Their winning project, BuddyBot, is a smart assistant that helps individuals with Down Syndrome overcome challenges with executive functioning, building independence for their everyday routines, while alleviating the burden on their caregivers to provide constant guidance and support
SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 10 November 2025 – Samsung Electronics Singapore crowned Team BuddyBot from Edgefield Secondary School as the overall champion of the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow 2025 competition in Singapore. The team, made up of Bella Teo and Shannon Ong, stood out against a field of 90 participating teams with their project, BuddyBot – a smart assistant designed to help young individuals with Down Syndrome build daily living independence to lighten the load on their caregivers. As the winner, Team BuddyBot won $7,000 in cash and $10,000 worth of Samsung products to support the development of their solution. The team will also go on a sponsored trip to Samsung’s headquarters and innovation facilities in South Korea in December.
The second prize went to Team Through Their Eyes from Cedar Girls’ Secondary School for their immersive empathy-building simulation titled Through Their Eyes, which aims to cultivate inclusive and respectful online behaviour among youths. Third place was awarded to Team Pei Pei Hwa Hwa from Pei Hwa Secondary School, who created Ando Hypohidrosis Vests to help individuals who struggle to produce sweat keep cool in warm weather conditions. Team Smart Cane, made up of students from Nanyang Girls’ High School, Chung Cheng High School (Main), Springfield Secondary School and the School of Science and Technology Singapore, won the People’s Choice Award, whose Smart Cane solution for individuals with visual impairments received the highest number of public votes online.
Now into its ninth year, Samsung Solve for Tomorrow is a youth innovation platform that inspires youth to use technology and creativity to shape a better tomorrow for all. This year’s competition rallies secondary school students to help build a more secure future for Singapore following its SG60 milestone by contributing ideas surrounding four key themes – Environmental Sustainability; Sport, Health and Technology; Inclusivity and Social Harmony; and Digital Readiness and Security. Students can draw inspiration from Samsung’s innovation history, expertise, breakthroughs, and apply the learnings to solve real-world issues to make a positive impact on their country, community and the world.
Impressing the Judges at the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow 2025 Finals
Inspired to help young individuals with Down Syndrome overcome challenges with executive functioning, Team BuddyBot set out to develop a smart assistant to help such individuals manage their everyday routines more independently. Using a portable, compact device designed for users complemented by a mobile app for caregivers, BuddyBot enables caregivers to break down everyday tasks such as brushing teeth, washing hands and getting dressed into simpler steps via the app, and deliver easy-to-understand instructions through a combination of visual prompts and voice instructions using the compact device.
Beyond serving as a smart assistant that helps individuals with their routines, BuddyBot also taps artificial intelligence (AI) to analyse users’ past actions, to uncover notable patterns in the users’ behaviours (e.g., skipped steps; longer time spent on tasks) and the areas where the users are struggling. By unearthing insights on where users require more support and guidance, the solution can suggest changes to their daily routines and provide timely reminders to help them complete their daily tasks more independently.
“Many young individuals with Down Syndrome face challenges with executive functioning and need constant reminders and support from their caregivers to complete their daily tasks. Our solution, BuddyBot, can help these individuals build independence for their daily routines, and alleviate the burden on their caregivers. By giving families and caregivers a smart assistant that is built with accessibility, empathy and inclusion in mind, we hope to create meaningful impact and help improve the quality of life for families with special needs children,” said Shannon Ong.
“Today, as we face a myriad of complex global and local challenges, it is more important than ever for our youths to step out to champion social change in their respective communities. Samsung Solve for Tomorrow encourages students to think critically about societal issues and harness technology to create meaningful solutions that can make a real difference. I am heartened to see the depth of thinking that each team puts in to create original solutions that address key issues that they personally care about. By inspiring our next generation of leaders to take action and drive change in our society, I believe that they will make a tangible difference and help create a better tomorrow for Singapore,” said Jeffrey Hahn, President of Samsung Electronics Singapore.
