Sofia-Maria Bud, Abel-Dumitru Burduhos, Alexandru-Marius Chira, Felix Crișan, Armand Farkas and Maria-Teodora Pescaru are the teenagers who developed the Palmsy App, a device dedicated to blind people, helping them to be independent when it comes to orientation and reading text that is not displayed in Braille. In addition, the device provides vital safety functionality and protects users from imminent danger.
The six inventors are students in the 10th, 11th and 12th grades and come from several schools in Cluj-Napoca, namely the "Tiberiu Popoviciu" High School of Computer Science, the "Emil Racoviță" National High School, the "Nicolae Bălcescu" High School and the "Lucian Blaga" High School.
The teenagers say they met at the "Discover Your Passion in IT" Academy and formed the team there, mentored by Sorin Ionuț Băjenaru from Bosch Romania.
"We first thought about what niche we would like to choose. It took about a month and we decided to focus on the blind people, and then we started thinking about how we could help them," says Felix Crișan, who is also the team leader.
Team members also met with students from the High School for the Visually Impaired in Cluj-Napoca to see what difficulties they face in everyday life. That's how "Palmsy", a multi-component device that uses Artificial Intelligence (AI), came into existence. The youngsters explained that Palmlsy has a video camera placed on the head, a battery-operated motherboard and a glove that has 6 built-in motors, representing the standard Braille pattern. The whole algorithm is based on Artificial Intelligence. The students even thought about the safety of the blind. For example, one of the algorithms warns the blind of imminent danger, such as a speeding car or bicycle.
"The camera scans both objects and text. If the text is relevant, it will be translated into Braille. Then the six motors will vibrate in the palm of the blind person's hand, allowing them to <> the text," explained the creators of the Palmsy app.
The Cluj students' device has the same purpose as others invented so far, namely to help the visually impaired.
"Palmsy has been designed not to be a replacement for the white stick, but a device that offers extra help to visually impaired people, encouraging independence and improving their autonomy," the young people added.
The young people also want to conclude a protocol with the Special High School for the Visually Impaired in Cluj-Napoca.
With a focus on diversity and inclusion, the "100 Youngsters for Romania's Development" campaign recognises that each young person is unique and has a valuable contribution to make to the development of society. Whether they are entrepreneurs, researchers, artists, community leaders or social activists, the young people selected in this campaign represent a force that reflects the richness and vitality of the Romanian people.
By promoting examples of success and providing resources and support, the campaign aims to create an enabling environment for young people to reach their full potential and realise their dreams and aspirations. From encouraging entrepreneurship and innovation to supporting education and culture, the campaign acts as a catalyst for change and progress across the country.
Registration for the "100 Youngsters for Romania's Development" campaign can be made at fundatiadanvoiculescu.ro.
