Samsung has picked the three winners in its Solve For Tomorrow competition. All of them are healthcare devices; those selected share a prize of about $14,000 and get an opportunity to work with Samsung to further develop their products.
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| Winners of Samsung's Solve for Tomorrow competition--Courtesy of Samsung |
The competition started out with 20 student teams and was whittled down to the three selected teams: for the Flex Controlled Electrical Wheelchair from Tunku Abdul Rahman University College (TARUC), the Lower Extremity Exoskeleton (LEE) Device from TARUC and the Interactive and Portable Rehabilitation for the Disabled by Monash University Malaysia.
"With Solve For Tomorrow, Malaysian students can take an active stance in making a positive change for all through using their ideas and creativity with technology," said President of Samsung Malaysia Electronics Lee Sang Hoon in a statement. "We want to support the government's focus on a holistic approach to education, through the emphasis of science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics."
The wheelchair uses flex sensors to detect the bending motion of the fingers to control its motion. It's designed to be operated by disabled people who cannot control a joystick. The exoskeleton is also designed to improve mobility for the disabled, with a cost-effective lower body brace.
"It pains me to see my grandmother facing difficulty walking up the stairs or walking for long distances," said Ching Weng Gui of team LEE in a statement. "That's why I believe this idea can change lives. Each and every one of us will get old. We will eventually face the difficulty our grandparents face now and that's why I feel this device will help us all one day."
Finally, the Monash project is intended to make physiotherapy more fun via the integration of a computer and mobile game that is played wirelessly by using muscle contractions. The data is analyzed to discover the rate of fatigue and the point of muscle failure.
The teams will work to advance their prototypes through an internship at Samsung Malaysia.
- here is the announcement