A ‘smart’ walker could become the intelligent solution for elderly and disabled people thanks to the grand prize its inventors won in this year’s LaunchPad $50K competition.
Sentry
Scientific,
a
Cambridge-based
company
founded
by
a
team
of
Waterloo
mechatronics
engineering
students
and
others,
took
first
place
in
the
competition
held May
3
at
Conestoga
College.
The
‘smart’
walker’s
iCanWalkNow
technology
involves
embedding
electronic
sensors
that
can
tell
when
the
user
is
about
to
hit
an
object,
slip
on
ice
or
sit
down
on
a
walker
that
has
a
seat,
but
isn’t
properly
locked
in
place.
The
team
began
working
on
its
product
last
September
and
built
a
prototype
for
the
2013
fourth-year
mechatronics
engineering
design
symposium
held
in
March.
Besides
four
recent
mechatronics
engineering
students,
Sentry
Scientific
also
includes
a
University
of
Waterloo
Faculty
of
Arts
student
and
a
Wilfrid
Laurier
University
student.
Only eight of 40 companies made the finals in this year’s competition that awards winners with equity investment prizes delivered as mentorship, coaching and advice.
Third
prize
and
$20,000
went
to
Lumotune,
a
company
comprised
of
Waterloo
nanotechnology
engineering
students
who
have
created
light-scattering
display
technology.
Among
the
finalists
were
three
practicum
teams
from
Waterloo
Engineering’s
Master
of
Business
Entrepreneurship
and
Technology
program.
[Eng-e-News
article]