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Create technology to empower individuals living with various conditions and disabilities.
Technology for Living is now accepting applications from individuals and teams for the Simon Cox Student Design Competition – a design challenge to enhance the quality of life for people with physical challenges.
As participants of the 2024 Simon Cox Student Design Competition, teams will have access to several benefits; including access to Technology for Living PEERS, Biomedical Engineering Technologists and Innovation Strategist, to help validate their project. Along with the support of Technology for Living, teams will have the opportunity to win cash prizes totalling $7,500!
Participant Criteria
Competition Stage Round One
Video by April 12, 2024
All participating teams must provide a video presentation by April 12, 2024 as well as any other information they feel is relevant to provide judges a thorough understanding of their project. Students do not need to have completed their project by this date, they need to send us information as to where they are as well as the improvements that will be made by the presentation date. Based on the information provided, judges will select a number of teams to enter into the second round of competition. These selected teams will each receive a $250 award for being a competition finalist and will present their final project in front of a judging panel April 27, 2024 to compete in the final prize categories.
All teams, not only finalist teams, will have a space to showcase their project at the live event on April 27, 2024 and will be eligible for the Peer’s Choice Award. Teams are required to let the Simon Cox Student Design Competition Committee know that they would like a free booth to display their project at the event.
Prizes winners will be announced on April 27, 2024 at the live event and a YouTube video will be released on May 6, 2024.
Judging Criteria
Submitted projects must be related to Assistive Technology and Home Automation, benefiting people with disabilities, and will be judged on the following criteria:
- Innovation (originality of design concept)
- Demonstrates useful benefit for persons with disabilities
- Technical expertise of the working model
- Quality of presentation
- Inclusion of Peers
If the project is a continuation of a project previously entered in a Simon Cox Design Competition, the previous version of the project will be taken into consideration during judging. Should a previous version of the project have won a Simon Cox Design Competition award, the current version will be ineligible to win a prize.
Students showcase their designs to a live and virtual audience, gaining access to contacts and connections to start a career in assistive technology. All entries are posted and promoted on the Simon Cox Design competition website and through social media.
Competition Stage Round Two
Final Presentations and Awards April 27, 2024, Blusson Spinal Cord Centre
Finalist teams (determined during Round One) will present their project to the judging panel, and other interested PEERs, on April 27, 2024. Finalist teams will be given 15-20 minutes to present/demo their project. Judges and attendees will ask necessary follow up questions after the presentation or at the teams project booth.
Finalist teams that are not based in Metro Vancouver, will have the opportunity to completed their final presentation virtually, upon approval from the Simon Cox Student Design Competition Committee.
After watching the finalists presentations, the judging panel will select the award winners for the 2024 Simon Cox Student Design Competition.
*Finalist teams must host a project booth, with the exception of non-local teams, where they will have the ability to demonstrate their projects and answer any questions from judges, PEERs, and attendees. Project booths will be available to all competition teams, not only finalists, and all teams are eligible to win the $1500 Peer’s Choice Award as voted on at a Pathways to Independence meeting.
To ensure there is space for attending teams to showcase their projects, teams are required to let the Simon Cox Student Design Competition Committee know they will be attending.
Awards
- Simon Cox Principal Award (1st): $3,000
- Achievement Award (2nd): $2,000
- Innovation Award (3rd): $1,000
- Peers’ Choice Award (as voted on by persons with disabilties): $1,500
Final Presentation
This year we will be showcasing the final results of the competition virtually. Stay tuned for more information.
Important Dates 2023
September 2023 / February 2024
Technology for Living peers and TIL team members will reach out to all student teams to offer support. The use of peers is highly encouraged in the design and development of the project and will be one factor taken into consideration by the judging panel.
February 13, 2024
Final day to submit the completed application form below is February 13, 2024.
Each team member is required to download and submit a ‘Simon Cox Student Design Competition Consent & Release’ form by February 13, 2024 via email. You must be a student of a BC academic institution.
April 12, 2024
A video submission presenting the project must be received by April 12, 2024. The video must be 2-5 minutes in length and should keep in mind the competition criteria. The video should include your projects technical information, how it benefits people with disabilities, how much you’ve worked with PEERs, what improvements will be made to the project by the final presentation date of April 27, 2024 and any other information you feel is relevant to the judges understanding of your project.
Please upload your video submission to YouTube and provide us with the link to your submission. The purpose of this video submission is to assess projects and select which teams will move onto the final round of the competition.
April 16, 2024
Teams will be notified if they will be participating in Round Two.
April 27, 2024
This year’s event will take place at the Blusson Spinal Cord Centre on 818-W 10th Ave, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9.
All teams are invited to make use of a table or an area to display and demonstrate their project entries.
May 4, 2024
At 10am the YouTube video of the event will be released.
All applicants need to download, fill out and submit the two forms applications below.
Students are encouraged to take photos or videos of their projects throughout the competition and forward them to the organizers with their final submission.