ARM along with UNICEF and strategic-creative consultancy firm Frog have partnered to launch the ‘Wearables for Good’ challenge.
The challenge is the first initiative under the ARM, UNICEF multi-year partnership, which aims to boost the development of new technologies that will help families and especially children access basic health, education and support services.
With the ‘Wearables for Good’ challenge, the companies plan to gather ideas for devices that could address maternal and child health issues in developing countries.
As part of the challenge, developers and designers have been asked to create cost-effective and efficient, wearable and sensor technologies that could address maternal, newborn or child health problems.
The judging panel will assess the entries on numerous levels, which include product and service design, potential impact at scale, and improvements it can bring.
Two winners will receive $15,000 in funding along with mentorship support from ARM and Frog.
Apart from the challenge, the partnership includes several initiatives that will focus upon helping children dealing with the effects of social and economic divides and mass urbanisation.
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ARM and UNICEF will work together to find out scale up pilot projects that can be used in national level.
The companies are also planning to conduct research to identify and promote market opportunities in different sectors including mobile financial services, identity, transportation, and learning in developing countries.
UNICEF Innovation Co-lead Erica Kochi said: "We need to innovate with social purpose in order to overcome the barriers of time, distance and lack of information that prevent millions of children from surviving and realising their potential.
"By working together with ARM we improve our ability to develop new technologies that impact children and help them grow up healthy, educated and able to positively contribute to their families, communities and wider economies."
