ITE College Central’s Sense to Score team won a Lee Kuan Yew Technology Award in May 2026 for a handheld finger-response game designed with older adults in mind. It combines four illuminated buttons, adjustable difficulty, three spring-resistance choices and optional connected performance tracking. The five students came from Nitec in Mechatronics & Robotics and Nitec in Mechanical Technology.

Checked on 12 November 2026, this independent eduKateSingapore guide explains the original project, the students who built it and the difference between an engaging prototype and a clinically validated rehabilitation device. It also helps families compare real engineering courses, student project opportunities and the correct ITE application route for 2027.

Quick facts: what happened and what to check

• 19 May 2026: Sense to Score was among the Lee Kuan Yew Technology Award-winning projects at ITE’s Student Achievers’ Awards.
• Team leader Muhammad Ariel Bin Azhar; teammates Aqil Jubair Bin Mohamed Suhaidi, Chong Luo Quan, Beins Jovanna Leandra-Marie and John Emill Chiang.
• College Central programmes identified by ITE: Nitec in Mechatronics & Robotics and Nitec in Mechanical Technology.
• The prototype has four illuminated response buttons, easy/medium/hard game settings and spring choices labelled soft, medium and hard.
• ITE describes Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity to a cloud-based performance platform, USB charging and a 3D-printed PLA housing.
• The award does not establish medical-device clearance or prove a quantified improvement in grip strength; the current ITE intake finder governs admissions.

Last reviewed 12 November 2026, Singapore. Independent eduKateSingapore guide, not an official ITE statement. The featured picture illustrates learning rather than depicting the identified project, winners or user group.

2026 developments: verified events, students and dates

19 May 2026 — national technology award

ITE’s Student Achievers’ Awards ceremony recognised ten Lee Kuan Yew Technology Award teams. The official Annex C lists Sense to Score as a College Central winner, focused on an interactive device for older people’s finger coordination and responses.

The award establishes an educational innovation achievement. It is not a clinical study demonstrating improved hand function in a particular patient population.

Original official source: Read the source.

2026 Annex C — five named student developers

The official project write-up names Muhammad Ariel Bin Azhar as group leader and Aqil Jubair Bin Mohamed Suhaidi, Chong Luo Quan, Beins Jovanna Leandra-Marie and John Emill Chiang as teammates. It identifies Nitec programmes in Mechatronics & Robotics and Mechanical Technology.

The source does not assign every technical task to an individual member. Responsible reporting credits the group rather than inventing engineering biographies or hidden commercial partners.

Original official source: Read the source.

2026 project details — buttons, resistance and connectivity

ITE describes four illuminated buttons excluding the thumb, three game speeds, three spring-resistance choices, wireless connectivity to cloud analytics, rechargeable power and PLA 3D-printed casing. The stated intention is to encourage repeated practice through play.

These specifications describe a student prototype and its intended function. They do not establish its suitability for an individual older adult without appropriate professional assessment.

Original official source: Read the source.

September 2026 context — an ageing society

Singapore’s Ministry of Health reported in September 2026 that about 40% of residents aged 75 and above in 2025 lived alone or only with other seniors. Around a quarter of that group reported needing help with at least one activity of daily living.

Those population figures explain why accessible everyday activities matter, but do not prove this specific game is medically effective or suitable for all older adults.

Original official source: Read the source.

How accessible interactive engineering works: a practical reader’s guide

What is Sense to Score?

Sense to Score is a handheld game that prompts finger movements through illuminated buttons. A light appears and the participant tries to press the corresponding button. Its design offers different response speeds and adjustable resistance, allowing a team to explore both play and physical engagement. The intended audience includes older adults who may experience changes in coordination and hand use.

The project should be described as an educational prototype aimed at engagement, not as a proven treatment. A person with pain, weakness, limited sensation or a neurological condition may require an individual assessment before using any resistance-based hand device. The award record reports the design’s intent, not controlled clinical outcomes.

Who developed the award-winning device?

