The Scientific Senate of the Dan Voiculescu Foundation for the Development of Romania has selected the finalist projects from which the winner of the 10,000 lei prize for "Performance in Research and Innovation" will be chosen. A considerable number of students from 17 universities across the country participated in the competition initiated by the Dan Voiculescu Foundation for the Development of Romania. The Foundation is acting as an educational partner in support of the Students' Gala 2024, an event organised by the Romanian Students' Union, which has over 450,000 members.
The winner of the "Performance in Research and Innovation" award will be announced at 18:00 on 5 December at the Agora Events Center in Iasi. The award will be presented to the project that has demonstrated the most outstanding performance in the field of research and innovation. The three finalist projects have been selected based on their exceptional merit and are as follows:
- Theodor Radu Grumeza, student at the West University of Timisoara, Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science, has developed the SoundSight project, a technological solution designed to assist people with visual impairments. The assistive device improves user autonomy by integrating artificial intelligence and advanced image processing techniques.
- Team MAVIS Artificial Heart, comprising six talented young individuals—Bacușcă Alberto-Emanuel, Bunduc Ana-Maria, Gatman Robert, Onceanu Vlad, Pintilii Georgiana Otilia and Popovici Andreea—proposes a revolutionary project in the biomedical field. The students, who are enrolled at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Grigore T. Popa" in Iași, have developed an artificial heart that is the smallest in the world. This innovative device can be controlled through a mobile application.
- Codău Natanael, student at Ștefan cel Mare University in Suceava has devised an innovative project that converts encephalographic signals into digital commands. It has the potential to transform the lives of individuals with motor impairments and facilitate new avenues in the diagnosis of neurodegenerative disorders.
Additionally, the Dan Voiculescu Foundation for the Development of Romania will confer the "Academic Excellence" prize of 5,000 lei upon the student who has exhibited exemplary academic performance and serves as a model for their peers.