Driving Positive Change Through Technology and Innovation
Team Through Their Eyes from Cedar Girls’ Secondary School secured second place with their project – Through Their Eyes – an empathy simulation that promotes inclusive and respectful online behaviour. Through their solution, the team aims to address the rise of cyberbullying and cancel culture by placing students in everyday scenarios to help them understand how hurtful comments can gradually erode self-esteem and lead to isolation. The simulation incorporates visual and audio effects, an emotional health tracker, and recovery options that teach students coping strategies such as reporting abuse or seeking help. Aimed for implementation during Character and Citizenship Education (CCE) lessons with Samsung Gear virtual reality (VR), laptops and smartphones, the simulation encourages empathy and responsible digital conduct by enabling youths to experience first-hand the long-lasting impact of cyberbullying.
The third prize went to Team Pei Pei Hwa Hwa from Pei Hwa Secondary School, who impressed the judges with their Ando Hypohidrosis Vests that help individuals with hypohidrosis, a condition where one struggles to produce sufficient sweat to keep one’s body temperature in check, manage their condition in Singapore’s sweltering climate. Through their solution, the team aims to help individuals with this condition reduce the risk of heat stroke and other heat related injuries as they go about their daily activities. The vests also empower them with the freedom to move, exercise and live actively without fear of overheating.
Team Smart Cane won the People’s Choice Award after receiving the most online votes for their project, Smart Cane – an innovative attachment designed to transform any traditional cane into a multifunctional mobility aid that enhances safety, independence, and confidence for the visually impaired. Equipped with sensors such as an ultrasonic distance detector, accelerometer, and Bluetooth module, the device detects nearby obstacles, monitors sudden movements, and transmits alerts to a connected smartphone app. Caregivers can track the user’s location and receive instant notifications during emergencies. By offering an affordable and user-friendly solution, the team aims to promote inclusivity and empower visually impaired individuals to navigate their surroundings with greater assurance and freedom.
“Technology has the power to break down barriers and unlock limitless potential for our youth, and the projects presented are testament to how today’s youth are leveraging such skills to shape the future. With opportunities to expand their skillsets and exposure to tech industry leaders, we hope that our youths can gain the confidence to pitch innovative solutions to drive social change and real-world impact,” said Karen Lee, Director of Partnership Lab, National Youth Council, and Solve for Tomorrow 2025 judge.
For more information on the Solve for Tomorrow 2025 competition, see Appendix A or visit https://www.samsung.com/sg/solvefortomorrow/.
Appendix A
About Samsung Solve for Tomorrow
The Samsung Solve for Tomorrow 2025 competition in Singapore was launched on 1 July 2025. Designed to ignite the passion for championing social change among youths, the competition provides a platform for secondary school students to express their creativity and passion, and address social issues through technology and innovation.
Competition Overview
Youths aged 12 and above and are full-time Secondary 1 – 5 students in Singapore are eligible for the competition. For students in secondary schools with 6-year Integrated Programme (IP), only full-time students in Secondary 1 – 4 are eligible to participate. The full list of eligible schools is available here.
10 finalist teams were shortlisted to participate in the finals held on 29 October 2025, where they presented their ideas to the following panel of judges:
- Leonard Tan Bahroocha, Director and Head of Product Innovation Team for Samsung Southeast Asia & Oceania
- Karen Lee, Director of Partnership Lab, National Youth Council
- Timothy Low, Chief Operating Officer of Tri-Sector Associates
- Daryl Lee, Head of PR, Social and KOL, Samsung Electronics Singapore
The ideas from the 10 finalist teams were also made available for online voting by the public. The finalist team with the most votes won the People’s Choice Award.
Judging Criteria for Finalist Teams
- 30%: Feasibility – How the solution can be created with technology, and implemented in society to address a present challenge.
- 20%: Creativity – Innovativeness, uniqueness and originality of proposed idea.
- 40%: Impact – Elaboration on the solution’s impact on potential users, and feedback from them on its ability to solve the identified issue.
- 10%: Presentation – Flow and effectiveness of the presentation.
Prizes
- First Prize – Samsung products worth $10,000, $7,000 cash prize, and a trip to South Korea to visit Samsung’s headquarters and innovation facilities
- Second Prize – Samsung products worth S$6,000 and $4,000 cash prize
- Third Prize – Samsung products worth S$3,000 and $2,000 cash prize
- People’s Choice Award: Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro and Galaxy A56 for each team member
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