Hyderabad: A 21-year-old founder of V-Bionic has won Microsoft’s 2022 Imagine Cup World Championship.
V-Bionic, led by Zain Ahmed Samdani, won for ExoHeal, a modular exoskeletal hand rehabilitation device that utilizes neuroplasticity and Azure technology to help patients with neurological damage recover faster, at a fraction of the price of other options.
V-Bionic team members include Zain Ahmed Samdani (CEO) Germany; Faria Zubair (Head of Design) Saudi Arabia; Asfia Jabeen (Operations and community engagement) Saudi Arabia; Ramin Udash (App Developer) Germany; Zubair Ahmed (Advisor) Saudi Arabia
The 20th Microsoft Imagine Cup has attracted tens of thousands of students from more than 160 regions. On March 31, 2022, V-Bionic competed in the Global Finals with the top 16 teams from Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region.
They took first place in both the Health and General Ranking category and qualified for the World Championships in Seattle, USA. In the finals, they competed against two teams from the Americas and Asia, taking first place after a pitch and question-and-answer session.
The team won $50,000 in Azure credits, a $100,000 cash prize, and a mentoring session with Microsoft Chairman and CEO, Satya Nadella. The ExoHeal glove is a mechanical exoskeleton that can be worn by patients with nerve damage leading to hand movement problems.
Early tests show that the glove can help patients recover faster. Although there is still a lot of work in the medical device certification process, they are working on their final clinical trials this year.
It is worth noting that although Zain is still a student, he has been deeply involved in robotics research and development for many years. On the other hand, the rest of the team members are still in the early stages of their careers in the interest of the industry.
“After 6 months of product development, thought-provoking mentoring sessions, and pitching, I’m thrilled to announce that my team V-Bionic has won the World Championship at @microsoftimaginecup As Team V- Bionic, I, @__ra.min, Faria Zubair and Asfia Jabeen developed ExoHeal! Combining robotic exoskeletons and neuroscience to offer affordable and 30% faster rehabilitation to hand paralyzed patients,” Zain wrote on Instagram.
Microsoft Imagine Cup is considered the “Olympics of Technology” with more than 10,000 participants from 160 countries. It is one of the top competitions and awards related to technology and software design where students seek solutions to important global challenges.
“As part of the prize, we are immensely honored to have been given the opportunity to have a mentoring session with the CEO of Microsoft, Satya Nadella. Working with Microsoft Azure technologies has enabled us to provide remote therapy and gamified elements to ensure that patients stay motivated through their rehabilitation. This achievement is a huge step in realizing our vision to help paralyzed patients have affordable, faster, and accessible rehabilitation,” he said.
“Competing in the Imagine cup was a transcendent experience. We learned from our advisors and peers to refine our approach and further develop our solution. Special thanks to @imaginepablo, @aliondek, @joan_hoshino and the Imagine Cup team at Microsoft for making remote participation a smooth experience,” he said
“ One major lesson we’ve learned this journey: Many a time, in life you’ll be exposed to perspectives that seem foreign or ones that you don’t agree with. However, from these perspectives comes infinite wisdom by way of understanding their underlying reasons and causes,” he said.
