Taofeek Olalekan Afeez and Alayande Abdulwaheed Abiola, of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) have emerged winners of the 2018 Microsoft Imagine Cup National Finals in Nigeria.
The two undergraduates of Physics Electronics and Electrical Electronics who jointly formed TEAM TREP had presented a solution called Real Drip – a device that reduces the risk of blood clot or deep vein thrombosis. The non-invasive device monitors the flow of intravenous fluid during IV treatment and notifies medical staff in real time. The device monitors the rate at which intravenous fluid drops (flow rate) and notifies the medical staff on duty in real time, for the timely removal of intravenous needle to prevent back flow of blood, which may lead to pulmonary embolism if necessary action is not taken on time.
With this development, the team proceeds to the second round of the competition and if successful, they will join other students for global finals taking place in Redmond, Seattle in July [2018]. The competition is regarded as one of the biggest software competition for undergraduates in the world.
Now in its 16th year, Microsoft Imagine Cup, aims to give young developers the opportunity to acquire new and critical technical, business and team-building skills all while having fun along the way. However, the competition is segmented into three rounds, the National Finals which is round one, regional finals, round two and the World finals, round three (with a $100,000 cash prize).
Speaking on this development, Mr. Akin Banuso, General Manager, Microsoft Nigeria stated:
“Today’s students are the makers and doers that will build and change the world, as we know it. At Microsoft, we believe this new generation of innovators have the potential to address some of humanity’s most pressing problems; from how to predict and monitor diseases like Alzheimer’s and depression, to identifying ‘fake news’ or increasing response times during natural disasters.
Through Imagine Cup, the world’s young, aspiring entrepreneurs and developers collaborate to build a technology application, create a business plan and gain a keen understanding of what is needed to bring a concept to market. In a cloud-first, mobile-first world, creators and makers must work together to create a cloud for global good.”
Taofeek Olalekan Afeez, The Team Head for Team TREP, who was full of excitement said:
“We are excited about this win. We would like to thank Microsoft for this opportunity. We look forward to competing at the global stage and do our country proud.”
Also speaking, Mr. Damola Solanke, Principal Azure Apps & Infrastructure Lead, Microsoft Nigeria and Chief Judge of the competition said the winning idea was assessed based on four key areas – Technology, Innovation, Concept and Feasibility.
Mr. Damola Solanke said:
“We would like to commend TEAM TREP for satisfying the requirements of the competition. Their idea was well articulated and we look forward to seeing more homegrown solutions to our pressing needs as a country.”
The National entries for the Microsoft Imagine Cup competition opened in February 2018, and is available in 29 countries across the world including Nigeria. Participants create or join a team of up to three eligible students. Together, they make an original technology project from start to finish. The process involves coming up with a great idea, putting together a plan, building a project and submitting it.
Organized by Microsoft subsidiaries in-country, the National Finals select the best teams from each participating country as they pitch and demo their ideas to experts to vie for a coveted spot at the Imagine Cup World Finals.