EPICS in IEEE

Access and Abilities Competition

Do you want to make a difference in your community? 

More than 15 percent of the world population (about 1 billion people) live with disabilities, such as hearing, vision, mental health, or mobility impairments. EPICS in IEEE supports projects that solve accessibility issues within communities, enable adaptive services, redesign technology for equity, and develop assistive technologies.

The Competition

The Access and Abilities competition is meant to challenge university students from all over the world to use their engineering skills to help solve accessibility issues within their communities.  Students, faculty, and professionals will have the opportunity to address the technological needs of communities. Proposals should identify an accessibility problem in the local community, and detail how the student team will attempt to solve the problem using engineering and technology skills. Student teams can win $5,000-10,000 USD to build their prototype or solution.

Rules

 

  • Include students! If a project is not student-led, young professionals and professional IEEE members are able to submit a project, but high school or university students should be significantly involved in the design and deployment process.
  • Submit quarterly progress reports and a final summary report.
  • Use dedicated competition funding for materials related to the project. (i.e, salaries, honorariums, personal computers, significant capital equipment or research supplies, etc. are not eligible for funding.)
  • Teams must submit their proposal through the EPICS in IEEE proposal platform.

  • Funded projects will be eligible for a $500 prize!

Important Dates

  • Proposal Submission Deadline: November 1st, 2022
  • Projects Selection: December 2022
  • Quarterly Progress Reports Due: 1 March, 1 June, 1 September
  • Project Completion – November 2023
  • Final Report – December 2023

Jon C. Taenzer Memorial Fund

This competition is funded by the Jon C. Taenzer Memorial Fund established by the IEEE Foundation in 2019 with a generous bequest from the Estate of Mr. Taenzer, an IEEE Life Senior Member. The fund is restricted for the purpose of supporting engineers in developing countries and to support breakthroughs in aids for the disabled.

Access and Abilities Projects

Smart Mobile Inclusive Learning (SMILE): AI-driven multipurposed therapy for disabled children – Indonesia

Smart Mobile Inclusive Learning (SMILE): AI-driven multipurposed therapy for disabled children – Indonesia

Soft Robotic Glove for Fine Motor Rehabilitation and Task-Specific Training-Peru

Soft Robotic Glove for Fine Motor Rehabilitation and Task-Specific Training-Peru

Smart Glove-Pakistan

Smart Glove-Pakistan

Soft Exosuit for Ambulatory Patients with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), United States, $4000

Soft Exosuit for Ambulatory Patients with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), United States, $4000

Smart E-TRIKE with Detachable Wheels for Disabled Students to Enhance their Competency – India

Smart E-TRIKE with Detachable Wheels for Disabled Students to Enhance their Competency – India

Emergency Evacuation System for Disabilities in Wheelchair – United States

Emergency Evacuation System for Disabilities in Wheelchair – United States

Self-Navigating Robotic Walking Aid for Elderly People Using Multi-Sensor Fusion-Based Human Tracking – Malaysia

Self-Navigating Robotic Walking Aid for Elderly People Using Multi-Sensor Fusion-Based Human Tracking – Malaysia

Smart Outdoor Wheel Chair using IOT for the Paralyzed – INDIA

Smart Outdoor Wheel Chair using IOT for the Paralyzed – INDIA

Smart Fall Detection Tiles for Disabled People-India

Smart Fall Detection Tiles for Disabled People-India

IOT Based Smart Assistant Cane for the Visually Impaired-India

IOT Based Smart Assistant Cane for the Visually Impaired-India

Wheelchair Electric Assist-USA

Wheelchair Electric Assist-USA

Sound Detection System-Canada

Sound Detection System-Canada

MindVoice, EEG-Enhanced Voice Assistance for Older Adults – USA

MindVoice, EEG-Enhanced Voice Assistance for Older Adults – USA

Elderly People Fall Detection System Using Radar Technology – Pakistan

Elderly People Fall Detection System Using Radar Technology – Pakistan

Smart Toilet for Sustainable Use Within Communities-Uganda

Smart Toilet for Sustainable Use Within Communities-Uganda

Closing the Gap in Engineering Education for People with Disabilities-Panama

Closing the Gap in Engineering Education for People with Disabilities-Panama

BLUE PEW – Indonesia

BLUE PEW – Indonesia

Aural Rehabilitation for Children in Tamil Language – India

Aural Rehabilitation for Children in Tamil Language – India

Artificial Robotic Material (ARM) for treating Motor disorders in children – India – $1160

Artificial Robotic Material (ARM) for treating Motor disorders in children – India – $1160

An Eye for Blind

An Eye for Blind

Adaptive Mouse – USA

Adaptive Mouse – USA

Design and development of a Low-Cost Stair Lift

Design and development of a Low-Cost Stair Lift

Increasing Inclusion of Visually Impaired People with a Mobile Application for English Learning

Increasing Inclusion of Visually Impaired People with a Mobile Application for English Learning

Design and Development of Head-mounted Assistive Device for the Blind Using Computer Vision

Design and Development of Head-mounted Assistive Device for the Blind Using Computer Vision

Ride-on Cars for Children with Disabilities (Go-Baby-Go)

Ride-on Cars for Children with Disabilities (Go-Baby-Go)

Recycling as a Viable Industry for Supported Employment of those with Disabilities

Recycling as a Viable Industry for Supported Employment of those with Disabilities

Intelligent Bookshelf

Intelligent Bookshelf

Communicative Hand Glove for the Hearing Impaired

Communicative Hand Glove for the Hearing Impaired

Development of Hand-Cycle for Children with Movement Disorders

Development of Hand-Cycle for Children with Movement Disorders

Low-cost ground reaction force line biofeedback for static posture training – Smart Mirror

Low-cost ground reaction force line biofeedback for static posture training – Smart Mirror

Real Time Sign Language Conversion to Audio

Real Time Sign Language Conversion to Audio

Wrist Band for Hearing Impaired

Wrist Band for Hearing Impaired

Learning Aids for Visually Challenged

Learning Aids for Visually Challenged

IP Telephony System Implementation

IP Telephony System Implementation

Device to Assist Communication of Disabled Based on Hand Gesture Recognition

Device to Assist Communication of Disabled Based on Hand Gesture Recognition

Giving a Voice to the Voiceless

Giving a Voice to the Voiceless

Communication Device to Assist Children with Cognitive Disorders

Developing A Real Time Activity Recognition for Children with Communication and Social Interaction Disabilities

Developing A Real Time Activity Recognition for Children with Communication and Social Interaction Disabilities

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