Teen wins IFIA invention prize for fiber optic internet innovation

A 19-year-old York University student has won a bronze medal at International Invention and Innovation Competition by the International Federation of Inventors’ Associations (IFIA) in Geneva for developing a new and low-cost optical fiber communication sensor that can detect particles of light and increase the quality of messages sent through light waves.

Erfan Nouraee beat students from around the world with his “Photon Detector System” submission.

His work was in response to the lack of internet access in Iran’s provinces.

28% of Iranians had no or limited internet access which makes distance learning and accessing important public services like health care and education impossible. In some provinces, only 40% of students had access to the Internet.

Mr Nouraee, a second-year electrical engineering student at Lassonde School of Engineering in Toronto, said these sensors can save and increase optical signals’ quality, prolong the life of the fiber optic cables and reduce their damaging byproducts.

The device relies on a processing system that can remove noises, he said.

Erfan Nouraee, who was awarded the bronze medal at the IFIA’s annual international invention and innovation competition in Geneva, said he hoped it would help every community connect to the high-speed reliable Internet.

“Optical fiber cables tend to lose their quality and power at the industrial level. This sensor uses an advanced algorithm and photon detection to make high-speed internet accessible.” Mr Nouraee added in his online submission.

The competition was open to inventors around the world who hold the honorary title of “Inv” from the International Federation of Inventors’ Associations (IFIA).