KAUST master's student José Ilton de Oliveira Filho won first place at the IEEE International Sensors and Measurement Systems Student Contest for his smart bracelet and gesture-capturer designed for people with Parkinson's disease. The bracelet assists users in basic activities and creates a database for tracking the disease's involuntary tremors. The bracelet can also control smart TVs and enable smoother application navigation. Why it matters: This project demonstrates KAUST's commitment to developing innovative technologies that address real-world healthcare challenges and improve the quality of life for individuals with special needs.
KAUST Ph.D. student Muhammad Akram Karimi won the Three Minute Thesis competition at the IEEE MTT International Microwave Symposium in Boston. Karimi's presentation, titled "Making Materials Smart Using Microwaves," detailed his research on low-cost in situ microwave sensors. His work, in collaboration with Saudi Aramco, focuses on detecting water fraction in oil using sensors printed directly on pipes. Why it matters: This award recognizes innovative research at KAUST and highlights the potential of microwave sensor technology for applications in the oil and water industries within the region.
KAUST Ph.D. student Abdullah Almansouri won a best poster award at the 2019 Joint MMM-INTERMAG Conference for his work on a super-flexible composite magnet, or "magnetic skin". The research, carried out by the Sensing, Magnetism and Microsystems (SMM) group, developed a stretchable and biocompatible wearable magnet. The device's flexible properties make it comfortable and imperceptible when worn. Why it matters: This research contributes to the growing field of wearable technology and biomedical monitoring, with potential applications in eye-movement tracking and touchless gesture control.
A KAUST team led by Hossein Fariborzi won second place in the MEMS Design Contest for their "MEMS Resonator for Oscillator, Tunable Filter and Re-Programmable Logic Applications." The device is runtime-reprogrammable, allowing the function of each device in the circuit to be changed during operation. The KAUST team demonstrated that two MEMS resonators could replace over 20 transistors in applications like digital adders, reducing digital circuit complexity. Why it matters: This innovation could significantly reduce power consumption, chip area, and manufacturing costs in microprocessors, advancing the development of energy-efficient microcomputers in the region.
KAUST Ph.D. students Abdullah S. Almansouri and Hanan Mohammed won awards at the 21st International Conference on Magnetism (ICM 2018). Almansouri won the Best Poster Award for his work on magnetic tracking of cardiac catheters using flexible magnetic tunnel junction sensors. Mohammed won the People's Choice Award in the Magnetism as Art Showcase for her artwork entitled 'Autumn in my Nanoworld.' Why it matters: Recognition at ICM highlights KAUST's research contributions in magnetism and microsystems, particularly in developing innovative medical devices.