New Delhi: The Stanford Center on Longevity has just announced the winners of its 10th annual Design Challenge, and the results are nothing short of inspiring. This global competition encourages fresh ideas to help people live healthier, longer lives. This year’s standout projects tackled issues from injury recovery to menopause awareness and even oral health.
And the Grand Prize Goes to…
The top prize of $10,000 was awarded to the Variable Reactive Board, a brilliant balance-training device designed by Gustavo Ghavami (Pratt Institute) and Carleigh McFarlane (NYU). This clever invention helps people recover from injuries and improve balance, an essential skill, especially for older adults. Falls are a major cause of injury-related deaths, with over 34,000 fatalities in 2019 alone. This device adjusts to different skill levels, making it useful for all ages.
Breaking the Menopause Taboo:
Coming in second is Unpause Life, led by Zeel Shah from NMIMS School of Design, Mumbai. This project aims to educate Indian women about menopause, a topic often surrounded by silence. The team created a free information kit to help women understand changes in their bodies and seek the right medical help.
The 2Care team from Tunghai University and National Taipei University of Education took third place with an at-home oral health monitoring device. Poor dental health can lead to serious problems like diabetes and heart disease, so this tool helps users track their oral hygiene and avoid bigger health risks.
Other Finalists:
Other innovative projects that made it to the finals include:
- Circle Fun (Beijing Institute of Technology): A fun exercise tool designed for grandparents and grandkids to enjoy together.
- PaperRoad (Carnegie Mellon University): An AI-powered mental health platform for teens.
- Shakti (UC Davis): An app for pregnant women to monitor anemia and iron levels.
- Sonura (University of Pennsylvania): A sound system for NICU babies that plays parental voices while reducing harmful noise.
- Tree of Life (NMIMS School of Design): A board game that teaches about aging and cognitive health.
This year’s event was extra special as it returned to in-person gatherings after pandemic disruptions. Finalists got to tour Stanford University, attend workshops hosted by Techstars Silicon Valley, and network with industry leaders and investors.
Since 2013, the Stanford Center on Longevity’s Design Challenge has awarded over $250,000 in prizes, attracting brilliant minds from across the world.
