News & Media

Smart hearing aid idea wins WiSys Innovation in Aging student competition

GREEN BAY—An idea for a hearing aid that can sense your pulse and call 911 if you have a health emergency won the WiSys Innovation in Aging student competition on March 4.

The annual student idea competition challenges UW-Green Bay students to create innovative solutions to combat hardships and improve quality of life for aging populations.

UW-Green Bay students Denny Christoff, Logan Holbrook, James Kaat, Joshua Mendez and Katelyn Desrochers presented the winning solution that the team named “G-Pods.”

The students will split a $1,000 prize.

SECOND PLACE

Team “KeepNTouch,” made up of Jada Taylor, Hannah Bunde, Maria Piotrowski, Maria Arunkumar and Katelyn Wiegel won second place for a solution to combat loneliness and social isolation.

The team’s KeepNTouch idea is a simple social media application that allows the aging population to connect and “keep in touch” with their family and friends.

The group will split a $500 prize.

THIRD PLACE

“Get-a-Grip,” an idea for a small hand-held device that allows those with diminished hand strength to grip everyday items such as brooms and cooking utensils more comfortably, took third place in the competition.

Jenna Bares, Isabel Taubel, Montana Fallin and Kenzie Carlson presented the idea and will split a $250 prize.

Overall, nine student teams, which received mentoring from UW-Green Bay faculty and community members in the weeks leading up to the event, competed.

Innovation in Aging is a partnership between WiSys, the UW-Green Bay College of Health, Education and Social Welfare and the UW-Green Bay Gerontology Center

WiSys is a nonprofit organization that works with faculty, staff, students, and alumni of the UW System to facilitate cutting-edge research programs, develop and commercialize discoveries and foster a spirit of innovative and entrepreneurial thinking across the state.