The team comprises Muhammad Ariel Bin Azhar, Aqil Jubair Bin Mohamed Suhaidi, Chong Luo Quan, Beins Jovanna Leandra-Marie and John Emill Chiang. ITE identifies the group with College Central’s Nitec in Mechatronics & Robotics and Mechanical Technology routes. Their collaboration spans physical design, programming and product thinking.

No public source gives a complete individual task allocation, so this guide does not claim that one person wrote all the code or that another performed clinical testing. Crediting the entire student team is more accurate and models the professional habit of distinguishing a shared project from a single inventor’s work.

Why four buttons rather than a touchscreen?

A physical button can provide an obvious target and a tangible action. The prototype’s four buttons correspond to fingers other than the thumb. A touchscreen might support different content, but the experience of pressing a spring-loaded button is not identical to touching glass. Product designers choose interfaces in relation to the intended task.

An applicant can explore this distinction with a paper mock-up comparing a tablet display and a fictional button panel. Ask which instructions are easier to follow and what feedback users receive. This is a design exercise, not an instruction to test an unapproved physical exercise device on vulnerable people.

The three game-speed settings

The official profile describes easy, medium and hard modes, with faster illumination as difficulty increases. Differentiated settings can make a game less monotonous and allow a participant to select an appropriately challenging experience. Yet speed and physical suitability are separate questions, especially where a user’s abilities or health vary.

A student can design three harmless logic exercises on paper with increasing complexity. Record whether users understand the rule before increasing difficulty. A game should offer clear feedback and a way to stop without embarrassment. No speed setting can be declared medically appropriate without the relevant professional assessment.

Why the spring-resistance choices matter

ITE reports soft, medium and hard button springs. Different resistance levels change how a press feels and can create distinct physical demands. This is relevant to mechanical design because the force required for one input may make a system easier for one user but inaccessible to another.

A simple classroom explanation can compare low-resistance and high-resistance controls using diagrams, without giving exercise prescriptions. Engineering students should ask how tolerances, repeated cycles and material wear would affect the feel of a button. The appropriate resistance for a person’s training needs belongs to qualified care professionals.

Reaction time is not the same as muscle strength

How quickly a participant responds to a visual signal can be influenced by attention, familiarity, vision, movement and many other factors. Grip strength is a different physical quantity. A device that records response time cannot automatically infer clinically meaningful increases in strength without appropriate measurements and research.

Parents should resist a misleading headline that says the device has already restored hand strength. The accurate description is that it was designed to encourage practice and track some performance data. Students learn useful scientific discipline by defining what the system actually observes before claiming an outcome.

What the cloud-based analytics system is meant to do

ITE says the prototype can connect through Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to a cloud platform that records and analyses finger-response times. That can support comparison across practice sessions, provided the measurements and data are reliable. A meaningful display should distinguish actual observations from inferred health conclusions.

The public description does not establish the system’s retention schedule, encryption approach or medical data governance. A future product would need appropriate data protection and access controls. Students can practise interpreting a synthetic response-time table without collecting real health information.

Wireless connections create an engineering trade-off

Connectivity can help instructors or authorised carers review permitted information, but adds questions about network availability, device pairing, updates and privacy. A fully offline mode might offer a different set of benefits. A product team should choose connectivity because it serves a real user purpose, not only because a wireless feature sounds advanced.

A safe student exercise is to draw the flow of fictional game results from device to app to authorised reviewer and mark points where a failure could occur. Do not try to connect to other people’s devices. Good technical thinking includes reporting what happens when the internet is unavailable.

Why USB charging matters in a community setting

ITE’s design uses a rechargeable power arrangement rather than requiring frequent disposable battery replacement. Rechargeability can simplify some operational tasks, but a real product still needs battery safety, charging guidance, accessibility and a maintenance process. Environmental claims also need a realistic comparison of energy, lifespan and materials.

Students may compare hypothetical battery replacement and charging schedules in a spreadsheet, with clearly invented numbers. The goal is to recognise that convenience and sustainability are conditional outcomes, not automatic proofs from the word ‘rechargeable’.

