Ajman University Students Triumph at the James Dyson Award for Engineering Design

A team of students from the College of Engineering and Information Technology at Ajman University won the National Runners-up at the prestigious James Dyson Award for 2024 for their participation in the OcularSky application. The team was honored on September 11 in Dubai, where they also qualified for the finals of the James Dyson Global Award.

Students Houssam Hammoud, Mohammad Yaman Al Aref, Mayar Jabouli, and Mohamad Hammoud ably guided by Prof. Kamran Arshad and Engr. Wessam Shehieb, presented their impressive AI-based project on ocular health, OcularSky, which won accolades from the judges.

This inspired the creation of OcularSky, an affordable and accurate alternative that uses smartphones, AI models, and a 3D-printed attachment to enable regular eye check-ups in various settings, such as pharmacies, schools, and elderly care homes, particularly in rural areas.

World Health Organization reports reflect the importance of OcularSky, indicating that nearly half of vision impairment cases, such as age-related macular degeneration and glaucoma, could have been prevented through early detection. Given the rising costs of traditional eye exams and the lack of healthcare services, this application represents a significant step towards improving access to eye care for everyone.

This year's competition marks a significant milestone, as the team will represent the United Arab Emirates in the final round. This recognition is the third for the university (2019, 2021, 2024) within a span of seven years.

Wessam Shehieb, a team member of OcularSky, expressed, “This was the second time I entered the James Dyson Award. It’s been so exciting to be recognized in the global top 20, which validates our invention and hard work. We plan to take OcularSky to the next level to pave the way for a future where preventable vision impairment is eliminated. We're thrilled about what's ahead and remain committed to enhancing eye health worldwide.”

The James Dyson Award is an international engineering design award that celebrates, encourages, and inspires the next generation of design engineers. It is open to current and recent design engineering students and is run by the James Dyson Foundation. Entries are judged first at the national and regional levels before progressing to the international stage, where a panel of Dyson engineers selects an international shortlist of 20 entries.

Entries are judged first at the national level by a panel of external judges and a Dyson engineer. Each operating market awards a national winner and two national runners-up. From these winners, a panel of Dyson engineers then select an international shortlist of the top 20 entries. The top 20 projects are then reviewed by Sir James Dyson, who selects his international winners.

Sir James Dyson will announce the global winners of the James Dyson Award on November 13. The winning inventions will receive £30,000 each to support their further development and commercialization. Bottom of Form