Catching up with Team Triage Kiosk, Solve for Tomorrow 2022-23 Winners

Kevin Lau and Ann Baek devised an innovative solution to solve long queues in emergency departments

Samsung’s Solve for Tomorrow Contest challenges Canadian youth to devise innovative, STEM-based solutions that will have a meaningful impact on their local communities. In 2022, Kevin Lau and Ann Baek, Team Triage Kiosk, aimed to improve their local hospital wait times through devising an innovative solution: a Samsung AI-powered triage kiosk.

As the 2023/24 Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest is in full swing, we caught up with Team Triage Kiosk about their experiences winning the contest, and how they’re bringing their idea to life with assistance from the Samsung team.

1. Tell us about your overall experience with the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest.

Samsung’s Solve for Tomorrow competition was an opportunity to think progressively and create a proposed solution for today’s real-world problems that could have an impact on our communities moving forward. Each hurdle we faced was a learning opportunity in an exciting journey that we never wanted to end!

2. How did you come up with the idea for a Triage Kiosk?

While brainstorming many ideas about the issues around the world, we felt that the wait times in hospitals were an issue that many faced without a proposed solution. Currently, there is a shortage of healthcare workers, contributing to prolonged wait times in emergency rooms. By using STEM, we thought that it could help ease the burden off healthcare workers and also reassure patients.

3. Why did you decide to enter the contest?

We decided to enter the contest to bring our ideas to life. We wanted to take on a challenge to something we haven’t tried out before. When we first entered the contest, we just wanted to try our best and it would still be worthwhile if we didn’t win anything because we gave it our all.

4. How was your experience with the Solve for Tomorrow Masterclass?

The Solve for Tomorrow Masterclass with Andini Makosinski was an insightful information session before the final submission. We got to hear about her experience as an inventor and how she’s navigated her career. We loved hearing about her future plans and what she hoped to accomplish as someone with multiple commitments. It also felt encouraging that we were headed in the correct direction with our project as we faced obstacles along the way in creating our video.

5. How did it feel to win the contest?

We were delighted when we received news of our achievement. With all the hard work that went into developing the Triage Kiosk, it was amazing to hear that it all paid off in the end, knowing our idea could impact and create change in healthcare.

6. What has Team Triage Kiosk been up to since you won? How are you bringing the idea to life?

Ever since we won, we have been working with Samsung Canada to bring the product to life by partnering with EPIC, the patient charting software that is used by hospitals such as the University Health Network. Personally speaking, Ann is finishing up her undergraduate degree, pursuing her CPA designation; while Kevin is a full-time primary care paramedic.

7. What advice would you give to classrooms looking to enter this year?

To this year’s participants – being only limited to your imagination, our advice is to seek what inspires you, and use it to fuel your ideas. We are all capable of implementing change in our society for a brighter, more sustainable future.

Canadians in grades 6 to 12 with an innovative idea and teacher sponsor can apply to the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest until February 15 for a chance to win $50,000 for their school[1]. Visit Samsung.com/ca/solve to apply today!

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[1] Terms and Conditions apply. The Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest begins on Monday, November 27, 2023 at 12:01 a.m. EST and ends on March 31, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. EST. Open to residents of Canada (excluding Quebec residents) who are twenty one (21) years of age or older and are currently employed as full-time teachers in a public Middle School, Junior High School, or High School, grades 6-12, including Charter Schools that are 50% or more publicly funded in Canada. All Canadian publicly funded schools (except those registered and located in Québec) are eligible to participate. Schools that are publicly funded but outside of the provincially-run school board/district/division system, such as Charter Schools in Alberta and Federally-funded schools in FNMI communities, are eligible to apply if they meet the grade requirements. A full-time teacher, as defined above, is eligible to enter the Contest as part of a team with at least one (1) student or more up to a maximum of fifty (50) students (the “Participant”). The Contest is divided into two phases. Phase One requires teams to submit a written entry through the registration link on samsung.com/ca/solve between Monday, November 27, 2023 12:01 a.m. EST and Thursday, February 15, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. EST (the “Contest Entry Period”). Five (5) Finalist teams will be selected on or about  Friday, March 1. 2024 by a panel of six (6) qualified judges selected by Samsung based on the selection criteria stated in the full Contest Terms and Conditions. Odds of winning depend upon the total number of contest entries received during the Contest Entry Period. Each Finalist will receive a Samsung Voucher with a total value of up to $5,000 per team. During Phase Two, each Finalist team will be required to submit a video between Monday  , March 4, 2024 at 12:01 a.m. EST and Friday, April 5, , 2024 at 11:59 p.m. EST (the “Final Judging Period”). All eligible submissions received will be judged by a panel of six (6) qualified judges selected by Samsung based on the criteria stated in the full Contest Terms and Conditions, and three (3) Winners will be selected. Odds of winning depend upon the total number of videos received during Phase Two. The three (3) Winners shall receive winning prizes consisting of the following elements based on their final place: First Place – $50,000 cash prize (by way of a cheque), Second Place $10,000 cash prize (by way of a cheque), Third Place – $10,000 cash prize (by way of a cheque). The videos of all five (5) Finalists will exhibited on samsung.com/ca/solve, and members of the general public will be permitted to vote on their favourite Finalist Entry. Voting will be open from Friday, April 12, 2024 at 12:01 a.m. EST and will close on Friday, April 26, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. EST. The Finalist who receives the most qualifying votes will be awarded a cash prize of $5,000 (by way of a cheque). All prizes will be made payable to the Participant’s school for use by the winning teacher. Must correctly answer a mathematical skill-testing question to win. For more information and a copy of the full Contest Terms and Conditions, visit samsung.com/ca/solve.