Masdar student designs device to smarten up your phone

According to Masdar, the device can perform 3D scanning, as well as scanning of plots and charts to gather data. It can also be used to measure the distance, curvature, or the surface area of a given object.

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ABU DHABI // A PhD student at the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology has invented a device that turns a smartphone into a tool for engineers and scientists.

The device, called UltraSmart, costs US$10 (Dh36.70) and has a wide array of features.

Masdar says the device, used with an application, can perform 3D scanning and scanning of plots and charts to gather data.

It can be used to measure the distance, curvature or surface area of an object, and as a computer mouse with extra features not available in standard devices.

It was designed by PhD student Alaeddine Mokr, who is also a research assistant in the Inter-Disciplinary Doctoral Degree Programme.

His design secured him a winning place at the Intel Business Challenge Middle East and North Africa 2013 regional finals ceremony in Abu Dhabi last month.

It will be entered into the Intel Global Challenge at UC Berkeley, California, in October, where the top prize is US$50,000.

"I feel that I am paying back a country that I deeply love and feel indebted to because now I will be representing the UAE in the Intel Global Business Challenge, where not many countries will be present," Mr Mokr said.

"I developed this device in Abu Dhabi with the knowledge that I acquired here, and tools that I bought here. Now I understand what they mean by Abu Dhabi's 'knowledge-based economy'."