The 2020 Imagine Cup Asia Regional Final culminated with the selection of the first two teams to win spots in this year’s World Championship. Congratulations to Syrinx (previously NUTONE) from Japan and Hollo from Hong Kong SAR for their impactful solutions winning the title of World Finalists! Syrinx developed a device which restores the ability to speak for patients who have lost their voice (due to reasons such as laryngectomes) and Hollo created a comprehensive tool for NGOs, therapists, and youth living with mental illness to advance therapy practices using technology such as Big Data and Artificial Intelligence.
In its 18th year, the Imagine Cup empowers students around the world to tackle local and global issues and leverage technology to make a difference in what they’re most passionate about. "We're continuously inspired by the passion and innovative solutions students create to have an impact in their communities. We can't wait to see how these projects continue to develop and we're excited for the rest of the competition ahead!," says Pablo Veramendi, Global Competition Manager.
The Asia Regional Final brought together like-minded tech enthusiasts from several countries throughout Asia to virtually showcase their unique solutions. Out of hundreds of Asia submissions, 10 teams presented their projects to a panel of expert judges to compete for prizes totaling USD20,000, Azure credits, and two spots in the 2020 World Championship. With projects encompassing solutions in education, accessibility, mental and physical healthcare, and more, judges had a difficult task selecting which teams to advance.
Thank you to everyone who participated in the competition and a special thanks to our judges. Congratulations to teams Syrinx and Hollo, we can’t wait to see you in Seattle for the World Championship at Microsoft Build this May!
Meet the winning teams:
World Finalist – Syrinx, Japan
The University of Tokyo
The team created a Microsoft Azure Notebooks and Python-based device which restores the ability to speak for patients who have lost their voice (due to reasons such as laryngectomes).
Prizes: USD8,000, Azure credits, a spot in the 2020 Imagine Cup World Championship
World Finalist – Hollo, Hong Kong SAR
The University of Hong Kong
The team's solution is a comprehensive tool for NGOs, therapists, and youth living with mental illness to advance therapy practices using technology such as Big Data and Artificial Intelligence.
Prizes: USD8,000, Azure credits, a spot in the 2020 Imagine Cup World Championship
Runner up - Blume-India, India
Vellore Institute of Technology, Ramaiah Institute of Technology
The team created an Android application which lets patients scan a drug's RFID card to determine authenticity using Hyperledger Fabric on Azure VM, manage their drug purchases, and set filters for allergens.
Prizes: USD2,500 and Azure credits
Runner up - Zest, Singapore
Nanyang Technological University
Dr. Rehab is a mobile application for real-time physiotherapy supervision through computer vision. Users can access the rehabilitation exercises assigned to them, follow guided instructions, and receive feedback while completing their exercises.
Prizes: USD2,500 and Azure credits
Runner up - Tulibot, Indonesia
Electronic Engineering Polytechnic Institute of Surabaya
Tulibot is an integrated assistive device to bridge the communication gap for the deaf by providing a smart glove (gesture to text) and smart glasses (speech to text).
Prizes: USD2,500 and Azure credits
Follow the journeys of our winning teams on Instagram and Twitter as they prepare for the 2020 World Championship and see who’ll win the remaining spots during our upcoming EMEA and Americas Regional Finals.
