Standing wheelchair and notebook for the blind win prizes from Princess

New inventions for disabled people designed by two teams of students will be produced commercially.

The creations - a manual standing wheelchair invented by Thammasat University students and a notebook computer for the visually impaired by students from Prince of Songkhla University - won the second and third prize of the Student Design Challenge.

Singapore's Ngee Ann Polytechnic students won top prize for their Parkinson's patient mobility aids.

Prof Dr Pairash Thajchaya-pong, senior adviser for the National Science and Tech-nology Development Agency and chairman of the convention's working committee, is interested in developing both inventions and then producing them for sale.

"We will let experts check the engineering and quality and develop the inventions before producing them commercially," says Pairash.  

"I want as many people with physical disabilities to use our wheelchair as possible. It would be better if the government supported the commercial production and controlled the price," said Nirun Maipothi, 23, one of the inventors. Interested people or organisations can order the product directlyfrom Nirun.

Vorapol Thinnagonsutibut, one of the students who invented the laptop for the visually impaired, says his team will produce 17 model computers - 12 for the National Electronics and Computer Technology Centre and five for serving the blind at his university.

"I really want the notebook to be commercially produced because the costs will be much lower and more people can buy it," he says.

They received the awards from HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn at the International Convention for Rehabilitation Engineering & Assistive Technology (i-CREATe 2008).

Certificates and prize money of US$500 (Bt16,194), $300 and $100 were given to the first three teams respectively.

Prince of Songkhla Univer-sity's invention was also given the popular vote by competitors. The three winners beat 18 teams from Thailand, Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong.

The mobility aids help encourage those affected by Parkinsons to walk by following a laser guide, using a headset and a hand-held device.

The manual standing wheelchair helps people who are physically handicapped from waist down. It costs Bt15,000, while a standing wheelchair with an electric motor from Europe or the US costs Bt300,000.

The notebook computer has Thai and English processing support, a Braille keyboard and refreshable Braille display for the blind and costs Bt70,000.