AUST bags 2 out of 5 Awards at Innovator 2014

Students from the College of Engineering at Ajman University of Science & Technology outshined their peers at Innovator 2014, held in Abu Dhabi. They secured the second and fourth positions amongst the top five, selected out of 160 submissions.

Ajman University presented 8 projects, 5 from Ajman campus and 3 from Fujairah’s. The runner-up project; “A smart guidance system for the Blind”, was the collective effort of Abdullah Mohammed Ali, Monther Al-Shehabi, Ahmed Mohammed Ali and was supervised by Prof. Mustahsan Mir. It is a wearable navigation aid for visually impaired people to assist their movement in unfamiliar environments. It minimizes reliance on audio instructions for avoiding obstacles and instead guides the special people through gentle vibrations produced in a wearable belt and a light helmet. It also guides them reach a desired destination (office, elevator, room, etc.) within an unfamiliar building. The system has been successfully tested by both blind-folded and blind people.

Such system is increasingly being adopted by the visually impaired for its ease of use and the renewed self-confidence it brings. It is a vital step towards independence specially for those who are studying or working. It will also increase their involvement in the society and help them become active in the community.

The system comes at a very low cost and boasts many more features compared to the similar devices available in the market.

The project, which achieved the fourth place, is a “Wind Turbine Powered Water Pump”, designed and presented by Laila Sakhy, Abir Hassouna, Safia Babikir and Amal Majed.  This system uses the wind energy to move water to higher levels. The turbine rotates when the wind blows activating the water pump to move water to higher grounds. This system is eco-friendly, doesn’t require electricity and works ideally in remote areas as well.

Innovator 2014 is solely organized to tap into the great minds at work in the UAE. Over 200 innovators hailing from all levels of expertise, amateur school students to professionals working on sites and fields came together to showcase and present their unique projects. Ajman University always encourages students to be part of such unique platforms which motivate them to achieve higher and facilitate exchange of innovative ideas.