Imagine cup 2012: 65% of all projects address Health issues

[MrVan]

... As more Nigerians implored to vote in PCA

By Emeka Aginam, in Sydney, Australia

As more Nigerians, especially the Nigerian students have been urged to vote for the Nigerian team en masse in the People's Choice Awards in the ongoing Imagine cup software competition, a global competition that challenges students to use technology to solve the world's toughest problems, out of 106 projects in different categories currently showcasing in Sydney, Australia, 65% of all projects address health related issues, latest statistics from Microsoft have revealed.

This is even as 40% of all healthcare-related finalist projects used Windows phone, providing healthcare tools and resources for people in remote areas across the globe.

Team Gravity, the winning team with the Panel of Judges. Similarly, 23% of projects, according to the organisers were created to improve the lives of individuals with disabilities such as visual and hearing impairments and diseases that limit human physical mobility.

Accordingly, of the 24 projects designed to increase accessibility for the disabled, such as those suffering from blindness or paralysis, Microsoft data disclosed that two-thirds-66% utilize Kinect for Xbox 360 technology.

Such health topics, according to Vanguard Hi-Tech findings will include diagnosis of disease via mobile applications and proactive accessibility of medical information.

However, students are currently competing in different categories including software design, game design, IT challenge, Windows Azure challenge, Kinnect fun Labs challenge, Windows Azure challenge and Windows phone challenge,

Already, Swift Emergency Response (SwiftER) developed by two students from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile –Ife is a software solution developed to improve the response of medical, security, fire and other services to emergency situations. It directly affects the general populace who find themselves in critical emergency situations; especially countries with no unified helpline/emergency hotline.

This is even more reasons, according to keen observers why Team Nigeria's solution ought to be ranked among the best software solution in the people's choice award which is nearing completion by 9th of July, 2012.

Meanwhile, Team Nigeria's inability to advance to round two in the software design category, Vanguard Hi-Tech learnt may not be unconnected to its current ranking (53th position) which needs more votes from the Nigerian community all over the world.

"It's all about promotion and awareness of the team Nigeria and their solution. Keep in mind this is global we need to all get our audiences to be aware of the People choice awards and for them to vote for the boys" an anonymous source has told Vanguard Hi-Tech in an interaction.

According to him, Nigerian team would have advanced to round two of the completion if more Nigerians had voted for their solution that is expected to make a difference in the country if fully deployed.

With strong support from Nokia in relation to digital tools for the competing students, further data from Microsoft also revealed that 40% of all healthcare-related finalists' projects used Windows phone, providing healthcare for people in remote areas across the globe.

It would be recalled that this year, 106 teams from 75 countries are currently participating in the worldwide finals here in Sydney, Australia.

Microsoft Imagine cup students have been some of the earliest adopters of new technologies such as Kinect for Xbox 360, Windows 8, Windows Azure and Windows phone.

With this, students are creating technology solutions that combat diseases, improve education, ensure environment sustainability,, reduce child mortality and tackle other social challenges.

2012 however, marks the second year of the Imagine cup grants program. Between two and four teams will be selected for the second year of the three year program to be part of the$3 million investment by Microsoft to help students turn their ideas into reality.

Vanguard Nigeria