Cover The five winners of the Oppo Inspiration Challenge (Photo: Chong Jinn Xiung)
The five winners of the Oppo Inspiration Challenge (Photo: Chong Jinn Xiung)
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Oppo awarded five tech companies that are using innovation for positive impact in health monitoring, eco-friendly packaging, 3D tracking, MicroLED tech and sustainable packaging
How can technology and innovation improve our lives and the planet? That’s the question that the Oppo Inspiration Challenge asks every year, inviting tech professionals and entrepreneurs worldwide to submit their ideas for solutions that can make a positive impact.
Oppo announced the five winning proposals of the 2023 OPPO Inspiration Challenge following the completion of the Global Final Demo Event in Singapore on October 18. The event, held at the Changi Exhibition Centre in Singapore, attracted hundreds of attendees, including media representatives from different regions, who were eager to see the latest solutions by the 15 finalists.
The finalists, who were selected from 687 proposals from 66 countries, demonstrated their cutting-edge tech solutions in two categories: “Inspiration for People” and “Inspiration for the Planet”. These categories reflect Oppo’s belief in “Virtuous Innovation”, which is supported by its partners Qualcomm, GSMA 5G IN, Amazon Web Services and LinkedIn.
Some of the amazing solutions that were presented include AI-powered speech therapy, an intelligent sleep aid tool, a new communication technology that is 100x more energy efficient compared to Bluetooth or WiFi and an affordable wearable ear device that helps people with congenital hearing loss again.
Read more: Innovation shines forth at Oppo’s Inspiration Challenge 2023
President of the Oppo Research Institute, Jasion Liao speaking during the finals of Oppo's Inspiration Challenge (Photo: Oppo)
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Jason Liao, president of the Oppo Research Institute, expressed his gratitude and appreciation to the partners and participants of the challenge. He said: “We have seen many innovative and cutting-edge solutions to several critical but overlooked social issues raised by start-ups from around the world. Together, through the Inspiration Challenge, we look forward to working with these teams to bring the power of virtuous innovation to all corners of the world.”
Liao shared how Oppo has collaborated with TangTang Quan, a winner from last year’s Inspiration Challenge to develop a blood glucose monitoring function for the Oppo Watch 4 Pro that allows diabetes patients to track their blood glucose levels in real-time using a customised smartwatch interface. This is a great example of how virtuous innovation can improve people’s lives and health.
Out of fifteen finalists, five winning projects were selected by a panel of judges from Oppo and its partners. The winners received a grant of US$50,000 each and opportunities to collaborate with Oppo and its partners to develop their ideas further.
Read more: Oppo Reno10 Pro+: Exploring Kuala Lumpur’s iconic landmarks through the lens of a smartphone
Above It wasn't an easy process but after going through 687 proposals, the 5 winning proposals were selected on October 18 in Singapore (Photo: Chong Jinn Xiung)
It wasn't an easy process but after going through 687 proposals, the 5 winning proposals were selected on October 18 in Singapore (Photo: Chong Jinn Xiung)
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The winning projects were:
- Aiverest (China): A contactless health monitoring technology allows users to track their physical health continuously.
- Bluepha (China): An eco-friendly packaging solution that uses bio-based biodegradable material to replace plastic in packaging.
- Orbit (US): A magnet-based 3D tracking technology that enables targeted operations that help save lives.
- Skitelight (China): A Perovskit MicroLED technology that allows for the creation of brighter displays that are suited for Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality applications.
- Woola (Estonia): A sustainable packaging solution that uses waste wool to replace plastic bubble wrap.
These projects demonstrated the depth of innovation the Oppo Inspiration Challenge nurtured and the potential to create a positive social impact.
Above The winners of the Media Choice award included innovators who created inexpensive hearing aids and paper battery technology (Photo: Chong Jinn Xiung)
The winners of the Media Choice award included innovators who created inexpensive hearing aids and paper battery technology (Photo: Chong Jinn Xiung)
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In addition, the Oppo Inspiration Challenge recognised two additional award categories: the People’s Choice and the Media Choice. The public voted the People’s Choice awards online, while a group of journalists and media professionals decided the Media Choice awards.
Eyelight’s wearable device for the visually impaired and Flint’s innovative paper battery technology took home the People’s Choice awards in the “Inspiration for People” and “Inspiration for the Planet” categories. Meanwhile, Backyard Creator’s non-surgical hearing device and Flint’s paper battery received the Media Choice award.
Oppo expressed its commitment to fostering innovation and creating positive social impact through technology. The Inspiration Challenge is one of the ways the company connects with technology professionals, entrepreneurs, and startup teams to develop and implement innovative solutions that benefit more people. Oppo said it will continue to support and collaborate with the winners and finalists of the challenge and launch more initiatives to inspire and empower the next generation of innovators.
