This sucks. Microsoft’s Imagine Cup is an annual student challenge to tackle major issues with technology, but this year’s Australian team have been knocked-out of the finals in the US. Qantas lost their headset that turns thoughts into words — and the wheelchair it controls — and couldn’t deliver them until after the presentation to judges.
The Aussie team from the University of Canberra showed a video of the system in full operation, and used a backup headset that “stopped working after a while.” However, it seems that “the demonstration didn’t turn out well.”
Jon Perera, general manager of Microsoft’s Education Strategy and Marketing Group was sympathetic, but business-like: “If you’re going to the Olympics of technology you carry your laptop in your hand on the airplane with you so it doesn’t get lost.” I guess you can’t really shove a wheel chair into the overhead locker, though. [News.com.au]Image: Life@Microsoft Australia, Flickr