The 3D-printed PLA casing

Polylactic acid, commonly called PLA, can be used to print housings and low-risk models. The project profile describes its casing as strong and affordable in the intended context. Actual properties depend on design, material grade, print method, loading and environmental conditions.

A classroom demonstration using a harmless printed object can explore layer orientation and tolerances at a conceptual level. Avoid claiming that every PLA print is durable, recyclable or safe for health-related use. A finished product requires context-specific assessment.

How the student team moved from idea to code

The ITE project profile quotes the team’s experience of learning programming as a new challenge. This is an important detail: technical progress often requires unfamiliar skills, debugging and repeated trials rather than effortless invention. A student group can approach a real problem even before every member has mastered the supporting technology.

A beginner can try programming a simulated light sequence in a safe school environment, focusing on how to test input and feedback. They should record errors and revisions rather than describe copied tutorial code as their own independent invention.

Why this is a game and not a medical diagnosis

A game is designed to provide rules, feedback and motivation. A medical assessment must satisfy professional standards, appropriate instruments and interpretations. Sense to Score includes game elements and a performance platform, but ITE’s award profile does not present clinical diagnostic validation.

The distinction protects families from reading more into the award than the evidence supports. An older person who has experienced a new change in hand strength, pain or coordination should seek qualified medical or rehabilitation guidance rather than rely on a student prototype.

Understanding accessibility in game design

Accessible design means noticing that users can differ in strength, vision, dexterity, language, fatigue and comfort. One participant might prefer larger buttons; another might need a different kind of feedback or rest period. Designing for an older audience is not the same as assuming all seniors have the same limitations.

A student team can ask how instructions, visual contrast, physical reach and stopping controls would work for a variety of fictional users. Real feedback should be obtained appropriately and with consent. Inclusive design values choice and dignity rather than a single supposedly universal solution.

A good product should make failure understandable

An illuminated target may fail to register a press, the battery may be low or the connected platform may not receive data. Users need meaningful feedback so they do not incorrectly blame themselves. A student prototype can teach the importance of explaining an error, not merely detecting one.

Create a fictional test table with cases for a missed press, repeated press, unavailable network and low battery. Identify what an honest user message would say. This is software-quality thinking and does not involve modifying the ITE device.

How to interpret a response-time trend

If a participant’s average response time decreases in one practice session, that observation might be influenced by familiarity, attention or measurement conditions. It is not enough to establish long-term functional improvement. A credible report states how measurements were collected and which variables changed.

Students can create synthetic data for three imaginary sessions, calculate a mean and range, and explain why the numbers are not clinical evidence. This provides a connection between Secondary Mathematics, data literacy and responsible engineering.

Why user feedback matters before scaling a product

An award jury can recognise creativity, while real users may uncover issues not seen in a controlled presentation. A handheld device could feel uncomfortable, confusing or difficult to position for some people. A team should distinguish a technically working circuit from a satisfactory user experience.

A safe design study can use paper controls and fictional scenarios. Interview volunteers about which labels they understood, without exposing participants to health-related physical testing. Appropriate professional oversight becomes essential when a product’s use might affect safety or wellbeing.

Could a community centre use a game like this?

An accessible game may be interesting for recreational programmes at active ageing centres, but the public award record does not establish a deployment agreement or formal centre adoption. Staff would need to consider suitability, supervision, cleaning, data handling and how the activity fits the programme’s aims.

A family should treat potential community use as a question for authorised organisers, not assume it has already happened. Students can explore the design principles while leaving real deployment decisions to qualified managers and care advisers.

Why older adults should retain choice

A technology intended to support ageing should not pressure people to perform beyond their comfort or turn performance scores into a judgement of personal worth. Participation, pace and privacy matter. A product might be useful as an enjoyable activity for some users and unsuitable for others.

A student can review whether a mock interface includes an obvious pause, help and opt-out option. This is an ethical design exercise. Respecting independence is often as important as adding a sophisticated technical feature.

