June 15, 2012 –
Friedman, left, helps Henry Samueli give the glove a test run. (Photo: Jen Baumgartner, Broadcom Foundation)
Biomedical engineering graduate student Nizan Friedman was one of 12 student finalists from around the world invited to present his research last week at the inaugural Broadcom Foundation University Research Competition.
Held at the Irvine Hyatt Regency hotel during the semiconductor manufacturer’s annual technical conference, the competition offered $17,500 in prizes. The Broadcom Foundation’s mandate is to advance education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Friedman presented “MusicGlove: A Music-Based Hand Rehabilitation Device,” an interactive project he frequently demonstrates in CALIT2’s eHealth Collaboratory.
Developed under the guidance of UCI engineering professors Mark Bachman and David Reinkensmeyer, MusicGlove helps reduce long-term hand impairment caused by stroke, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury and other conditions. The glove, which is outfitted with sensors that generate musical notes, encourages users to exercise their hand by tapping out popular tunes with their fingertips.
All 12 finalists at the competition shared their projects with the crowd of more than 400 conference attendees. They discussed the future application of their research, including how it could improve lives and contribute to society. The finalists represented 10 universities: UCLA, Stanford, Michigan, UC Irvine, UC Davis, UC San Diego, Texas A&M, Oregon State, China’s Tsinghua University and Italy’s University of Pavia.
“The Broadcom Foundation research competition provided an amazing chance to showcase my work to industry and research leaders from around the world,” Friedman said. “More importantly, it gave me the opportunity to interact with, connect with, and learn from these influential individuals.”
— Anna Lynn Spitzer
