Kiwi imagination yields winning solution

What happens when radio and and data collide? OneBeep's invention allows files, applications and documents to be sent as audio via broadcast radio. Photo / Amos Chapple

Us Kiwis are a creative bunch, from inventing what was arguably the worlds first airplane, through to splitting the atom, New Zealanders have boxed well above their weight in global creativity stakes.

This trend looks set to continue, thanks to a team of imaginative kiwi inventors who've been selected to represent New Zealand in the 8th annual Microsoft Imagine Cup.

Essentially the worlds biggest technology competition, over 300,000 students in 142 countries are competing to develop technologies that may help crack some of the key conundrums facing the world today.

After numerous local elimination rounds, Team "OneBeep" was selected out of 4 finalist teams, scooping victory after a 15-minute presentation to a panel of 7 judges.

Drawing on the hugely successful One Laptop Per Child initiative (which has seen over 1.4 million low-cost laptops deployed in developing countries), Team OneBeep developed a clever method of overcoming the lack of internet connectivity in developing countries that has been a key obstacle in getting educational content onto these laptops.

OneBeep's solution is as simple as it is elegant. Utilising commonly available and affordable AM/FM radios, OneBeep's invention allows files, applications and documents to be sent as audio via broadcast radio. The files are received using bog standard transistor radio connected to the laptop, and once received, the file is converted back to digital data and able to be used.

For one of the preliminary round judges, Peter Griffin, OneBeep really stood out.

"The team really captured our imaginations with a solution to a major problem - the digital divide, an innovative use of the One Laptop Per Child Programme and slick presentation skills. I think they'll be a very strong contender at the world final."

Having won the New Zealand leg of the Imagine Cup, OneBeep will now need to gear up for the final leg of the competition on July 3-8, in Poland.

"After working so hard for so long, winning this competition has been a big payoff, and it feels great," said Vinny Kumar, team leader for OneBeep.

"With all the support we've had along the way, we're ready to take our project to the next level. Now we've just got to keep the strong momentum going through to the finals in Poland. We'll do New Zealand proud."