UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON STUDENTS’ PROTOTYPE APPS HELP SAVE LIVES AND ENABLE ARTISTIC COLLABORATION

Students of University of Southampton Malaysia Campus are getting noticed for their innovative ideas. Just recently, two teams of students were chosen to present at the finals of the Microsoft Imagine Cup 2016, a global student technology programme competition that is soon happening in Melaka, this 12-14 April. For most students, it’s their first time to compete in a major contest but for the team’s mentor, this has been ongoing for the past years. ‘’It’s a part of our culture and programme that teaches students engineering and creativity through actively participating in events and competitions such as this,’’ said PhD research student Ivan Ling. With the global market for mobile applications expected to increase in tandem with rising mobile phone sales, the teams together with their mentor have identified some applications that could address the future ageing population, and boost the music industry of Malaysia. Wearable device helps people live longer and better One in five Malaysians die of heart attack before receiving treatment from the hospital, according to the country’s National Heart Institute. It’s a disconcerting statistic that a team of students of the University of Southampton Malaysia Campus is trying to lower.    

Lai Teng Kang, Chang Jun Kang, Seow Ji Feng, and Octson Hill Dollick Jr collaborated to design a prototype app meant to help the elderly and heart patients who are living alone.

‘’As a human being, I can empathise how difficult it can be to be living on your own, especially when you’re old and suffering from heart complications. We hope that this app could help improve lives,’’ says Octson.

KoKoro is similar to some health fitness apps as it features a built-in heart rate monitor whilst its matching strap discreetly captures the wearer’s pulse at any time. Furthermore, it reminds the wearer to take his medication on time,

What makes it handier is that KoKoro is equipped with GPS and in the event of an abnormal heart rate, an emergency alert is sent to the nearest healthcare provider. This important feature ensures that the wearer gets to receive medical attention faster.

‘’In cases of emergency, this can provide patients with a sense of ease since help will be on the way,’’ added Teng Kang.

Music app enables on-line, real-time collaboration

On a different beat, people who would rather create music than just listening to them will have something to look forward to. A team of music-loving students: Sean-Michael Morais, Jin Yi Yong, Ravivarma Vikneswaren, and Jin Kang Yong created a prototype app called Muse, a name that was coined from a Greek goddess who is the source of inspiration for artists.

The app’s interface enables users to share and collaborate on tracks both simultaneously and asynchronously, making music composition with anyone in the world much easier.

‘’Muse aims to make composing songs really easy, if your Internet connection is good enough, musicians can collaborate with other musicians wherever they are,’’ said Michael.

Unlike other music collaborating apps, Muse comes with an additional feature that could be beneficial for budding artists. ‘’A distinctive element of this app is that it enables users to receive instant feedback from their online listeners. This feature helps musicians to hone and improve their art, market their brand of music, as well as build and connect with their audience,’’ he added.