The Imagine Cup is a skill-based competition held by Microsoft with the object to create innovative and original software applications. It includes three competitions and provides multiple challenges to students around the world. At the regional competitions, Taipei Tech student teams presented brilliant performances, winning a champion in Games Competition and a runner-up in World Citizenship Competition, software design. On behalf of Taiwan, Taipei Tech’s champion team, “TOP” will be competing with international teams in the Worldwide Final hosted in Sain Petersburg, Russia in July.

Taipei Tech’s student team, “TOP” won the champion of Games Competition with a whipping top game that recalls childhood memories of numerous Taiwanese. They came up with an original game which interestingly combines the traditional Taiwanese toy “Tuo-Luo”, a whipping top with beyblade which is originally from Japan and has gained extreme popularity among elementary school students in Taiwan. With the latest smartphone technology, players can use a gyroscope and an accelerator equipped in smartphones to control the spinning direction and duration of whipping tops. What’s more brilliant is that students can add changeable aboriginal totems and patterns to the top design as the symbol of cultural preservation. In fact, this is one of the stunning elements that amazed the Taiwanese panel and eventually won “TOP” a gold medal.

The other Taipei Tech student team, “Prime Sight” won a second place in World Citizenship Competition with a motion-sensing assistive device. Pinned on the chest of a blind person, “Prime Sight” can detect obstacles with infrared rays, and notify users of road conditions within 2 meters by sending signals to the Bluetooth earphone. In fact, “Prime Sight” was awarded Best Team last September in the Software Innovation Summer Seminar held by the Ministry of Education. Impressed by their outstanding performance, the Technology Development Association for the Disabled showed interest in co-working with “Prime Sight” on the motion-sensing assistive device. Members of the association participated in the device testing and development.

“Prime Sight” will be competing online with other student teams from all over the world. The result is expected in May, and will determine whether or not “Prime Sight” can make it to the Worldwide Final in Saint Petersburg. With the determination to improve the living quality of the blind, student members of “Prime Sight” wish to carry on the development regardless of the competition result. Significantly, “Prime Sight” intends to seek sponsors and commercialize the motion-sensing assistive device so it will available be for those in need.