Many young Arab entrepreneurs in the Middle East and North Africa are seeing the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, the first one to be hosted in the Arab world, as an opportunity to make their mark in the growing sports sector. Khaoula Chaabna, an Algerian medical student, is one of those sports-minded inventors who is thriving. Chaabna, one of “Stars of Science” top eight contestants, introduced the Smart Knee Brace during Qatar Foundation’s edutainment TV initiative’s 13th season, which is airing until October 22.
The Smart Knee Brace is a wearable device that warns the user of a possible Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury. Using sensors placed on major leg muscles, such as the quad and hamstring, the brace monitors training to extract key electrical signals. The device could help lower the number of preventable ACL injuries, whether in the professional or amateur sporting world. Additionally, the novel piece could reduce the post-surgery rehabilitation period and encourage athletes to confidently do their best.
“We knew the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ would be an opportunity to help foster the region’s pioneering spirit, which is why we launched Challenge 22 in 2015, a programme that directly supports innovators across the Arab world,” Fatma Al Nuaimi, Communications Executive Director at the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, said.
“Through Challenge 22, hundreds of sports-tech start-ups were created and launched in the market and will definitely enhance the fan experience and accessibility and support Qatar’s hosting of the FIFA World Cup™ next year,” the executive at the organisation responsible for organising the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ added.
Mohammed Al-Qassabi, another current “Stars of Science” contestant, joins Chaabna as a sports innovater with his technological solution that combines his interest in science with his love for football. The Qatari third-year undergraduate student specialising in Information Systems invented a Football Offside Detection System, which analyses the players’ positions in real-time and notifies referees when an offside takes place.
To apply for “Stars of Science” season 14 and put yourself in with a chance of earning the title of the Arab world’s top innovator, visit www.starsofscience.info
