Students from Ajman University won first prize at the national stage for this year’s James Dyson Award, by creating an app to protect children from abuse.
The team of five were lauded for designing the Shield device, which is downloaded on to a smartwatch, and sends an alarm when a child is in danger of being physically or emotionally abused.
It uses Bluetooth and GPS technology to send the alert and location of the child to the mobile phone of a parent, as well as simultaneously sending a picture of the attacker.
The idea of protecting the ones I love motivated me to push past taboos and design a solution that safeguards children
Shamma Alaryani
“We all firmly believe in using our education to make a real difference in the lives of others,” said Shamma Alaryani, 23, one of the inventors.
“When we were looking for impactful ideas, we couldn’t help but notice the amount of news related to child abuse and kept thinking, 'what if this was a relative?'
“The idea of protecting the ones I love motivated me to push past taboos and design a solution that safeguards children and makes them feel comfortable to talk about it [abuse].”
His teammate Marwa Alshouli, 21, said working on the project has helped her to fine tune her critical thinking skills.
“Engineering often involves looking into a problem and finding a practical solution. We had several challenges during the development of Shield, but we learnt a lot about problem solving,” she said.
“It has also been a trying process to realise how many prototypes you need to create before you’re able to get a working solution.”
Around the world, there are an estimated 120 million girls under the age of 20 who have suffered some form of forced sexual contact, according to Unicef.
The World Health Organisation estimates there are up to one billion children worldwide, from the ages of 2 to 17, who have suffered some form of physical, emotional or sexual violence in the past 12 months.
The prize for winning the nationwide competition is a Dh10,000 grant for the students to further develop their invention.
“We began working on the system in September 2020 and spent an average of five hours a day researching and prototyping, as we progressively improved the design and weight with each version,” said student Somaya Samra, 21.
“Soon we hope to implement AI and deep learning into the software, which will increase accuracy and responsiveness.”
The group from Ajman will now go on to compete in the international stage of the James Dyson Award on October 13.
They will represent the UAE with runners-up from the American University of Sharjah, who created drone technology to help prevent damage to plants, and crop waste.
The country will also be represented by a team from the University of Sharjah, who invented technology to help desalinate water using sunlight and ultrasonic waves.
“The winning team demonstrated impressive creativity and dedication in the way they approached and designed a solution to a prevalent problem,” said Dr Suaad Al Shamsi, one of the judges for the competition in the UAE.
“The invention uses existing technology to detect and deter abuse while also providing an opportunity for a quick response from caregivers when required.
“It delivers an effective tool for parents across the globe looking to better protect their children and ensure their safety, well-being and happiness.”
Types of policy
Term life insurance: this is the cheapest and most-popular form of life cover. You pay a regular monthly premium for a pre-agreed period, typically anything between five and 25 years, or possibly longer. If you die within that time, the policy will pay a cash lump sum, which is typically tax-free even outside the UAE. If you die after the policy ends, you do not get anything in return. There is no cash-in value at any time. Once you stop paying premiums, cover stops.
Whole-of-life insurance: as its name suggests, this type of life cover is designed to run for the rest of your life. You pay regular monthly premiums and in return, get a guaranteed cash lump sum whenever you die. As a result, premiums are typically much higher than one term life insurance, although they do not usually increase with age. In some cases, you have to keep up premiums for as long as you live, although there may be a cut-off period, say, at age 80 but it can go as high as 95. There are penalties if you don’t last the course and you may get a lot less than you paid in.
Critical illness cover: this pays a cash lump sum if you suffer from a serious illness such as cancer, heart disease or stroke. Some policies cover as many as 50 different illnesses, although cancer triggers by far the most claims. The payout is designed to cover major financial responsibilities such as a mortgage or children’s education fees if you fall ill and are unable to work. It is cost effective to combine it with life insurance, with the policy paying out once if you either die or suffer a serious illness.
Income protection: this pays a replacement income if you fall ill and are unable to continue working. On the best policies, this will continue either until you recover, or reach retirement age. Unlike critical illness cover, policies will typically pay out for stress and musculoskeletal problems such as back trouble.
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill
Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
Gulf rugby
Who’s won what so far in 2018/19
Western Clubs Champions League: Bahrain
Dubai Rugby Sevens: Dubai Hurricanes
West Asia Premiership: Bahrain
What’s left
UAE Conference
March 22, play-offs:
Dubai Hurricanes II v Al Ain Amblers, Jebel Ali Dragons II v Dubai Tigers
March 29, final
UAE Premiership
March 22, play-offs:
Dubai Exiles v Jebel Ali Dragons, Abu Dhabi Harlequins v Dubai Hurricanes
March 29, final
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
DMZ facts
- The DMZ was created as a buffer after the 1950-53 Korean War.
- It runs 248 kilometers across the Korean Peninsula and is 4km wide.
- The zone is jointly overseen by the US-led United Nations Command and North Korea.
- It is littered with an estimated 2 million mines, tank traps, razor wire fences and guard posts.
- Donald Trump and Kim Jong-Un met at a building in Panmunjom, where an armistice was signed to stop the Korean War.
- Panmunjom is 52km north of the Korean capital Seoul and 147km south of Pyongyang, North Korea’s capital.
- Former US president Bill Clinton visited Panmunjom in 1993, while Ronald Reagan visited the DMZ in 1983, George W. Bush in 2002 and Barack Obama visited a nearby military camp in 2012.
- Mr Trump planned to visit in November 2017, but heavy fog that prevented his helicopter from landing.
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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