A design concept for street lights powered by traffic on busy roads has won the UAE edition of the Microsoft Imagine Cup — a competition challenging students to come up with innovative solutions to societal problems.
Supported by the Khalifa Fund, which provides funding solutions for projects that serve national economic interests, the competition challenges Stem students to develop proof of concept products and services in just a few weeks.
Six finalists selected from more than 230 entries across the country included a water leak alert system for farms and homes, a mobile application to support blood donors and a wearable device to keep diabetics safe on the road.
All the finalists are a true testament to how this region’s young minds are harnessing the power of technology
Alia Al Mazrouei,
chief executive of Khalifa Fund
Teams of students represented Khalifa University, UAE University, Zayed University and the Higher Colleges of Technology Sharjah and Madinat Zayed Campus, as well as postgraduates.
Rahma Ahmed Al Mansoori and Reem Jasim Al Karbi from the HCT Madinat Zayed Campus were named winners for their street lights model that uses piezoelectricity.
The system generates mechanical energy from traffic and vehicles crossing sensors embedded in the roads and converts it into electrical energy to power street lighting.
Piezoelectricity is achieved through certain materials that can generate AC voltage when subjected to mechanical stress or vibrations.
“Energy from traffic will be gathered and collected to be stored in these batteries during the day, and used by the street lights at night,” said Ms Al Karbi.
“The problem was how to generate energy from a busy street, and our solution provides sustainable energy.
“It could also be used to power traffic lights using clean and sustainable energy.”
Entrants were challenged to find solutions in a variety of areas, centred on the Earth, education, health and lifestyle.
Submissions included solutions for climate change; agriculture and green tech; innovation in the way students learn; how to tackle issues in treatment, diagnosis and accessibility; and lifestyle challenges such as how we game, play and live.
A four-man team of students from Khalifa University, who juggled military service with their studies, presented their proposal of a system downloaded onto a smartphone that alerts emergency services in the event of a road accident.
Crash alert system
The Swift Ambulance Interrelations System presented by Mohammed Al Mansoori, 18, Khalid Al Hosani, 18, Abdulla Al Kaabi, 19, and Rashed Al Jasmi, 17, were named runners-up in the prize.
“Around 1.3 million people die every year in road traffic accidents, it was a huge number that caught our attention,” said Al Mansoori.
“We realised one of the main issues was because of communication between the driver and emergency services, as it can take some time to reach the injured.
“Our idea was to develop a software app to take advantage of the three sensors inside our phones, the accelerometer, barometer and gyroscope to detect if a car crash has happened to determine speed, location and altitude to alert emergency services.
“It relies on someone’s smartphone, but could also be integrated into a vehicle's operating system by car manufacturers and other devices — it is simple and cost-effective.”
Third place went to APN — a pain management system for patients and healthcare workers to control medication.
Ideas were presented in front of a panel of judges from Microsoft and the Khalifa Fund with the winners entering the global competition to be held in Seattle.
The world champion announced in May will receive $100,000, a Microsoft Azure grant and a mentoring session with Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella.
“We are proud of the finalists who displayed so much talent to get to this point,” said Alia Al Mazrouei, chief executive of the Khalifa Fund.
“There have been some incredible ideas presented, and the Imagine Cup UAE is an immense tool for promoting, supporting and encouraging Stem education in the country.
“This is essential to develop the talent that will go on to become future leaders.
“All the finalists are a true testament to how this region’s young minds are harnessing the power of technology to create solutions that can make a real-world impact.
“They represent the best of what can be achieved when creative minds and advanced technologies are put to work to solve global challenges.”
The biog
Age: 23
Occupation: Founder of the Studio, formerly an analyst at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
Education: Bachelor of science in industrial engineering
Favourite hobby: playing the piano
Favourite quote: "There is a key to every door and a dawn to every dark night"
Family: Married and with a daughter
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 640hp
Torque: 760nm
On sale: 2026
Price: Not announced yet
MATCH INFO
New Zealand 176-8 (20 ovs)
England 155 (19.5 ovs)
New Zealand win by 21 runs
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
The Rub of Time: Bellow, Nabokov, Hitchens, Travolta, Trump and Other Pieces 1986-2016
Martin Amis,
Jonathan Cape
T20 World Cup Qualifier
Final: Netherlands beat PNG by seven wickets
Qualified teams
1. Netherlands
2. PNG
3. Ireland
4. Namibia
5. Scotland
6. Oman
T20 World Cup 2020, Australia
Group A: Sri Lanka, PNG, Ireland, Oman
Group B: Bangladesh, Netherlands, Namibia, Scotland
MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City, Tuesday, 11pm (UAE)
Matches can be watched on BeIN Sports
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Other must-tries
Tomato and walnut salad
A lesson in simple, seasonal eating. Wedges of tomato, chunks of cucumber, thinly sliced red onion, coriander or parsley leaves, and perhaps some fresh dill are drizzled with a crushed walnut and garlic dressing. Do consider yourself warned: if you eat this salad in Georgia during the summer months, the tomatoes will be so ripe and flavourful that every tomato you eat from that day forth will taste lacklustre in comparison.
Badrijani nigvzit
A delicious vegetarian snack or starter. It consists of thinly sliced, fried then cooled aubergine smothered with a thick and creamy walnut sauce and folded or rolled. Take note, even though it seems like you should be able to pick these morsels up with your hands, they’re not as durable as they look. A knife and fork is the way to go.
Pkhali
This healthy little dish (a nice antidote to the khachapuri) is usually made with steamed then chopped cabbage, spinach, beetroot or green beans, combined with walnuts, garlic and herbs to make a vegetable pâté or paste. The mix is then often formed into rounds, chilled in the fridge and topped with pomegranate seeds before being served.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
More coverage from the Future Forum
If you go:
The flights: Etihad, Emirates, British Airways and Virgin all fly from the UAE to London from Dh2,700 return, including taxes
The tours: The Tour for Muggles usually runs several times a day, lasts about two-and-a-half hours and costs £14 (Dh67)
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is on now at the Palace Theatre. Tickets need booking significantly in advance
Entrance to the Harry Potter exhibition at the House of MinaLima is free
The hotel: The grand, 1909-built Strand Palace Hotel is in a handy location near the Theatre District and several of the key Harry Potter filming and inspiration sites. The family rooms are spacious, with sofa beds that can accommodate children, and wooden shutters that keep out the light at night. Rooms cost from £170 (Dh808).
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
