Canberra team flies to Imagine Cup finals on brain waves

Team uses technology to translate electronic brain signals to text, provides people with disabilities freedom of communication

A group of students from the University of Canberra has been selected to represent Australia at the Imagine Cup 2011 finals.

The team will compete against some 400 students at the worldwide finals held in New York next month.

The team, known as UCEGG, was chosen for its Brain Speller, which translated electronic brain signals into text, allowing people with disabilities to communicate.

Team leader, Paul Du, said the student group was excited to use technology in such an innovative way.

“We’re excited by the opportunity to combine imagination and technology to create a product that will improve lives and genuinely help with an issue that affects so many people in this country,” Lu said in a statement.

[Check out Computerworld Australia's education section]

“Between now and July we’ll be researching and developing our program to get it in the best shape for when we compete against the rest of the world.”

The Imagine Cup 2012 will be hosted by Microsoft in Australia, with Minister for School Education, Peter Garrett, encouraging students to use technology as a means of improving the world around them.

The news comes as the NSW government this week announced it would roll out 4300 electronic whiteboards to schools across the state, and as Victorian principals called for greater protection from cyber bullies.

Follow Lisa Banks on Twitter: @CapricaStar

Follow Computerworld Australia on Twitter: @ComputerworldAU

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Tags MicrosoftNeuroscienceEducation Minister Peter GarrettImagine CupUniversity of Canberra

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