RESULTS OF THE FIRST IEEE BIO-TECH APPLICATIONS CONTEST
                                                                  January 30, 1999


The First IEEE Bio-Tech Applications Contest, with other similar events planned in the future, provide undergraduate students with an opportunity to develop and present a concept using Electrical, Electronic, Biomedical, and/or Electro-Optics to assist a person's disability - or to improve a person's ability to manage tasks that usually require assistance. This event took place January 30, 1999 at CSULB, Long Beach and was hosted by CSULB Biomedical Engineering Program (For details concerning organization, see announcements at
https://www.engr.csulb.edu/~bme). LAC Committee members: Kip Haggerty, Bruce Angwin, Donald Gidding, Frank Stankis, John Armstrong and the host Chris Druzgalski served as a panel of judges. Bruce Angwin eloquently summarized deliberations of the Committee and provided participants and observers with useful hints and suggestions.

The first place was awarded to Amy Thompson, for her entry "Emergency Response Support System for Ventilators". The second place was awarded to James Wang,  for his project "Implementing a Voice Recognition Elevator Control System". A presentation of a working prototype of "Electronic Device for the Blind" by Renato L.M. de Azevedo was recognized as an honorable entry. The prizes and awards (1st place -$1000, 2nd place - $500) are presented at the National Engineers Week Banquet held February 27.

The contest was sponsored by: IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology, and Circuits and Systems/Electron Devices Los Angeles Council Chapters and the Communications/Signal Processing Joint Chapter. The IEEE LAC South Bay Section provided support and sponsorship.

For more information concerning other IEEE/BME activities contact Biomedical Engineering Society at bme@engr.csulb.edu, or Dr. Chris Druzgalski at druz@csulb.edu, or call (562) 985 5873.