,000 contract from Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac.
Principal Investigator:
Randolph
Larsen, III
Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Project Manager:
Kurt
Heckman
President
Technologies:
Software Development
