photo opportunity at the Applied Computing Division, University of Dundee on Tuesday 18th June 2002 at 12:45pm. for the prizegiving by Mary, Countess of Strathmore and to see some of the wearable computers made by the pupils to illustrate their ideas.
It seems that computers are cropping up everywhere in our lives, and now we may be getting to carry them in our clothes, if systems demonstrated at the annual Strathmore Trophy competition being held at the University of Dundee's Applied Computing Division come to fruition. In the competition, the pupils were asked to explore the possibilities of what wearable computers might look like, and how they might be useful for their wearers. Dr Catriona Macaulay, lecturer on the University's new Interactive Media Design degree programme, introduced the competition by gave the students their design brief for the competition.
13 teams from 6 secondary schools from across the region from Kinross to Montrose took part in the competition, hoping to collect the Strathmore Trophy and £100 worth of computer equipment for their school. Mary, Countess of Strathmore, who donated the magnificent trophy for the competition, was on hand to award the trophy to the winners. Other prizes included computer software, cinema tickets and book tokens.
Lecturer Iain Murray, one of the organisers, said "With the ever shrinking size of computers, it is inevitable that we will end up wearing them too. The pupils have demonstrated some very original ways in which these computers could be used to great effect by the wearer, who might not even be aware that the computer is there". The Strathmore Trophy competition is held annually by Applied Computing to get local school pupils thinking about applications of computer technology to help people and is now in its seventh year.
Update -
The Strathmore Trophy was won by Montrose Academy in their first year in
the competition, for their "Baby Belt" design to make life easier for
expectant mothers - shoes which vacuumed and massaged the feet as you walk completed
their fashion ensemble! Runners up were Arbroath High School, with Kinross High
School in 3rd place.
For further information, please contact:
Dr. Iain Murray,
Applied Computing Division, University of Dundee.
(01382) 344155 Fax: (01382) 345509
e-mail: irmurray@computing.dundee.ac.uk