CDIS Students Win at Intel Science Fair

The multi-cultural team of Xue Lai (China), Hyun Ki Lee (Korea), and Darren Lim (Singapore) designed a touch-screen computer which was first displayed at a preliminary Intel fair held at Tianjin International School.  They described their project, titled "Heuristical Multi-Touch Interface Data Transfer", as a "portable and power saving alternative to Microsoft's Surface Computer".  Originally built to impress their friends, the trio claims their computer is cheaper, faster, and smaller than Microsoft's because it uses a different technology to detect touch.

 

This year's Intel International Science and Engineering Fair hosted more than 1,500 contestants entering individual and group projects in 17 categories.  About one-third of the contestants received 1st through 4th place awards.  The CDIS team (aged 15, 16, and 17) was one of eight team projects to receive a first place award.  Of these, two teams went on to receive higher awards.

 

Xue, Hyun Ki, and Darren have only written a few programs for their computer so far, but they have plans for more.  One program is designed to recognize the shape of objects placed on the touch screen.  By expanding the number of objects the screen will recognize, they believe the practical uses of the computer can be multiplied.  The young men plan to register a patent on one of their concepts.

 

The students donated their $3,000 prize to earthquake relief work in China's Sichuan Province.