Today the group had a great time both touring the city and having company visits and guest lectures. The first stop of the day was the city of David, which is older than the Old City of Jerusalem. Our tour included walking through the waters of the Hezikiah Tunnel which brought water into the city. We learned all about how engineers were so advanced for their time since they were able to carve this underground tunnel starting at two different ends and somehow meet in the middle without the technology we have today. Even today's engineers have no good guess as to how they accomplished the project. It was very fun to walk through the dark tunnel with nothing but the sound of splashing water and the faint light of our glow sticks.
Sitting in the cave right before going into the water tunnel
We then had some free time to grab lunch or walk to the Old City to shop if we wanted. Regardless, the group was ready to visit our next company, Mobileye. Mobileye is an advanced driver assistance system that uses a single camera placed in cars to help alert the driver of close hazards such as a pedestrian, or other dangers such as coming too close to another vehicle. The group was extremely engaged and asked many questions about this technology. We then got to test it out with a driving simulation to see the product in action. Overall, this was a great company visit that definitely sparked some interest with many students.
Testing out the product with a driving simulation
After visiting Mobileye, we had the pleasure of listening to the co-author of Start-Up Nation, Saul Singer. For MOT/IBUS 4010, each person received a copy of this book to read. We were able to hear what Saul's options on what has changed since the book was published, as well as how it can relate to other countries besides Israel. We were able to discuss cultural and societal differences and expectations between mainly the United States and Israel and how that affects startup companies and innovation. It was a great talk and he was kind enough to sign our books!
