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23 October 2024

Assistive Tech Team Challenge: Empowering Future Innovators

The two-day Assistive Tech Team Challenge saw over nine student teams from secondary schools across Geelong gather to engage in an exciting and impactful event.

 

Students had the unique opportunity to collaborate with experts from Barwon Health‘s Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Clinic, following an insightful and engaging presentation by Diana Ormeno. This powerful introduction gave students a deep understanding of the complexities of living with MND, guiding their creative journey.

The challenge tasked students with designing assistive technology solutions tailored for clients living with MND. Through empathy and innovation, they worked to address the unique needs and difficulties faced by MND clients, ensuring that their prototypes were not only functional but thoughtfully aligned with real-world scenarios.

Held in a maker-faire style, the event provided teams with access to a diverse range of materials, enabling them to develop and refine their rapid prototyping skills. To introduce an element of strategic thinking, each team was given a budget and had to carefully plan and decide on the materials they needed for their designs. This added layer of complexity challenged students to balance creativity with resource management.

The event was a tremendous success. Students were fully engaged, and the accompanying teachers played a pivotal role, guiding and supporting their teams with great leadership. The ingenuity, problem-solving, and collaborative spirit that the students displayed over the course of just two days were truly remarkable.

Ross George, Chair of the Geelong Tech School Committee and Managing Director of Austeng, praised the students, commenting on their thoughtful approach and ability to create exceptional prototypes within such a short time frame.

“Each student should be incredibly proud of their achievements and the innovative solutions they developed. The Assistive Tech Team Challenge has proven to be a fertile ground for nurturing future innovators who are poised to make a real difference in the world of assistive technology.” – Rachel Gibson STEM Project Coordinator.