The United Nations Development Programme with Hackster.io, the largest online open-source technology hardware community, launched the COVID-19 Detect & Protect Challenge – #COVID19DetectProtect – in April 2020 to create open-source tech that developing countries can use in the fight against the global pandemic. Each COVID-19 tech solution below has essentially been developed with a startup mindset around testing, iteration and re-iteration.
Grand Prize winners
- Connected Visor
- Digital Stethoscope AI
- Ecofill – Reuse and Refill Bottles on This Vending Machine
- Intangible Surface
- Global Scale Remote Health Monitor
- Esp8266 Shop Door Assistant
- Selfcheck Contactless Accurate Body Thermometer
- Hands-Free Soap, Water and Paper Towel Dispenser
- Project Theia
Community Choice Award:
P3psi, a Web-Driven COVID-19 Carrier Robot
The Grand Final winners, above, were selected from the winners of a series of 7 individual rounds; round 1 to 7 winners are listed below.
September 2020 update:
COVID-19 Detect & Protect downloads
- An A3 poster introducing the winning projects and linking to full Q&As with each project’s team, produced by Startup News Asia.
- An A4 introduction to the winning COVID-19 startup projects – 13 pages linked from print to online details for each project, including materials and construction advice, in a keep-one, share-one printing format. Produced by Startup News Asia.
- Download: Print-based introductions to COVID-19 Detect & Protect Challenge winners
August 12th 2020
livestream: Finalists announcement
The COVID-19 Detect and Protect Challenge’s 10 grand prize winners were announced in a livestreamed finale on 12th August 2020, International Youth Day, emceed by Alex Glow.
The challenge called on a global community to support developing countries through the sharing and transfer of open source technology, focusing on low-cost and open-source tools and resources to aid COVID-19 response and recovery in low-resource settings.
Round 7 bonus impact winners
- Touchless All-in-one Tool for COVID-19
- Temperature and Mask Check
- P3psi the Robot
- Electrolyzed Water Disinfectant Device
- Automatic Hand Sanitiser Dispenser
Round 6 bonus impact winners
round 5 winners
- Big Red Button
- Automatic Water and Soap Tank
- CoroFence Thermal Detector
- Digital Stethoscope AI
- Connected Visor
round 4 winners
round 3 winners
- Autonomous Infrared Contactless Thermometer
- Health Monitoring Bracelet
- The Pocket LAMP (Low-cost COVID-19 Detection)
- Anti-COVID19 Active Mask
- Hands-Free Soap, Water and Paper Towel Dispenser
- Automatic Hand Sanitiser Dispenser
round 2 winners
round 1 winners
Global Centre for Technology, Innovation and Sustainable Development
The Global Centre for Technology, Innovation and Sustainable Development is a joint initiative by the Government of Singapore and the United Nations Development Programme which aims to identify and co-create technological solutions for sustainable development.
Find out more about the Global Centre for Technology, Innovation and Sustainable Development >
