Tran Dang Khoa and his smart helmet. — Photo thanhnien.vn

Tran Dang Khoa, a second-year student from the Industrial University of HCM City’s Automation Faculty, is one such student.

For the past three years, Khoa has run a smart helmet project, and now he wants to use his market to reduce drink-driving accidents.

“Every year, a great number of traffic accidents happen and many of them are related to beer and alcohol. I want to do something to limit the problem,” said Khoa.

The helmet features equipment to determine whether the driver is drunk or not. Then it will deliver warning signals, locate the driver’s position and inform his/her family to pick him/her up via text message.

Khoa said the helmet also has equipment to discover whether the driver is wearing a helmet or not. If not, the helmet will deliver a signal so the motorbike cannot be started.

The helmet also has other function such as theft prevention, giving warnings to turn on lights.

“I calculate to minimise the electric source on the helmet, so it’s totally safe for users. It also do not cause any inconvenience for the driver,” said Khoa.

At present, Khoa is conducting further research to complete his product.

During the past three years, Khoa has brought his helmet to five competitions; hoping experts would contribute ideas to help him improve his product.

Khoa won third prize in a start-up competition launched by the HCM City National University.

Ngo Thanh Quyen, head of the Automation Faculty under the Industrial University of HCM City, said Khoa’s product was useful and could bring a lot of benefits to users.

It would help reduce traffic accidents caused by alcohol, he said.

“Support from authorities is needed to bring the product into the market,” said Quyen.

The team and their mattress which gained the first prize in the Engineering Projects in Community Service competition held recently in HCM City. — Photo giaoduc.net.vn

Intelligent mattress for patients

An intelligent mattress helps patients with difficulties moving and can be adjusted based on the patients’ needs without help from others.

It is the initiative of a group of students including Nguyen Quoc Thanh Giao, Ho Hoang Minh Chinh, Dinh Nhan, Vo Van Quoc, Tran Thi Minh Khue and Le Thi Thu Hien, from Da Nang University of Science and Technology.

Quoc, 20, said he was inspired by the difficulties his grandmother experienced in caring for his sick grandfather.

“The most difficult work is changing my grandfather’s lying position. My grandmother is not strong enough, and must call several other people to help,” said Quoc.

Quoc shared his idea with his friends, and his team created the intelligent mattress.

For two months, they went to the Lien Chieu District Medical Station and the Da Nang General Hospital to study patients’ and their families’ difficulties. They found many patients could not change their lying position.

Once a week, after creating one more function for the mattress, the team brought their product to the hospital to collect ideas from patients.

The mattress is divided into three parts matching the patient’s head, body and legs. It has equipment measuring body temperature and humidity, a control system with different buttons and a screen. The patient can change their position by pressing the buttons.

The mattress won first prize in the Engineering Projects in Community Service competition held recently in HCM City.

The team said the most difficult element was designing the mattress’s frame.

After studying, the team met their teachers for further guidance and they often worked overnight to complete one idea.

Dinh Nhan, one member, said, “Many times the team intended to give up because of the difficulties we faced. But then the patients encouraged us much,” he said.

Ho Nhat Tuyen, 33, who takes her sick mother at the Da Nang General Hospital, said, “If the mattress is produced, I’ll surely buy one. Old people, especially ones in long-term treatment, will feel comfortable with the mattress.”

Ngo Dinh Thanh, a lecturer of the Da Nang University of Science and Technology, said the team was made up of creative first-year students.

“Their idea and implementation is very good, but we need a long-term period to apply the product in real life. If the team receives support from manufacturers and health experts, the products will be better,” he said.