This innovative challenge invites students from across Europe to explore how everyday technology can empower people to take control of their own health. ECIU University, which consists of 12 forward-thinking European universities, focuses on solving real societal challenges. This gives students from member universities the opportunity to make a difference during their studies while strengthening their CVs.
The course combines the latest in biomedical optics with hands-on creativity. Students learn four key imaging techniques – spectroscopy, fluorescence, polarisation, and laser speckle imaging – adapted for smartphones. These methods have real-world applications, from monitoring wound healing to detecting skin changes.
– Science doesn’t have to be confined to a lab. It can start with curiosity and everyday objects – and it can be fun, says Rolf Saager, course coordinator.
Learning by doing
Instead of traditional lectures, students dive straight into practical experiments. They build simple spectroscopes using toilet rolls and diffraction gratings, test filters to see how light interacts with different substances and explore how to visualise small scars or collagen patterns in the skin using a mobile camera.
– We started with sunlight and then added filters – red, blue, green – to see how the light changes. It’s like playing with science, explains Agnieszka Zalupska, a biotechnology student from Poland. Mariana Teixeira Lopes, studying biomedical engineering in Portugal, adds:
– It’s amazing that something as simple as a toilet roll and a mobile phone can become a research tool.
For many, the appeal lies in applying theory to real-world problems. The challenge attracts participants from diverse fields – biotechnology, computer science, robotics, and interaction design – creating a rich interdisciplinary environment that students appreciate. Felicia Karso from Finland says:
– I’m glad we have people from different backgrounds. Everyone contributes unique knowledge, and that mix sparks new ideas.
Therese Winder
The course uses a “sandbox” approach, giving students freedom to experiment within a structured framework.
– It’s unconventional. Instead of me directing everything, the students drive the learning. They remember more because they discover things themselves, explains Rolf Saager.
Beyond technical skills, the course fosters curiosity and problem-solving – qualities essential for future innovators.
The Long-Term Goal?
Simple, affordable tools that people can use at home for preventive care and early detection. Imagine being able to check suspicious skin changes with your phone and know whether you should see a doctor. That’s the kind of empowerment the course aims to create.
