A graduate of Canadian University Dubai (CUD) has been honoured by the Supreme Commander of Dubai Police, Major General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri, for inventing an innovative that device that analyses air quality and helps asthma and allergy sufferers avoid contaminated areas.

Inspired by his sister’s struggle with asthma, Saeed Matar Al-Jabri, who is currently studying for a Masters in Information Technology Management and Governance at CUD, came up with the idea while pursuing his undergraduate engineering studies at the university.

Saeed explained, “I was embarking on my final graduation project and felt that I could use my technical skills to develop something that would really make a difference. My sister had been suffering severely from asthma, requiring frequent visits to hospitals, and the situation affected our whole family. So I thought of the idea of creating a device that could monitor air quality to detect dust and other contaminants.

“I sketched out my ideas, and with the help of Dr Adel Ben Mnaouer, Associate Professor at the School of Engineering, CUD, I was able to use Artificial Intelligence to create a device and a smart application that could provide detailed analytical information about the air quality in any given space. It also offers users information and alternatives on how to get away from contaminated areas. We are now working on refining a few aspects of the technology and I hope to see it made available in the UAE in the coming year.”

Saeed, who works as a Second Lieutenant Engineer at Dubai Police, presented the project to the Mohammed Bin Zayed Council for Future Generations, and went on to showcase his device among 150 other new innovations at the Technology and Information Summit, organized by Huawei University in Shenzhen, China.

“I am hugely grateful for all the support I have received from everyone at CUD, particularly the faculty, who go far beyond simply teaching about technology. They taught me how to create a vision and how to develop and apply the management, communication and analytical skills to achieve it. I am delighted to have made my sister proud and I couldn’t have got this far without such outstanding support,” Saeed concluded.