Pipunika & Nipun Silva, a team of siblings from De Mazenod College
Win Special Award for their Project Helping the Blind and Visually Impaired
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS
- The world’s largest high school science research competition, the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, a program of Society for Science & the Public, announced its top winners in Pittsburgh, Pa.
- Liyanadura Pipunika Vimanthi Silva and Liyanadura Nipun Kavishka Silva represented Sri Lanka with award-winning projects
 Liyanadura Pipunika Vimanthi Silva and Liyanadura Nipun Kavishka Silva from De mazenod College, Sri Lanka were winners of a team second award in the computer science category, winning US$400 for each team member from the IEEE Computer Society for their project entitled ‘NP System’ – a computer program for blind and visually impaired people at this year’s Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, a program of Society for Science & the Public.
The NP System is a software programme that assists blind and visually impaired individuals use computers by providing voice instructions. The programme can assist with a variety of tasks such as guiding the user through the basic functions of a computer including sending an email, crafting a word document, analyzing images and providing verbal descriptions and responding to audio commands by the user.
The winning team was accompanied by Mr. Joseph Lakshman Geramunu Nonis, a teacher from DeMazenod College. The duo, along with two other Lankan students – Chathura Saman Kumara from Pinnawala Central College, Rambukkana and Maleen Wijeyaratne from Maliyadeva College, Kurunegala, represented Sri Lanka after winning the Sri Lankan Science and Engineering Fair organized by the Ministry of Education, National Science Foundation, Institution of Engineers Sri Lanka and Intel Sri Lanka, last December.
“I congratulate Pipunika and Nipun for competing in an international arena with a large number of competitors from around the world and emerging victorious. Their project will no doubt be an innovative addition to the field of NP Systems, and also be a great innovation for the blind and visually impaired,” said Indika de Zoysa, Country Manager for Intel Sri Lanka. “I also congratulate the other two students who represented Sri Lanka at the contest, for making it into the final round and competing at ISEF.”
This year, more than 1,500 young scientists were chosen to compete in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. They were selected from 446 affiliate fairs in approximately 70 countries, regions and territories. In addition to the winners mentioned above, more than 400 finalists received awards and prizes for their groundbreaking work. Awards included 17 "Best of Category" winners who each received a $5,000 prize. The Intel Foundation also awarded a $1,000 grant to each winner’s school and to the affiliated fair they represent.
The overall winner of ISEF 2012 was Jack Andraka, 15, of Crownsville, USA, Nicholas Schiefer, 17, of Pickering, Ontario, Canada and Ari Dyckovsky, 18, of Leesburg, Va, USA. Andraka was received the Gordon E. Moore Award, named in honor of Intel co-founder and retired chairman and CEO of $75,000, for his new method to detect pancreatic cancer. Two other students, Nicholas Schiefer, 17, of Pickering, Ontario, Canada and Ari Dyckovsky, 18, of Leesburg, Va, USA., each received the Intel Foundation Young Scientist Award of $50,000. Schiefer investigated what he calls “microsearch,” or the ability to search the fastest-growing information medium: small amounts of content, such as tweets and Facebook status updates and Dyckovsky investigated the science of quantum teleportation.
“We support the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair because we know that math and science are imperative to future global growth,” said Wendy Hawkins, executive director of the Intel Foundation. “This competition encourages millions of students to engage their skills for innovation and develop promising solutions for global challenges.”
The Intel International Science and Engineering Fair includes some of the most promising rising student entrepreneurs, innovators and scientists from around the world. Finalists are selected annually from hundreds of affiliated fairs. Their projects are then evaluated onsite by more than 1,200 judges from nearly every scientific discipline, each with a Ph.D. or the equivalent of six years of related professional experience in one of the scientific disciplines.
A full listing of finalists is available in the event program (beginning on page 57). The Intel International Science and Engineering Fair 2012 is funded jointly by Intel and the Intel Foundation with additional awards and support from dozens of other corporate, academic, governmental and science-focused organizations.
To learn more about Society for Science & the Public, and its programs and publications, visit www.societyforscience.org , follow on Twitter , or visit the Facebook page.
To get the latest Intel education news, visit www.intel.com/newsroom/education , and join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter .
About IEEE Computer Society
The IEEE Computer Society is the computing professional's single, unmatched source for technology information, inspiration and collaboration. By making the most up-to-date and advanced information in the computing world easily accessible, they are the source that computing professionals trust to provide high quality, state-of-the-art information on an on-demand basis.
About Intel
Intel, the world leader in silicon innovation, develops technologies, products and initiatives to continually advance how people work and live. Additional information about Intel is available at www.intel.com/pressroom and blogs.intel.com.
|
