Tunis — A staff of 4 younger Tunisian inventors (Khaoula Ben Ahmed, Ghofrane Ayari, Souleima Ben Temime and Sirine Ayari) has received the third Younger Inventors Prize awarded by the European Patent Workplace (EPO).
The prize was awarded as a part of the European Inventor Award 2024, the winners of which had been introduced at a hybrid ceremony in Malta on Tuesday.
The staff obtained a €5,000 prize for his or her pioneering work on an clever wheelchair management system, ‘MOOVOBRAIN’, which considerably improves mobility for individuals with disabilities.
The staff was certainly one of three finalists, with Dutch scientist Rochelle Niemeijer taking first place with a €20,000 prize and Ukrainian inventor Valentyn Frechka taking second place (€10,000).
The staff’s invention, MOOVOBRAIN, allows disabled individuals to regulate their wheelchairs utilizing mind alerts and voice instructions, enhancing their independence and mobility.
This know-how not solely represents a serious advance within the discipline of assistive gadgets, but in addition reveals the staff’s dedication to inclusion and innovation in medical know-how.
The clever management system developed by the staff makes use of sensors and software program to interpret the person’s actions, permitting the wheelchair to be moved exactly and intuitively. This technological advance is especially essential in environments the place joystick or button controls could be inconvenient or inaccessible.
“For every of us, profitable a spot within the Younger Inventors’ Prize is a dream come true. This award is just not solely an achievement for our staff, however a testomony to the ability of collaboration, perseverance and keenness,” stated the younger inventors.
“It evokes us to proceed to push the boundaries and make a optimistic affect via innovation to alter the lives of individuals with disabilities all over the world,” they added.
In response to the World Well being Organisation (WHO), no less than 80 million individuals (or 1% of the world’s inhabitants) are more likely to want a wheelchair to facilitate their mobility.
Nonetheless, many customers don’t have full management of their higher physique and depend on carers for mobility.
