Abu Dhabi: Two professors from Khalifa University have won an award in Qatar’s Legacy 22 Challenge, after proposing plans for a device that can safely monitor the intensity levels of people who exercise.
Dr Ahsan Khandoker and Dr Hani Saleh, were chosen from 330 different applications from the GCC, and were the only winners from the UAE. As part of the award, they will also receive $20,000 (Dh73,463) that will help them further develop their project.
Their device is like a wristband that when worn, monitors several important details while exercising such as the person’s heart rate, body temperature, blood oxygen level and physical activity rate. The information is then sent to a predictive model which calculates the appropriate intensity limit of the exercise, and alerts the person once they go over the limit. Both athletes and non-athletes, including people with medical conditions such as diabetes, obesity, and high blood pressure, can wear the monitoring device.
Dr Tod Laursen, Khalifa University President, lauded the achievement, saying the device could help promote a healthier lifestyle in the UAE, “We are very pleased with our faculty’s win. This is an excellent opportunity for [our faculty members] to develop and market new technology aimed at helping people lead healthier lives.
“We encourage our faculty to explore projects that can enhance the well-being of the UAE’s citizens, and society as a whole. Technology focused on encouraging physical fitness and providing people with information about healthy physical activity is very important in today’s society.”
Qatar’s Challenge 22 competition aims to reward the region’s best and most innovative ideas that can have a positive impact on society.
