These Software Ideas for a Better Future Were Dreamed Up by Students

What does it take to change the world? Divij Motwani (pictured below), a sixth-grade student from Autrey Mill Middle School in Atlanta, has an idea on how to improve the world for the visually impaired.

That idea won top honors in the first Honeywell STEM Challenge at Georgia Tech, which was the final phase of the STEM Teacher Leadership Program, sponsored by Honeywell Hometown Solutions. Through the program, teachers have been learning how to integrate software education into their classrooms. For this competition, their middle and high school students were challenged to develop coding innovations that could make a difference in society.

When his team was announced as the winner, Divij and his teammate Pettrus Konnoth pumped their fists as they ran to the stage to collect their prize.

Here are the results of the competition:

First Prize - Blind Sight

School: Autrey Mills Middle School

Grade: Sixth

Teacher: Sharon McGee

The idea: Create an object-detection device for the visually impaired.

How it will work: Equip an ordinary belt with sensors and sounds to notify users how far away an object is.

Why it’s innovative: “The belt is lightweight, easy to use and can detect objects from any range,” said student Divij Motwani, whose inspiration for the project was his uncle, who is blind.

Second Prize - Seatbelt Dispenser

School: Coleman Middle School

Grade: Seventh

Teacher: La Shandia Hill

The idea: Help the elderly and physically impaired more easily fasten their seatbelts

How it will work: At the touch of a button, a motorized dispenser attached to the side of the car seat spools the seatbelt to within a passenger’s reach.

Why it’s innovative: “My grandparents won’t have to reach far to grab the seatbelt,” said student Praneeth Merugu. “They’ll be more willing to use their seatbelts.”

Third Prize - S.A.M. (School Authentication Monitoring)

School: Coleman Middle School

Grade: Seventh

Teacher: LaShandia Hill

The idea: Prevent intruders from unauthorized entry into a school, home or other buildings

How it will work: The intruder detection system uses RFID technology to identify and allow only authorized personnel to enter a building.

Why it’s innovative: “We don’t want dangerous people entering our schools,” said student Riley Hasenstab. “School personnel will know in an instant whether or not someone is unauthorized.”