ROC inventors shine at Malaysia invention fair

2015-04-22

Young inventors from Taiwan won seven golds, six silvers and three special awards at the International Engineering Invention and Innovation Exhibition April 17-19 at the University of Malaysia Perlis.

The result ranked Taiwan third among the 15 countries and territories participating in the annual event, behind only the host country and Indonesia. A total of 450 submissions from 1,000 individuals aged 6-25 worldwide battled it out for top honors.

Hsieh Man-li, secretary-general of Taipei City-based World Invention and Intellectual Property Associations, said the nation’s strong showing underscores the ingenuity and innovation of Taiwan’s youth. ‘We expect this praiseworthy performance to inspire more young people to bring their ideas to life and test them on the international stage.”

Among the gold medalists, SmartTire is an automatic monitoring and warning system jointly developed by Shiao Chi-wei, a National Taiwan University junior majoring in electrical engineering, and his sister Shiao Chi-shan, a student from Taipei Municipal First Girls’ High School.

Employing radio frequency identification technology and operating without a battery, the compact system provides real-time detection of tire-wear and advanced warning at low cost with high accuracy. It also collected the best market potential award and one of three cash prizes.

According to Shiao Chi-wei, patents are pending for the system in a number of markets, with plans for commercialization in the pipeline. “Burst tires are a common cause of car accidents, and while pressure monitors are available, most people still rely on visual estimation to determine whether replacements are needed,” he said.

Another gold-winning creation, Jack and his Magic Egg, is a collaboration among five students from New Taipei Municipal Zhong He Senior High School. The team drilled a small opening in an egg, drew out the contents and filled it with agar, resulting in the creation of a low-maintenance vegetable pot.

“Many countries face food shortages because the soil cannot retain water or nutrients,” team member Kang Chun-yu said. “Our device may very well provide a solution to the problem.”

The biggest Taiwan educational institution winner at the event was Hsinchu City-based Yuanpei University of Medical Technology, with its students claiming four golds, four silvers and one special award.

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=229552&CtNode=413)