Engineering Team Earns Honors for Game Design in Microsoft Competition

MELBOURNE, FLA.—Florida Institute of Technology’s first-semester senior project team, “1, 2, 3, 4,” in the College of Engineering, received an Honorable Mention at the Imagine Cup USA 2011, a student technology competition sponsored by Microsoft. The theme was to imagine a world where technology helps solve the toughest problems. It was centered on the eight United Nations Millennium Development Goals, which include to achieve primary education for everyone.

The group members are computer science majors Nicholas Baldwin, Ryan Knee and Stephanie Drinks, and software engineering major Ryan Small. Their faculty adviser is Philip Chan, associate professor, Department of Computer Sciences. The group was among the more than 74,000 students in the United States that participated this year. The competitions were in software design, game design, embedded development, digital media and Windows Phone 7.

The group’s goal was to develop a fun, learning-based game for children that are unable to receive primary education in underdeveloped countries. The game will teach children to count whole numbers using indigenous animals and objects, a webcam and motion detection.

  The Imagine Cup started in 2003 to draw in young technical innovators to create projects that solve world challenges. Through the event, Microsoft creates opportunities for young people to inspire creativity and world consciousness while gaining real-life experiences. Its first year attracted 1,000 participants. Last year, there were more than 325,000 competitors from 100 countries worldwide. Worldwide finalists travel to a different country every year. Past host countries include Brazil, Japan, Spain, France, India and South Korea.