A game score should be explained plainly

A number can look authoritative even when it is only a raw count or response-time average. If the device displays a score, users should know what it measures and whether it is comparable across sessions. A score should not imply medical improvement without validation.

Designers can write simple descriptions such as ‘the time between a light and a recorded press’ when that is truly the measured quantity. Do not label it a health score unless appropriate research and professional standards support the claim.

What Mechanical Technology contributed conceptually

Mechanical technology can involve dimensions, material selection, moving components, fit and reliability. In this project, the user experiences resistance through physical buttons, so material and mechanical questions complement electronics and software. The exact division of student work was not fully described in the source.

A learner who likes understanding how a button mechanism behaves may prefer mechanical subjects to pure coding. Use the official ITE course finder to compare current routes; the team studied under historical Nitec titles that may differ from 2027 availability.

How Mechatronics & Robotics differs from Mechanical Technology

Mechatronics integrates physical mechanisms with electronics, sensors and control logic. Mechanical Technology focuses more on physical machines and their behaviour. Both are useful in a handheld interactive device, but have different module balances and possible occupational routes.

Ask ITE advisers which current programmes teach programming, circuit concepts, motors, maintenance and workshop safety. A popular project should spark questions about subjects, not create an imaginary course named after the project.

A simple project for a future engineering student

A beginner can design a mock game with four paper squares, coloured prompts and a record sheet. The activity can test whether instructions are easy to follow without adding physical resistance or medical claims. A volunteer can describe what confused them so the designer can improve the rules.

The student should label the work as an original educational prototype, not a reproduction of Sense to Score or an exercise device. Keep consent, safety and clear documentation central to the process.

The mathematics behind a reaction-time table

Students can calculate the average of several fictional response times, compare changes and identify unusually large values. They should label units and distinguish absolute from percentage changes. Statistics becomes useful when a number answers a defined question.

An improvement in a simulated game score does not prove a change in medical function. This distinction helps students learn to make quantitative statements that stay within the evidence.

When a technology award becomes useful in a portfolio

The team won recognition for developing a working concept, but a prospective applicant should not claim to have contributed to it. Instead, they can show their own small project, explain the design process, identify a failed approach and state what they learned.

Credible portfolios have dates, actual work, credited collaborators and clear limits. A modest well-tested project can communicate preparation more effectively than a borrowed impressive description.

How to distinguish a safety claim from a design aim

A project intended to support grip and coordination may be valuable even when it has not completed clinical testing. Yet the wording matters: ‘designed to encourage practice’ is different from ‘clinically proven to restore strength’. The latter requires additional evidence.

A school news article should celebrate the creativity while showing the distinction clearly. Readers benefit from knowing both what was demonstrated and what remains unknown.

A family discussion about technical careers

A student drawn to this story might enjoy product design, electronics, robotics, data analysis or working directly with people. Those interests can lead to different courses and professions. The project brings several together, but the applicant’s daily study tasks will be more specific.

Compare two current named ITE routes by modules, entry requirements, campus, training environment and future options. Choose the path that fits the student’s genuine activities rather than chasing an award headline.

What to ask at College Central

Ask which current mechatronics, mechanical and electronics programmes are available for 2027; whether programming is central; how practical assessments work; and what safety instructions apply to equipment. Confirm the existing course titles rather than assuming previous Nitec names remain open.

Make a dated question list and verify the answers through official ITE channels. An award-winning team is an example of what selected learners achieved, not a guarantee for every intake.

How to report the award accurately next year

A 2027 update should preserve the original May 2026 award date and named team. If there is a confirmed new deployment, clinical evaluation or product development, it can be reported with a new source. Until then, the responsible status remains award-winning prototype.

This approach helps news articles remain useful without inflating future promises. Specific dates and original links allow readers to check the information independently.

