Though immensely popular, playing video games can be a pain — literally — Lehigh University graduate student Duheng “Hansen” Liang observed.
That’s why Liang designed a vertical “trigger” mouse, which he says can not only help gamers perform better, it can keep them healthier.
“People are watching less TV and playing more video games. This means they’re straining their hands and wrists,” he said, documenting that of 1,000 people he surveyed, 1 in 5 have hand and wrist problems.
Last week, he earned a chance to take his invention nationwide, winning the top prize at a venture fair on Lehigh University’s campus, a package including a one-hour consultation with lawyer Buddy Lesavoy to help form his own Pennsylvania limited liability company and prepare an operating agreement.
Judges Robert Thomson and Donna Mohr talk to Rachel Shields about Groopa, an anonymous support group-chat app for children with mental illness, during the technical entrepreneurship venture fair for about 20 students in the master of engineering in technical entrepreneurship program who learned the nuts and bolts of starting a business. (DAVID GARRETT / Special to The Morning Call)
Liang, who earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical and computer engineering from Lafayette College after coming from China in 2011 for school, was one of 20 students in the master of engineering in technical entrepreneurship program at Lehigh, where he is finishing his graduate degree this month. Each of the students had the opportunity to pitch and present their entrepreneurial ideas to a panel of eight judges May 10. The program teaches students how to create a business from start to finish.
“The masters in technical entrepreneurship gives students a unique way to combine both science and business," Lehigh University professor Michael Lehman said. " … It’s really looking to develop a balanced skill set as an innovator in both the product and business side.”
Liang said he has 100 interested parties signed up to test his prototype and is soon going to ship about a dozen to various individuals, including videogame streamers and professional esports players.
Liang said he’s been using his prototype for the last five months.
It “encourages arm aiming, giving you better accuracy and a better range of motion,” he said, arguing that that better immerses players in a true first-person shooter experience.
Hannah Leskow (left) and Adrian Vitello created a mobile app to improve student self-awareness, earning second place Friday at a technical entrepreneurship venture fair at Lehigh University. (DAVID GARRETT / Special to The Morning Call)
Students Hannah Leskow and Adrian Vitello, both former Lehigh athletes who are set to graduate this month, got second place for their Amobe app, winning legal help from Maenner & Associatesto file a trademark application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Leskow, 23, of Toms River, N.J., was a distance runner on the school’s Division 1 track team. Vitello, 23, of Manalapan, N.J., a bioengineering major, played soccer. They said they recognized struggles facing them and their teammates relating to mental health.
“[Amobe] assesses core factors where a student-athlete is currently mentally and emotionally. We measure health and wellness, confidence and satisfaction, perspective and resilience, and quality of relationships,” said Leskow, who is in the integrated degree in engineering and arts and sciences program. “They’ll take a weekly assessment to gauge where they’re at and how that’s changing over time, and based on those results, we’re connecting them with existing resources to help them work on those areas.”
The students said they are working with the athletics department at Lehigh to make the technology available to student-athletes.
Due to the number of student-athletes, Vitello said, the university sports psychologist does not have enough time to monitor everyone individually and regularly.
“I recognized if you could have a platform in an app where student-athletes are exposed to this more often and have more of an outreach to these resources, they can help themselves individually while also being able to go to the sports psychologist, or meet with someone, and connect with their peers as well," she said. " … I think that’s something that can help them."
THE SEMI-FINALISTS
MSika Limited: founded by Freddy Coleman, dedicated to democratizing access to African financial systems and increasing the financial freedom for private individuals.
Commonwealth Fusion Systems: presented by Sarah Garberg, combines physics backed by decades of government-funded fusion research with a revolutionary superconducting magnet technology to accelerate the path to commercial fusion energy.
Amobe: mobile application created by Hannah Leskow and Adrian Vitello to offer a platform to improve student-athlete self-awareness and promote mental health monitoring.
Omniarc: “Trigger” vertical video gaming mouse created by Duheng “Hansen” Liang to bring a pain-free performance to esports.
Yabo LLC: mobile application presented by Max Mastbaum to make paying a bar/restaurant bill more quickly, easier and safer through the use of a connected mobile interface.
Movements: founded by Alyssa Riporti, uses magnetic moveable pegs to eliminate the tangling of jewelry.
Groopa: mobile application by Rachel Shields to create anonymous support group-chats for parents of children with mental illness.
Yongchu Renewable Resources Utilization Co., Ltd.: founded by Li Zhang to provide fire-resistant, nonpollutant aluminum ash refractory exterior wall bricks, which are beneficial to fire-safety approaches in construction.
Gabriela L. Laracca is a freelance writer for The Morning Call.