HYDERABAD: L V Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) hosted the 6th edition of Engineering the Eye Hackathon (ETE6) from July 4 to 8. Over 20 teams showcased the outcome of their creative minds that were built in 72 hours to shape the future of healthcare service providers. At this year’s edition of the Engineering the Eye Hackathon, 15 unique problem statements were provided to the students by the clinician faculty at LVPEI.
Out of these problem statements, eight were shortlisted for final presentation to the jury. The winner of the three finalists was an innovative idea for an endoscope to diagnose Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) in pre-term babies, mentored by Dr Subhadra Jalali. Every year, ETE brings together a unique opportunity for innovators to delve into the possibilities of building solutions for eye healthcare problems.
LVPEI provides a platform for young minds to see their innovations go from prototype to product in the hands of the target audience through this annual event. Since 2013, the LVPEI Center for Innovation has hosted five editions of Engineering the Eye resulting in breakthrough innovations. ETE6 focused on the path to exponential innovation for equitable eye care.
In this edition, the 6Ds of exponential innovation – Design Thinking, Disruptive, Deceptive, Dematerialise, Demonetise and Democratise were applied to bring out next-gen solutions from participants. LVPEI Center for Innovation’s FITTLE team received the 2018 D&AD Wood Pencil, one of the most prestigious awards in design. The idea behind FITTLE was first conceived by Tania Jain, a designer from the National Institute of Design in Gandhinagar.