Indian helps Kiwis take bronze at ‘Nerd Olympics’in Poland
By ANIFriday, July 9, 2010
AUCKLAND - An Indian has helped New Zealand to win the bronze medal at this year’s Nerd Olympics.
Vinny Kumar and three others — Kayo Lakadia, Steve Ward, Chanyeol Yoo-secured the 2010 Microsoft Imagine Cup.
The Auckland University engineering students helped New Zealand secure the best result at the prestigious event in Poland, stuff.co.nz reports.
Their entry in the software design category aimed to improve education in poverty-stricken regions by allowing the reception of digital learning materials using a radio, as opposed to a phone line or internet connection.
More than 300,000 students from more than 100 countries entered the event this year, and the success came as a shock to the team.
“We can’t begin to describe how shocked and excited we are,” said Vinny Kumar, team leader for Team OneBeep.
“The whole team is on a high. When you put this much into a competition you always dream of getting this far but even when it actually happens it never feels real. The most exciting thing though is that the recognition our project will gain will help us make a bigger difference in people’s lives,” he added.
The team will continue to develop the software in New Zealand in the hope of bringing it to market, and are working with Oxfam, OLPC and governments around the world. (ANI)
