CS PhD Student Wenxin Feng Wins ALS Assistive Technology Challenge
BU Computer Science PhD student Wenxin Feng belongs to one of two teams that won the international ALS Assistive Technology Challenge by the ALS Association and Price4Life. The $400,000 award was given last week in a ceremony in Dublin, Ireland.
Wenxin’s team was praised for developing “unique and innovative technologies” and having the “promising potential for offering life altering communication solutions for people living with ALS.”
With her team Dexter Ang, David Cipoletta, Julia Zhu, and Kyle Connors and their startup Pison Technology, Wenxin is creating a “motionless communication and control system for people with ALS and other neuromuscular conditions. It will allow a person with little to no movement ability to have full control of a laptop, a phone, and home robotics 24/7. The wearable sensors provide a real-time look into a person’s nervous system to help neurologists and pharmaceutical companies track electromyography (EMG) muscle strength on a daily basis. The prototype has been successfully tested on people who have no ability to move and will be used in clinical trials at Massachusetts General Hospital and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.” Wenxin is responsible for designing and implementing the interaction software.
http://www.alsa.org/news/media/press-releases/assist-tech-winners-120716.html
Awareness of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) has been promoted through the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge which went viral on Facebook in 2014, resulting in millions of donations.
Congratulations Wenxin for your wonderful achievement!