TOM: Kazakhstan - a social 72-hour marathon, during which the makers create prototypes aimed at solving everyday problems of people with disabilities started at S.Toraighyrov Pavlodat State University.

The project is being implemented by the Tel-Aviv University  Friends  Association in the Republic of Kazakhstan, jointly with the Pavlodar region Akimat with the support of S. Toraighyrov PSU, Kazakhstan Electrolysis Plant JSC, and the ERG Corporation (Eurasian Group).

This year 10 teams will take part in the event - 50 inventors from Kazakhstan and Russia, among students, teachers, engineers, robot technicians and other specialists who will have to solve 10 problems of real people.

The purpose of makeathone is to create a useful and simple invention with an affordable price, which will serve as a prototype for its mass production. In the development of prototypes, engineers are assisted by people with disabilities, from whose problem they should solve, specialists in rehabilitation, psychologists, commercializers and social entrepreneurs.

The guests were greeted by the head of the department on youth policy of Pavlodar region Natalia Nefedova and TOM GLOBAL representative Leksa Lev.

Vice-rector for scientific work and innovations of Pavlodar State University, doctor of biological sciences, professor Nurlan Yerzhanov, noted that the grandiose event  TOM: Kazakhstan is held on the basis of our universityfor the second year in a row. He also expressed confidence that ideas and initiatives will find practical implementation in real affairs, and projects will promote the return of people with disabilities to a full life.

According to Sania Arapova, Vice-President of TAU Friends Association in Kazakhstan, earlier work was carried out with problems of the musculoskeletal system and vision, and now also with problems of hearing. In this makeathone the projects are much higher in their level, the makers turn to larger and more complex projects, using their experience and scientific interest.

"This is not just a marathon, it's 72 hours of ideal conditions, in which the makers have all the materials and equipment. In addition,  their final consumer are near them, who give constant feedback”, she added.

Among the declared prototypes there are such inventions as "Constriction with three wheels for a person with cerebral palsy", "Smart glove - translator of  finger-speech into voice playback", "Modular exoskeleton simulator for training muscular memory for patients with postinfarction syndrome", "Belt - a navigator for visually impaired and with a loss of sight "," Tiflomarker ", etc.

Let us recall that presentation of projects and the closing ceremony of the makeathone will take place on April 9.