A 16-year-old Irish student has been named a winner in the sixth annual Samsung Solve for Tomorrow competition, which aims to uncover promising tech inventions from young people based in Britain and Ireland.
The competition asks students aged 11-18 to come up with ideas that help solve real-world problems for a chance to win work experience at Samsung and receive the latest Samsung tech for themselves and their school.
Nell McMahon (16) from Co Limerick was part of team AsthmaSense, which was named the winner in the 14-16 age category. She was introduced to the competition, which had 2,185 applicants, by her teacher in Desmond College.
AsthmaSense is an early-warning system that predicts the risk of an asthma attack by monitoring local air quality. Asthma is a common lung condition that affects your ability to breathe.
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The device links to an app and alerts users so they can take action before an attack develops. “It’s a smart, portable device that measures air quality and alerts asthmatics of any potential triggers for asthma attacks,” McMahon said.
“It monitors carbon-based airborne chemicals, and high levels of these can be very dangerous for asthmatics to inhale, so it sets off an alarm if levels are unsafe.
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“The alarm is on the device itself, which is a small box with a screen on it. It has a switch to turn it on and off, as well as the alarm. You can carry it around, leave it in the pocket of your clothes or your bag, or just leave it on your desk.”
McMahon said she got the idea for the device from friends, family members, and team-mates who suffer from asthma.
“It makes their daily lives a lot more difficult and it can discourage a lot of people from playing sports, as well as really affect their performance and mental health,” she said. “I wanted to combat that with this device.
“I hope to keep testing it, reach out to more people, and get more feedback to see how I can improve the device. Hopefully in the future I’ll be able to get it out in the market and help as many people as possible.”
Teams took part in a programme of design thinking, market research and a newly introduced physical prototyping workshop. Throughout the process, they also received mentoring, support and guidance from Samsung staff to help bring their ideas to life.
Soohyun Jessie Park, head of corporate social responsibility at Samsung Electronics UK, said the competition “continues to empower young people to reflect on what truly matters to them, while simultaneously channelling their passion into tangible action”.
“We speak to young people every day as part of the programme, and their drive and passion to make the world a better place through technology is awe-inspiring,” she said.
“The standard of entries continues to climb, and we can’t wait to see where our winners go next and the impact their inventions have on society.”
