For the fourth time, Vodafone recognised the merit and innovation of Técnico students in Mobile Networks and Internet of Things, on 4 June, in the North Tower of Técnico – Alameda campus. The company, a member of the Técnico Partner Network, awarded the eDose project, developed by the Electrical and Computer Engineering master’s students David Fernandes and Jaime Aguiar, among five finalist projects.

The eDose project aims to address the difficulty in ensuring that elderly people take their medication, helping carers manage the correct taking of medication.
The team has developed an application that allows the customisation, scheduling, and collection of information on the taking and organisation of medication.

The winners of the award, worth 1,800 euros, consider it “a recognition of their work”. The group thanked the jury for their feedback and suggestions for improving the project. The session also included the presentation of four other finalist projects related to Mobile Networks and the Internet of Things.

The CoolRay project, developed by Daniel Dinis and Diogo Costa, aims to respond to the problem of solar panels overheating. It’s an application that lets you know various panel parameters, especially the temperature record. When the temperature rises too high – which can affect the effectiveness of the panels – CoolRay triggers a cooling tool that cools the panel with water.

Guilherme Freitas and João Rodrigues sought to offer a solution for hydroponic irrigation in urban environments with GreenThumb. The application monitors water, temperature, sunlight, and other parameters, enabling the irrigation system to be activated remotely whenever necessary.

Gil Beirão and Margarida Lourenço presented Smart Lock: a padlock system that only authorised or authenticated people can open. The application allows entries and exits to be recorded, as well as the users who have access to the door.

Miguel Lourenço and Tiago Costa’s proposal – Smart Waste – aims to respond to the problem of contamination of our ecosystem by urban rubbish by offering a solution for urban waste management. The team has created an app and a device with sensors that, when placed inside rubbish bins, collect data on the filling level, temperature, humidity, and air quality, among other features.

Pedro Amaral, the Vice-President of Técnico for Corporate Interface, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, attended the session and emphasised the importance of the award and the partnership with Vodafone: “This award is proof of the innovation being created at Técnico and it’s always exciting to see our students’ creations.”

Rui Gomes, Manager Access Implementation & Tools at Vodafone, said he was “very happy to be present at this Merit Award”, as it was “always good to reward innovation”.

The technology communications company also donated 1,200 euros to the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (DEEC) to improve the quality of teaching and learning in the Mobile Networks and Internet of Things curricular unit. José Santos-Victor, Head of DEEC, thanked Vodafone and congratulated the students: “You’re all winners, it’s always interesting to see innovation. Your willingness to look for a solution when presented with a problem is particularly relevant; you’re on the right track to changing the world and making it a better place.” António Grilo, the professor responsible for the curricular unit, recognised that “this initiative makes the learning process more fun and motivating”.