Alex Deans

Alexander Deans (born May 1, 1997) is a Canadian-British inventor.^[1][2] He created the "iAid", a navigation device for the blind,^[3][4] which won the 2013 Canada-Wide Science Fair in the intermediate category^[5] and several awards at the 2014 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair.^[6][7][8] In 2014, Deans was one of twelve Canadians named on Maclean's magazine's list of Future Leaders under 25.^{[9] [10]} In 2015, Alex was awarded one of 50 Schulich Leader Scholarships for $80,000 to study Engineering at McGill University.^[11]

Early life

Alexander Matthew Deans was born on May 1, 1997 in Windsor, Ontario, Canada to ophthalmologist Robin Deans and physician Joan Deans.^[1] He has an older sister Nicola and a younger brother, Marcus. Alex's father spoke of his childhood that he "was never really pushed to achieve in academics or competition. Instead, from a very young age, he was allowed to go out, play, and find and make things on his own".^[1] Deans was raised in Windsor, Ontario and attended Académie Ste Cécile International School in South Windsor for primary school.^[12] He speaks English and French.^[3]

In 2010, Deans competed at the Canada-Wide Science Fair in Peterborough, Ontario with a project entitled "Saline Aqua Genesis.^[13] The innovation used a salt gradient solar pond to drive a generator for electricity production and distilled water for purification purposes in developing countries, but was unsuccessful at the fair.

iAid

At a competition in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Deans demonstrated the iBELT, an invention to aid visually impaired users. The device used echolocation-like technology to map the user's environment and plan paths to destinations, directing users through audible feedback.^[8][14]

Deans credits an encounter he had at age 12 with a visually impaired woman as his inspiration to create iAid. He noticed that she was struggling to cross the street and “asked if she needed any help and realized that she was visually impaired. I saw that she didn’t have any independence and couldn’t navigate well.”^[9] Deans taught himself to code, combining his knowledge of bat echolocation with robotics to create iAid prototypes. In an interview with CTV Canada AM anchor Marci Ien in June 2015, Deans remarked that "nature is an incredible innovator," and aimed to mimic bat echolocation through the development of the iAid.^[15]

Deans' refinement of the device, which he renamed "iAid" was presented in Lethbridge, Alberta in 2013.^[2] The reworked model incorporated GPS planning, outdoor navigation aids, and tactile feedback through use of an innovative joystick.^[16][17][18] The device won Deans both the fair and thousands of dollars in funding from corporations including Youth Science Canada and BlackBerry.^[4] The model was continually tested at the Canadian National Institute for the Blind with the visually impaired community to garner feedback.^{[8] [19]}

iAid utilizes ultrasonic scanning capabilities to compile a map of the user's surroundings and identify obstacles up to 3.5 meters away. The device directs the user through an intuitive hand-held joystick which swivels automatically to indicate directions to destinations.^[5] Distances to destinations are relayed via a tilt bracket in the joystick.^[2] Outdoors, the user can make use of iAid's Bluetooth pairing capabilities with cell phones.^[3] iAid then avails of Google Maps, compass, GPS, and cloud services to plan pedestrian routes and store them for future reference.^[4] Deans references iAid testing with groups from the Canadian National Institute for the Blind and has been involved with the Foundation Fighting Blindness.^[20][21]

Recognition

In early 2014, Deans was one of twelve named as a "Future Leader under 25" by Maclean's magazine, described as an "elite group of young people who are outstanding in their fields."^[9] Deans' work was recognized by Governor General David Johnston in April of that year in a speech to Milken Institute Global Conference Canadian CEO Dinner in Los Angeles, California.^[22] Later that year, Deans won second prize at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in Los Angeles, California.^[5] The Lincoln Laboratory at MIT offered him naming rights to a minor planet at 16 years old.^[23] The iAid was named as one of the "Top 50 Ideas Worldwide for Technology in Health, Energy, and Medicine" that same year by a judging panel representing the Organization of American States.^[24]

In June, the iAid began exhibiting at the Ontario Science Centre in the Weston Family Innovation Centre.^[3][25] In October, Deans became Royal Bank of Canada's official ambassador for its ChangeAgents program,^[26] partnering with Canadian band Hedley to promote the project.^[27] Deans spoke at several We Day events across Canada that year to more than 160,000 youth, including in Toronto and Vancouver in a segment including Hedley and at Ottawa, Winnipeg, and Calgary.^[28]

References