DIT students behind ImagineNote will represent Ireland in Microsoft Imagine Cup Global Final in Poland in July.
ImagineNote today competed against 10 other finalists to scoop the coveted place of representing Ireland at the global finals of Microsoft’s Imagine Cup 2010 in Poland this July.
The Imagine Cup global student technology competition, which is now in its eighth year, challenges students to “imagine a world where technology helps solve the toughest problems facing us today”.
About ImagineNote
ImagineNote is a game that uses sound beam technology in place of a normal controller, allowing the user to make sound and virtualisations out of movement.
It has been designed as an alternative music therapy device that can be made available to people of all ages with learning, physical or other disabilities. The sound beam can be split into large or small divisions, allowing both large movements to be used as input or the smallest of movements, such as the blink of an eye.
At the final in Poland, ImagineNote will present its entry to a panel of judges from academia and the technology industry. Prizes for Imagine Cup 2010 will total more than US$250,000 across its five categories.
Speaking at today’s Microsoft Ireland Imagine Cup awards ceremony, the Minister for Trade and Commerce, Billy Kelleher TD, said: “Participating in a major educational competition such as the Imagine Cup inspires students who are working at the cutting edge of new technologies. In this fast-moving world, students need to know how to learn new skills as quickly as technology creates new challenges.
“The Imagine Cup inspires creativity and ingenuity in the use of technology. ImagineNote has exhibited all these qualities and are worthy winners of the national stage of the competition.”
Ireland and the Microsoft Imagine Cup competition
This is the fourth year that Ireland has competed in the Microsoft Imagine Cup competition, which has attracted more than 600 entries from universities, third-level colleges and institutes of technology across the country from both north and south of the border.
Paul Rellis, managing director, Microsoft Ireland, congratulated the 2010 winners, saying: “Last year’s Imagine Cup was a huge success with Irish students travelling to Egypt to successfully compete against the brightest minds from every corner of the earth.
“This year we’ve seen an increase in the number of students participating, which is a positive sign for this country as we look forward to developing Ireland as an innovation centre of excellence.
“This week at Microsoft we celebrated our 25th anniversary of operating in Ireland. It’s encouraging for us to see so many bright minds still coming up with such clever and innovative ideas at Imagine Cup.”
ImagineNote will receive mentoring from Enterprise Ireland as it prepares for the global final.
More information about the Microsoft Imagine Cup is available on its website.
By Carmel Doyle
Photo: Celebrating ImagineNote winning the 2010 Microsoft Imagine Cup in Ireland are the Minister for Trade and Commerce, Billy Kelleher TD; team member Marco Castorina, DIT Kevin Street; team member Nikola Nevin, DIT Kevin Street; and Paul Rellis, managing director, Microsoft Ireland
