Dental Apprentices Innovate for Healthier Backhand
Pupils' Innovative Project: Developing VR Glasses to combat Phobias from Pforzheim
A group of ambitious dental apprentices from the Ludwig-Erhard School, Emilia Klink, Patricia Pomana, Clara Schmal, and Anna-Lena Klaiber, experienced a common predicament: daily back pain from their hunched work posture in dentistry. Driven by this issue, they hatched an idea during an Innovation Workshop - an intelligent, adjustable chair controlled via an app, complete with a corrective vibration feature.
Empowering the Youth, One Idea at a Time
This workshop is part of the Start-up BW Young Talents program, which annually inspires around 70 schools to turn everyday troubles into profitable business solutions. The project fosters youth independence, funded by the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labor, and Tourism and coordinated by the SIE - Software Innovation Education Steinbeis GmbH.
In the quartet of young innovators, aged between 18 to 21, the project proved a huge success, sparking their entrepreneurial spirit. They aimed to make the intelligent chair useful for both dental practices and office workers.
Pitching the SmartAssist Chair to Win
Impressed by their three-minute presentation, the SmartAssist team clinched first place at the Ludwig-Erhard School competition. However, their journey didn't end there; they had to compete against the other Baden-Württemberg school winners for the state final, according to Lukas Kresser from SIE. The jury evaluated the ideas based on their degree of innovation and the quality of their application.
VR Therapy for Phobias and Traumas
The SmartAssist team isn't the only impressive group from the Ludwig-Erhard School. Carlotta Reisert, Marie Pilz, Lukas Luong, and Damian Hornfeldt from the 9th grade at the Reuchlin-Gymnasium will also compete in the state final. Their revolutionary idea is a VR headset to monitor and treat traumas or phobias, such as fear of spiders. The headset would be used to gradually expose patients to their fears using VR images, reducing the need for real-life therapeutic aids.
The VR-Therapy group is thrilled to qualify for the state final but plans to complete their Abitur before pursuing independence. The SmartAssist team harbors a similar ambition - producing and marketing their intelligent chair. Winning the national final and claiming the €500 prize money would be an excellent step in that direction, says Anna-Lena Klaiber.
Facing the Future
If they don't win the grand prize, the teams are hopeful for productive conversations with potential investors at the summit. The VR-Therapy and SmartAssist teams have already designed drawings and flyers in their spare time to showcase their ideas. The SIE offers follow-up programs like the 'Youth starts' competition, should the students wish to continue their ventures.
As Clara Schmäl puts it, "Even if our ideas don't lead to startups, this experience will undoubtedly prove invaluable for us if we aspire to become independent in the future."
Insights into the Future of Smart Furniture and Health Technology
The SmartAssist team's project reflects the broader trend of integrating technology into furniture to address health issues like back pain. Potential advancements in smart chairs may include more sophisticated user interfaces, AI algorithms, health data integration, accessibility features, and collaboration with healthcare professionals for studies on effectiveness. However, addressing affordability and exploring applications in various settings could pose significant challenges.
- In the spirit of harnessing artificial-intelligence and other technology, the SmartAssist team plans to pursue the production and marketing of their intelligent chair, aiming to improve the work posture of dental practitioners and office workers alike.
- Embracing the intersection of education-and-self-development and online-learning, the VR-Therapy group has developed an innovative VR headset intended to treat traumas or phobias, such as fear of spiders, through gradual exposure to VR images in a virtual environment.
- The success of the SmartAssist and VR-Therapy teams at the Ludwig-Erhard School serves as a testament to the positive impact of the Start-up BW Young Talents program in fostering entrepreneurial spirit and turning everyday troubles into profitable business solutions for the realms of technology, education-and-self-development, and health.