Singapore education pathways: Full SBB, 2027 SEC and 2028 PSE

2027 ITE admissions: what the story does not change

The award belongs to ITE College Central and the 2026 Student Achievers’ Awards. It shows one student team’s achievement, but it does not grant a place in a current course or establish an applicant’s qualifications. Different entrants may need different programme routes, documents and assessments.

Identify the course and existing qualification before searching for admission dates. A school-leaver, existing Nitec graduate and working adult may have very different options. Use the current ITE course finder and the correct live exercise rather than old student-award titles.

How Full Subject-Based Banding affects the conversation

Singapore’s Full Subject-Based Banding system permits a student to take subjects at G1, G2 and G3 levels. The Posting Group is an initial secondary placement pathway, not a permanent definition of technical potential or a substitute for results.

For a named ITE course, compare the actual English, Mathematics, Science and other subject qualifications with the entry conditions. Don’t use a single posting-group label to tell a student a route is certain or impossible. Verify individually.

The SEC examination begins in 2027

The first Singapore-Cambridge Secondary Education Certificate examinations take place in 2027 and reflect subjects at G1, G2 and G3 levels. This replaces the separate N(T), N(A) and O-Level examination structures for the affected cohort while preserving relevant standards.

Students and parents must keep the examination year visible in any planning document. The SEC change does not retroactively alter a completed 2026 student award or a 2026 admission already determined under earlier rules.

MOE’s new post-secondary exercise starts in 2028

MOE plans the common Post-Secondary Admissions Exercise from 2028 after the first SEC results arrive in January. It will coordinate applications to JC, MI, polytechnics and ITE for eligible students. The reform does not mean that every 2027 application automatically uses the new portal.

Applicants seeking a 2027 start with existing GCE qualifications should follow the exercise for that cohort and qualification. Check MOE announcements for later details rather than assume dates.

How Higher Nitec routes can differ

ITE’s enhanced Higher Nitec curricula include three-year study routes and shorter stages for some qualified applicants. The student’s previous qualification and actual programme determine which duration may apply. The historic Nitec routes listed for a 2026 award team should not be sold as guaranteed options for new applicants.

Record the exact programme name, study mode, campus, duration for the applicant, practical subjects, assessment and available progression. A longer foundation route may be appropriate for some learners; course fit matters more than prestige or speed.

An applicant checklist without invented deadlines

Begin with the current course finder, then select the matching intake and applicant type. Read minimum grades and any assessment or special conditions, collect official documents and use the applicant’s own Singpass where required. Save the application acknowledgement and verify acceptance instructions.

A parent can help organise the process without assuming another student’s offer applies. Avoid copying exact dates from an older blog unless they are confirmed for the current intake.

Practical study can have professional safety rules

Engineering workshops, electronic systems and user-oriented projects may require supervised equipment access and safety instruction. An impressive lab photograph is not permission to operate machinery or collect data about another person. Technical competence includes knowing when authorisation is needed.

Ask which course activities require protection, supervision, consent and reporting. Beginners can explore concepts through safe diagrams, simulations and permitted classroom work before using specialist tools.

Industry partnerships and exceptional projects

A company may sponsor equipment, mentor a team or offer industry exposure, but the availability of those opportunities differs by programme and year. A student technology award illustrates one selected achievement, not a universal class assignment.

Ask which specific projects form part of a named course and how selection works. The strongest decision is based on modules and genuine interests, with optional experiences considered additional benefits rather than guarantees.

Fees, bursaries and everyday costs

The financial cost of study can include tuition, travel, devices, clothing, materials and meals. The correct amount depends on course, intake and applicant category; an older student’s fee statement may not apply. Some courses also require time or travel for external training.

ITE publishes financial assistance and bursary information for eligible learners. Families should investigate the current conditions and discuss support needs privately rather than reject an otherwise suitable programme without checking.

Student services and accessibility

A student may need academic support, counselling or help participating in practical learning. ITE provides official student-service routes. Some activities have safety requirements that should be discussed with authorised staff rather than decided through online assumptions.

