UAE students develop 'sweat pillow' that detects cancer in kids

Dubai - The pillow is made up of a water sensor, a buzzer and a micro-controller all hooked with a display.

A pillow that beeps when children sweat excessively showings signs of ill health, including cancer, has been invented by two Grade 9 students.
Alok Chedambath, 14, and Sanjeev V, 13, from Our Own English School, Fujairah, developed the 'Dream Saver' and were named among the top three winners of the Ana-vation School Championship, a four-month childhood cancer competition, launched by the UAE-based non-profit organisation, Friends of Cancer Patients (FoCP).
The intelligent pillow has been developed with sensors to detect the moisture content in it, as excessive overnight sweating is one of the early symptoms of pediatric cancer.
The duo, who are very happy with the win, are now planning a start-up. "We researched and found out that excessive sweating was one of the symptoms of childhood cancer," said Sanjeev, adding that they then came up with the idea of a pillow.
"The pillow is made up of a water sensor, a buzzer and a micro-controller all hooked with a display," said Alok. The buzzer beeps when excessive moisture is detected in the pillow and this condition can then be investigated further, they added.
The pillow is portable for easy use and cost the duo around Dh100. "We want to make it even more affordable so that it can reach everyone," they said.
The duo also said that they wanted more of robotic events and competitions to be held in Fujairah so that more students could be part of it.
Students came up with 75 inventions that could potentially change the realities of the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric cancer.
The FoCP announced winners of the first edition of the school championship, which involved 150 students from 15 schools around the country who were asked to raise awareness about childhood cancer and the importance of a healthy lifestyle, by inventing devices that will identify potential symptoms and risks of childhood cancer using robotic DIY kits and based on STEAM education (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics).
Others who won include Arnav Kedia, a Grade 6 student at the Gems World Academy Dubai who came with his Ana-vation kit to create 'Buddy Bear', a soft toy transformed into an intelligent monitoring device.
The readings picked up by the sensors in the teddy bear can be recorded on a phone app, and if it goes over the recommended value, will indicate symptoms of childhood cancer.
The third winning team is a duo of Grade 11 students, Reema Yousuf Ahmed Ali Alnaqbi and Aisha Khalid Khalifa Alnaqbi, from the Al Bahithat Al Badiya School, who have created a box device using a JunkBot core, whose fingerprint scanner records children's attendance while checking their vital signs like heart rate and temperature. These vitals recorded over a period of time can be used by doctors to look for symptoms of pediatric cancer and other diseases.
Other teams' projects included portable X-ray devices to detect bone tumours, fashion accessories for children fitted with intelligent sensors that detect carcinogens factors in the child's environment among others.
Sawsan Jafar, chairperson of FoCP Board of Directors, said: "This has been an exceptional effort from some brilliant young minds who have not only understood the technical aspects of the task but are also highly aware of the key issues surrounding the dangers of cancer and the essential elements of wellbeing."
"The earlier we can instill knowledge and cancer awareness among young people, the lesser incidence of the disease. While cancer can be indiscriminate in who it affects, there are also a number of simple measures we can all take to lower those chances and these students have identified many of those steps," she said.
The campaign, held under the theme 'Putting the Future in Their Hands' covered a broad range of goals, which included educating young people about the incidence, impact and implications of  childhood cancer. It also aimed to stimulate their participation in the global fight against cancer, by integrating their efforts through the use of futuristic technologies.
asmaalizain@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai