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Student Developer Blog
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Can technology help stop bullying? This Imagine Cup team believes it can

StudentDeveloperTeam's avatar
Jan 09, 2019
First published on MSDN on Oct 25, 2016

Last year, four students from Greece came across the story of Amanda Todd, a 15-year-old in Canada who tragically took her own life after two years of bullying.

Inspired by the young woman’s story, the students – Georgios Schinas, Ilias Chrysovergis, Margarita Bintsi and Vasileios Baltatzis – decided to explore the possibility of using technology to better understand and help stop bullying.

The students developed a platform where the user wears a virtual-reality headset over the eyes and a Microsoft Band on their wrist. At the same time, an app uses Azure Machine Learning, behavioral models and biometric analysis to predict a user’s propensity toward being bullied or being the bully.

Next, they entered the project into the 2016 Imagine Cup as Team AMANDA and ended up being one of just three teams to make it all the way to the World Championship round last July. The team is now working to patent their project’s design and was recently accepted into the new Microsoft #MakeWhatsNext Patent Program.

Through the power of imagination and technology, student developers like Team AMANDA are finding ways to take on global challenges and make a difference in people’s lives. You can be one of those developers, too.

Sign up for Imagine Cup 2017 today, and turn your idea into a technology that could impact millions overnight.



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Microsoft Imagine, anywhere, anytime:


  • Head on over to Microsoft Imagine where, if you haven’t already, you can create a Microsoft Imagine student profile, giving you access to developer tools, online training, developer competitions and the bi-monthly Microsoft Imagine newsletter.

Updated Jan 09, 2019
Version 2.0
  • Baltazarr1984's avatar
    Baltazarr1984
    Copper Contributor

    Absolutely, technology can be a powerful tool against bullying! It's awesome that the Imagine Cup team is exploring ways to combat it. Speaking of using tech for good, addressing online blackmail is also crucial in curbing bullying behaviors. It's fantastic to see innovative ideas aimed at making the digital world safer for everyone.