Protect personal health and identity details when enquiring. A sustainable timetable and appropriate academic support can make a meaningful difference to attendance and learning.

A six-column family decision table

For each realistic programme, record the qualification and campus, entry criteria, daily practical tasks, assessment and work exposure, total costs and commuting, and possible progression. Attach the official URL and checked date. Unknowns should remain questions instead of guesses.

Ask the student which activities they would enjoy practising every week. Choosing by the work itself is more reliable than ranking a school by one trophy or a technology buzzword.

A credible applicant portfolio

A portfolio can show an original question, classroom-approved task, feedback, revision and explanation of limitations. It should credit group members and permitted AI assistance, and avoid confidential school, workplace or personal information.

Even a small safe design project can show a learner’s thinking when it is clear what they actually did. An applicant should never claim membership of the award-winning team without evidence.

Avoid admissions scams

Do not share Singpass credentials with unofficial recruiters or pay a personal account for a guaranteed ITE place. Verify unusual messages through ITE and the active admissions portal. A dated press release or article may remain online after the corresponding exercise changes.

The same care applies to claims about guaranteed jobs, overseas projects and medical benefits. An award does not establish any of those outcomes automatically.

Next reading and action

Read ITE’s official 2026 award profile for the names and project description. Then identify which technical or user-design aspect appeals to the learner, choose two current courses and compare their actual modules and entry criteria.

Record any unanswered questions and contact the college. The purpose of a useful news guide is to help readers move from an inspiring event to a realistic, evidence-based plan.

Action checklist with primary links

• ITE Student Achievers’ Awards announcement
• ITE 2026 Technology Award winning projects
• Current ITE course finder
• Current ITE admission exercises
• SEAB Secondary Education Certificate 2027 and MOE 2028 admissions reform
• ITE fees, financial assistance and official contact channels

Frequently asked questions

What is Sense to Score?

A student-designed four-button game intended to encourage hand coordination and finger response practice.

Which ITE college produced it?

ITE College Central.

Who led the team?

Muhammad Ariel Bin Azhar.

Who else participated?

Aqil Jubair Bin Mohamed Suhaidi, Chong Luo Quan, Beins Jovanna Leandra-Marie and John Emill Chiang.

When did Sense to Score win recognition?

At ITE Student Achievers’ Awards on 19 May 2026.

What course fields were represented?

Nitec in Mechatronics & Robotics and Nitec in Mechanical Technology.

What game modes exist?

ITE describes easy, medium and hard light-response settings and three choices of button resistance.

Is response time recorded?

ITE says the connected platform can record and analyse finger-response times.

Has it been clinically proven to improve grip strength?

The public award profile does not report controlled clinical validation.

Does it diagnose a neurological condition?

No. It is described as a game prototype, not a diagnostic medical device.

Is the device commercially available?

The official 2026 project profile does not establish a retail product launch.

How should an applicant find 2027 courses?

Use the active ITE course finder and intake directory for the correct qualification.

Original sources and next reading

The institutional award document establishes what was demonstrated and reported in 2026. Current course and application rules belong to the relevant ITE, MOE and SEAB pages.

• ITE 19 May 2026 Student Achievers’ Awards
• ITE 2026 technology projects, Sense to Score (Annex C page 21)
• ITE College Central School of Engineering facilities
• MOH September 2026 ageing and care response
• eduKateSingapore Central 2026 news
• eduKateSingapore Central Engineering 2026 guide
• ITE 2027 intake directory
• SEAB SEC guide
• MOE 2028 PSE

Related 2026 ITE Student Innovation Award projects

• College East iScore: inclusive carnival engineering
• College East Ragblox: textile waste coasters
• College West Safe Care Guardian: inactivity monitoring and privacy

Editorial declaration: eduKateSingapore is an independent educational publisher. It has not interviewed the project developers, performed clinical trials or verified commercial rollout. Technical descriptions are attributed to ITE’s public award documents; personal health decisions and professional equipment use require appropriate qualified advice, and admission decisions must be checked directly with ITE.