TI challenges students to make the world healthier in new coding contest

The global COVID-19 pandemic has revealed limits to systems we take for granted and put health and safety at the forefront of everyone’s minds, including students. As a result, Texas Instruments (TI) is challenging students, whether learning in person or remotely, to design and build a solution related to health, wellness or medicine that can improve lives in its annual TI Codes Contest.

The winning team from last year’s TI Codes Contest, the Germaphobes, worked virtually to design a free-flying robot that uses ultraviolet light for sterilizing the International Space Station.

Whether it’s an automated process for sanitizing desks, a more efficient system for scheduling vaccine appointments, or a product that encourages remote learners to stay active, if it’s related to health, wellness or medicine, it’s eligible to win the TI Codes Contest.

Now in its fourth year, the TI Codes Contest has focused on improving processes related to things such as food and space in years past.

“Selecting this year’s contest theme was important because we wanted to allow students to utilize their STEM skills to design solutions that are relevant to them and impacting their teenage lives now,” said Peter Balyta, president of TI Education Technology. “Fueled by a healthy dose of competition from teams around the country, we are excited to see what health-related ideas students will come up with that can improve lives during and after the pandemic.”

The TI Codes Contest is simple to enter and encourages teams of up to five students to work together virtually or in person, following appropriate safety and social-distancing protocols. Teams submit a written proposal outlining the process or existing product related to health, wellness or medicine they want to improve.

A panel of TI judges will determine which teams move on. As teams advance, they must start coding and building their proposed design and showcase it in a video. The public will vote on their favorite video to determine the winner of the contest.

Each member of the winning team receives a TI graphing calculator, the TI-Innovator Hub with TI LaunchPad™ Board and TI’s calculator-controlled robotic vehicle, the TI-Innovator™ Rover. The teacher or adult that sponsors the winning team also wins a $250 gift card to help cover the cost of future class activities. All students who accept the challenge will automatically be entered to win TI technology and TI-themed items at the end of the contest.

Review the rules, form a team and enter the TI Codes Contest here.