The 2024 MAIC Queensland Student Bionics Innovation Challenge winners were announced this week, with The University of Queensland taking out the top prize for their futuristic superhero suit to help children unable to walk become mobile.
Three student teams, from the University of Queensland, Griffith University and QUT vied for their share in $15,000 in funding and mentorship to help accelerate their projects which assist Queenslanders impacted by road trauma.
The winning project, which involves a lightweight rehabilitation exosuit, was developed and designed for children with lower limb paralysis and can be used to stimulate muscle or the spinal cord or both simultaneously.
Proudly supported by MAIC, Bionics Gamechangers Australia’s Qld Student Bionics Innovation Challenge provides up and coming student innovators with an opportunity to win cash prizes and dedicated mentoring to help them progress their big ideas through early-stage research, design and testing, to the end goal of regulatory approval and commercialisation.
Insurance Commissioner, Neil Singleton, said the students’ new ideas and in turn, new and improved bionic devices, implants and treatments, give hope to Queenslanders living with disability arising from road accidents and related trauma.
“We are proud to support this Bionics Gamechangers Australia initiative which ultimately enables new technologies to be developed to fast track the rehabilitation of those whose lives have been disrupted by traumatic road crash events and related health conditions,” said Mr Singleton.
Watch Mr Singleton announce the winners in the below video, or keep reading for more information on each project.
2024 MAIC QLD Student Bionics Innovation Challenge Winners Announcement – YouTube (credit: Bionics Gamechangers Australia).
The Student Bionics Innovation Challenge First Prize Award Winner is:
Project Title: A novel superhero-suit that combines mechanical support and electrical stimulation to improve ambulatory function in children with movement difficulties.
Concept: To design and develop lightweight rehabilitation exosuit is developed and designed for children with lower limb paralysis. It can be used to stimulate muscle or the spinal cord or both simultaneously. The exosuit uses two types of fabric for useability and durability is expected to encourage more young children to engage in rehabilitation and gain the confidence to return to school and socialise with others.
Project Leader: Vaheh Nazari, The University of Queensland.
Team: Dr Monzurul Alam, Professor Alistair McEwan, Dr Jordan Davis, Melissa Winnel.
Prize: $10,000 cash prize and further mentoring from Bionics Gamechangers Australia to help progress their potentially life-changing innovation to market.
The Student Bionics Innovation Challenge Second Place Winner is:
Project Title: Next Generation Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation: Controlling Electrical Stimulation with Motor Unit Level Precision.
Concept: To design and develop a functional electric stimulation (FES) device for individuals with spinal cord injury that incorporates electromyography or EMG into the control of the stimulation. The advanced, stand-alone wearable FES device is proposed to ensure that the muscle stimulation pattern aligns with the wearer’s volitional intent. This innovation will enable individuals with a spinal cord injury to access effective personalized therapy, not just in a clinical setting, but also at home, potentially leading to improved motor recovery and overall better quality of life while also decreasing the financial burden.
Project Leader: Matthew Hambly, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Centre of Biomedical and Rehabilitation Engineering.
Team: Matthew Hambly and Alastair Quin.
Prize: $5,000 cash prize and further mentoring from Bionics Gamechangers Australia to help progress their potentially life-changing innovation to market.
The Student Bionics Innovation Challenge Highly Commended is:
Project Title: Revolutionizing Post-Stroke and Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Rehabilitation: Accelerating Motor Recovery with Advanced tDCS Brain Stimulation.
Concept: To design and develop a transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to enhance motor recovery and functional outcomes in SCI and brain trauma rehabilitation. tDCS, a non-invasive brain stimulation technique, can promote neuroplasticity and improve motor functions alongside conventional physical therapies. The project will test an advanced tDCS-enhanced rehab protocol, targeting brain areas responsible for motor control.
Project Leader: Aniket Kumar, Queensland University of Technology.