Technology for Living British Columbia is honoured to announce the winners of the 6th Annual Simon Cox Design Challenge.
MobilArm – University of Victoria
Simon Cox Award Prize $2,500
Hot Goo - BCIT
Jeanette Anderson Achievement Award Second Prize $1,500
Mobile Warmth – Kwantlen Polytechnic University
Terry LeBlanc Innovation Award $1000
Adjustable Portable Tabletop - UBC
People’s Choice Award $500
Eleven teams composed of post-secondary students across British Columbia competed for four awards. All awards recognize designs that will enhance or improve the lives of persons living with disabilities.
An event to showcase 5 shortlisted projects was held virtually on May 8th.
The winning team from University of Victoria, developed a modular multi-use power wheelchair arm attachment. Inspired by a community member who expressed difficulty carrying groceries and performing other tasks while operating a power wheelchair, device is removable by a caretaker and easily retracted by the user to ensure flexible operation.
[Team – Kim Arklie, Jacqui Moreland, Adam Chen, Irene Lopez, Lauren Mark, Lilly Roberts]
All competitors invented devices or processes that demonstrated ingenuity and creativity relevant to people of diverse abilities. Projects ranged from a BCIT’s Automatic Window Controller to UBC’s Mint Home which facilitates seamless interaction with household devices through using EEG brain waves.
Technology for Living and the Judges of the Simon Cox Student Design Competition acknowledge the effort, imagination, and detail with which all of the participating teams presented their projects/ideas/concepts.
This year’s field of competitors saw the greatest representation of post-secondary institutions in the history of the Simon Cox Student Design Competition. Participants in the 2021 Simon Cox Design Challenge included BCIT, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, SFU, UBC, and University of Victoria.
Visit simoncoxcompetition.com for more information about Simon Cox, TFL. Technology for Living is a non-profit organization largely funded by BC Health Authorities and has a province-wide mandate. The competition is generously sponsored by BC Rehab Foundation and the Kinsmen Foundation of BC. Executive Director Ruth Marzetti is the media contacts for these awards and the organization rmarzetti@technologyforliving.org or 604-301-4201.