| Biography |
|---|
| My name is Markus Kunej and I am currently a grade 12 student at North Park Collegiate in Brantford. I was inspired to create the Echo Belt for my grandmother, who suffers from Glaucoma and is losing her vision. I hope to continue working on making the device more user-friendly. At my school, I am part of the chess and science teams, and student council. I play on the varsity tennis, volleyball, and soccer teams. I have won the Highest Academic Average Award at my school three years in a row. Outside of school, I play competitive soccer for my city and like to listen to music. I plan on studying engineering at a post-secondary school next year. For other students thinking about doing a project, I suggest they find inspiration close to their home. Look for problems affecting yourself or people you know. It will give your project more personal meaning and you will feel that much more enthusiastic about your work. |
| Markus Kunej
The Echo Belt: Navigation Technology for the Visually Impaired
| Challenge: | Innovation | | Category: | Senior | | Region: | Bay Area | | City: | Brantford, ON | | School: | North Park Collegiate & Vocational | | Abstract: | I developed a novel navigation device for the visually impaired which provides directional haptic feedback of the user's environment in the form of vibrations. Unlike current mobility tools, my device is non-intrusive, hands-free, and provides 360 degrees of constant obstacle-detection. For persons with visual impairments, the "Echo Belt" can help reduce the stress related to foot-travel, overall improving their quality of life. |
| Awards | Value | Excellence Award - Senior
Gold Medal
Sponsor: Youth Science Canada | | Carleton University Entrance Award
Senior Gold Medallist - $4,000 Entrance Award
Sponsor: Carleton University | $4 000.00 | Dalhousie University Faculty of Science Entrance Scholarship
Senior Gold Medallist - $5000 Entrance Scholarship
Sponsor: Dalhousie University, Faculty of Science | $5 000.00 | UBC Science (Vancouver) Entrance Award
Senior Gold Medallist - $4000 Entrance Scholarship
Sponsor: The University of British Columbia (Vancouver) | $4 000.00 | University of Manitoba Entrance Scholarship
Senior Gold Medallist - $5000 Entrance Scholarship
Sponsor: University of Manitoba | $5 000.00 | University of Ottawa Entrance Scholarship
Senior Gold Medallist - $4,000 Entrance Scholarship
Sponsor: University of Ottawa | $4 000.00 | Western University Scholarship
Gold Medallist - $4000 Entrance Scholarship
Sponsor: Western University | $4 000.00 | | Total | $26 000.00 | |
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