Microsoft Imagine Cup judges unveiled and they are out of this world


Imagine Cup is a magical time at Microsoft. It’s a time when young student developers from all over the globe descend upon Seattle to share their visions for transforming the world around them through the power of technology.

A few weeks ago, we unveiled an exciting lineup of 35 student developer teams that will compete head to head from July 26-29 to become the next Imagine Cup Champion. To say I’m excited by the prospect of seeing these future innovators in action would be an understatement.

John Boyega

Adding another level of excitement to the event, today we are announcing two very specials guests who will be on stage to help choose the next Imagine Cup Champion – from Star Wars: The Force Awakens, lead actor John Boyega, and Dr. Jennifer Tang, part of the duo behind the 2014 Imagine Cup Champion, Team Eyenaemia.

Here’s what Mr. Boyega had to say about the prospect of being onstage when the next Imagine Cup Champion is revealed: “As an actor, I work with special effects all the time. And the only thing more amazing than Hollywood movie magic is the passion and creativity of the students at the Imagine Cup.”

Jennifer Tang

As for Dr. Tang, well, she is certainly no stranger to Imagine Cup. In addition to being co-founder of Stat Innovations and creator of Eyenaemia, a simple, non-invasive screening tool for anaemia, she is currently a medical doctor at a tertiary trauma center in Melbourne, Australia. Since the Imagine Cup, she and Eyenaemia co-founder Jarrel Seah have continued to build Eyenaemia, most recently working on field trials in Mombasa, Kenya. Jennifer was also recently named one of Forbes Magazine’s Asia 30 under 30 for 2016.

We are thrilled to have both Mr. Boyega and Dr. Tang as judges and can’t wait for them to bring their passion for students and technology to the competition.

Of course, Imagine Cup is really about student innovation and how the next generation of developers will employ cutting-edge technology to change how we work, live and play in the years ahead. From a prosthetic smart hand to a 3D virtual reality horror game to a solution designed to help doctors and patients diagnose amblyopia, these student projects are both inventive and ambitious.

If you haven’t already, I highly encourage you to learn more about the 35 teams of students and the solutions they’ve developed as they ready themselves to compete on the global stage and demonstrate their power to better our world through their love of technology.

Games

Team Name Country Project Name & Description
None Developers Indonesia Froggy and the Pesticide: Puzzle game designed to instill environmental awareness
PH21 Thailand Timelie: Stealth puzzle game with unique gameplay
Tower Up Brazil Sonho de Jequi: Game where the object is to collect as much water as possible
Vanguards Bahrain Apollo X: Horror game that uses virtual reality, biofeedback technology and a mobile phone
Digital Interactive South Africa Of Dragon and Sheep: 3D game where the hero saves sheep from dragons
Shooting Star Studios Spain The Void: Game where players must fight their fears to move forward
Infinite Pizza Russia Partycles: Action-puzzle game designed to teach elementary particles and nuclear physics
Studio Attic Korea Attic over Attic: Action game for kids aged 8-13
Sapient United Kingdom HexWorld: 3D adventure game featuring an interactive world

Innovation

Team Name Country Project Name & Description
Black.ai Australia Ani: Computer vision and machine learning system that enables living spaces to react to how we use them
Clove New Zealand Clove: Online platform that connects consumers to home-chefs so they can access healthy food at take-out convenience
Bit Masters Sri Lanka AM Plus: Low-cost, easy-to-use, intelligent digital signage platform
ENTy Romania ENTy: Medical solution that tracks balance and posture
Octave France Octave: New, intuitive solution for learning to play piano
KinectGarten Hong Kong SAR KinectGarten: App to help students do homework using interactive games
Axe Julius India Streamer: App that distributes eBooks in a new and innovative way
Biomachine Industrial Japan Bionic Scope: Wearable device for visual extension triggered by bioelectrical signal
ImeiDB Guatemala ImeiDB: App designed to help fight cell phone theft
Basilisk Tunisia ProtectMe: Device designed to help patients monitor diabetes
Ladybug Turkey AnalytiKids: Robot designed to help kids learn math and programming basics
Healthx United States Healthx: Solution designed to help doctors and patients diagnose amblyopia
Dark Side Ducks Italy Moon Slice: Game controller designed for people with motor impairments

World Citizenship

Team Name Country Project Name & Description
Yuuy Singapore Social Robot-Ruth: Robot designed to assist seniors with medications, appointments and entertainment
Home Guardians Croatia Juvo: Solution leveraging smart sensors to make homes safer for children
DermaTrack Cyprus DermaTrack: Cloud-powered mobile platform with tools for skin lesion tracking and melanoma detection
AMANDA Greece AMANDA: Intelligent ICT-based approach for bullying detection and intervention
MEDCases Hungary MEDCases: Virtual reality app designed to improve the safe and correct medical diagnosis of patients
PSYLLOSOFT Poland MATIA: Mobile device designed to help sight impaired people navigate their surroundings
BoneyCare China BoneyCare: Cloud-powered app designed to treat speech impairments such as stuttering
VRMotion Germany VRMotion: App designed to help stroke patients recover motor skills
Another Team Ecuador BrailLearn: App that enables sighted and blind people to communicate
Eyeus Mexico dEYEgnostico: App designed to provide medical diagnoses by scanning the human eye
The Humane Team Nigeria Humane Team: App designed to help visually impaired navigate smartphones
Night’s Watch Tunisia Smart Hand: Prosthetic smart hand for those who have lost one or more limbs
iShoo Taiwan Asthma Keeper: Wearable spirometer and app for asthma patients

I’d like to offer a hearty congratulations and thanks to all the students who have participated in Imagine Cup this year, and, to all the World Finalist teams, I wish you the very best of luck!

Be sure to tune into the World Championship livestream at 9 a.m. PT on July 29 (Update: See the full video of the final round on Channel 9) to catch all the action and root for your favorite team.

Cheers,

Guggs

 

 

Tags: ,