Thai students top winners in engineering challenge in Shanghai
Thai Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn tries devices at the Shanghai Engineering Research Center for Assistive Devices in University of Shanghai for Science and Technology.
Thai university students are the top prize winners at the Global Student Invitation Challenge for Assistive Technology 2018 in Shanghai on Saturday.
Organized jointly by the Coalition of Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Asia and University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, the competition is a major annual event for college students from across the world to show their creative and innovative devices or solutions to improve the quality of living of the elderly and disabled.
This year, the event had attracted more than 150 college teams from all over the world to compete in the categories of technology and design and 45 made into the final held over the weekend at the city's International Convention on Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology.
The team representing the Wangnumyen Industrial and Community Education College in Thailand won the first prize in the category of technology for its invention of an automatic walker for the elderly with ankle bone disease, leg bone, muscular dystrophy by using micro-controller.
The other champion team is from the Thammasat University in Thailand, winning the first place in the category of design by designing a walking assistance device that can help elderly or patients with lower extremity muscle weakness or impairment in balancing control stand up and walk. It can be transformed into a walker or a chair.
University of Shanghai for Science and Technology was the only local college to win a medal in the competition. One of its teams won a bronze award in the category of technology by developing a new type of lower limb exoskeleton robot for patients with lower extremity dysfunction due to spinal cord injury or stroke to stimulate rehabilitation.
Thai Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn presented trophies to the winners at the awarding ceremony on Saturday evening.
The princess also visited University of Shanghai for Science and Technology on Saturday and unveiled the Shanghai Engineering Research Center for Assistive Devices in the university.
Thai Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn looks at students' inventions at the competition.
Thai Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn looks at students' inventions at the competition.
The princess unveils the Shanghai Engineering Research Center for Assistive Devices with Ding Xiaodong, president of University of Shanghai for Science and Technology.
The princess poses for a picture with winners.
