Alexander Amini
Encyclopedia
Alexander Amini is a scientist from Dublin, Ireland
. He is the winner of the 23rd European Union Contest for Young Scientists
and the 47th BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition
in 2011 at the age of fifteen for his project entitled: “Tennis Sensor Data Analysis: An Automated System for Macro Motion Refienment”.
, New York
and began to play tennis at the age of five years old, taught by his father. While living in New York
, Amini attended Yorktown High School
, where he took his first computer programming classes, learning to program in Java
, and Microsoft Visual Basic. In his spare time, Alexander also taught himself many other languages including Python
, C++
, BASH, AWK, and sed
.
. On August 28, 2010, he enrolled at Castleknock College
and began Fourth Year.
Alexander entered the 47th BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition with his project entitled "Tennis Sensor Data Analysis." On January 14th, 2011 Alexander was announced the BT Young Scientist and Technologist of the Year 2011 by Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills, Ms. Mary Coughlan, T.D and Graham Sutherland, CEO, BT Ireland . He was presented with a cheque for €5,000, a Waterford Crystal trophy and the opportunity to represent Ireland at the 23rd European Union Contest for Young Scientists
taking place in Helsinki
, Finland
in September 2011.
A quote from one of the interviewers of Alexander Amini:
. Alexander competed against 87 projects and a total of 38 different countries from all around the world during the competition hosted in Helsinki
, Finland
during September 2011. Again, Alexander won the top prize with his project entitled "Tennis Sensor Data Analysis: An Automated System for Macro Motion Refinement".
Colm O’Neill, CEO, BT addressing Alexander on the day of his win said:
, Mary McAleese
at Áras an Uachtaráin
on February 15, 2011.
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. He is the winner of the 23rd European Union Contest for Young Scientists
European Union Contest for Young Scientists
The European Union Contest for Young Scientists is a science fair, initiated by the European Commission. It is a part of the European Union Framework Programmes on Research, and is managed by the Directorate General for Research in the European Commission....
and the 47th BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition
Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition
The BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition , commonly called "the Young Scientist", is an annual competition that has been held in Dublin, Ireland every January since 1965 for encouraging interest in science in secondary and primary schools, currently sponsored by BT Ireland...
in 2011 at the age of fifteen for his project entitled: “Tennis Sensor Data Analysis: An Automated System for Macro Motion Refienment”.
Early life
Alexander Amini grew up in Yorktown HeightsYorktown Heights, New York
Yorktown Heights is a census-designated place in the town of Yorktown in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 1,781 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Yorktown Heights is located at ....
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and began to play tennis at the age of five years old, taught by his father. While living in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, Amini attended Yorktown High School
Yorktown High School (New York)
Yorktown High School is a public high school in Yorktown Heights, New York that serves students in grades 9-12. The school offers academic electives, sports, and student news and literary publications...
, where he took his first computer programming classes, learning to program in Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
, and Microsoft Visual Basic. In his spare time, Alexander also taught himself many other languages including Python
Python (programming language)
Python is a general-purpose, high-level programming language whose design philosophy emphasizes code readability. Python claims to "[combine] remarkable power with very clear syntax", and its standard library is large and comprehensive...
, C++
C++
C++ is a statically typed, free-form, multi-paradigm, compiled, general-purpose programming language. It is regarded as an intermediate-level language, as it comprises a combination of both high-level and low-level language features. It was developed by Bjarne Stroustrup starting in 1979 at Bell...
, BASH, AWK, and sed
Sed
sed is a Unix utility that parses text and implements a programming language which can apply transformations to such text. It reads input line by line , applying the operation which has been specified via the command line , and then outputs the line. It was developed from 1973 to 1974 as a Unix...
.
BT Young Scientist and Technologist
After completing the 9th grade Alexander and his family moved to Dublin, IrelandRepublic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. On August 28, 2010, he enrolled at Castleknock College
Castleknock College
Castleknock College is a private , secondary school for boys aged between 13 and 18, which is situated in the residential suburb of Castleknock, 8 km west of the city centre in Dublin, Ireland.-History:...
and began Fourth Year.
Alexander entered the 47th BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition with his project entitled "Tennis Sensor Data Analysis." On January 14th, 2011 Alexander was announced the BT Young Scientist and Technologist of the Year 2011 by Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills, Ms. Mary Coughlan, T.D and Graham Sutherland, CEO, BT Ireland . He was presented with a cheque for €5,000, a Waterford Crystal trophy and the opportunity to represent Ireland at the 23rd European Union Contest for Young Scientists
European Union Contest for Young Scientists
The European Union Contest for Young Scientists is a science fair, initiated by the European Commission. It is a part of the European Union Framework Programmes on Research, and is managed by the Directorate General for Research in the European Commission....
taking place in Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
in September 2011.
A quote from one of the interviewers of Alexander Amini:
European Union Young Scientist
After winning the top prize at his national competition, Alexander was offered the opportunity to represent Ireland in the European Union Contest for Young ScientistsEuropean Union Contest for Young Scientists
The European Union Contest for Young Scientists is a science fair, initiated by the European Commission. It is a part of the European Union Framework Programmes on Research, and is managed by the Directorate General for Research in the European Commission....
. Alexander competed against 87 projects and a total of 38 different countries from all around the world during the competition hosted in Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
during September 2011. Again, Alexander won the top prize with his project entitled "Tennis Sensor Data Analysis: An Automated System for Macro Motion Refinement".
Colm O’Neill, CEO, BT addressing Alexander on the day of his win said:
Tennis Sensor Data Analysis
Alexander's project, entitled: Tennis Sensor Data Analysis, was focused on sensors capable of capturing audio, video, and inertial data (such as accelerometers, gyroscopes, and magnetometers). In his study, he applied such inertial sensors onto the bodies of tennis athletes, collected and analyzed gigabytes of tennis sensor data. He discovered a technique for automatically distinguishing between 15 different tennis stroke types using only inertial data, with accuracy averaging over 98%. Alexander tested his algorithms after collecting data at the elite Sanchez-Casal Tennis Academy, and created a real-time computer software system that employs the algorithms he discovered. His algorithms analyse sports performance data as it is generated and provide unbiased and precise motion refinement feedback to the athlete or coach. Amini's findings are relevant to a wide variety of motion assessment scenarios in sports, physical therapy, and emergency response.Meeting the President of Ireland
Because of his achievements at the BT Young Scientist Exhibition Alexander was invited to meet the President of IrelandPresident of Ireland
The President of Ireland is the head of state of Ireland. The President is usually directly elected by the people for seven years, and can be elected for a maximum of two terms. The presidency is largely a ceremonial office, but the President does exercise certain limited powers with absolute...
, Mary McAleese
Mary McAleese
Mary Patricia McAleese served as the eighth President of Ireland from 1997 to 2011. She was the second female president and was first elected in 1997 succeeding Mary Robinson, making McAleese the world's first woman to succeed another as president. She was re-elected unopposed for a second term in...
at Áras an Uachtaráin
Áras an Uachtaráin
Áras an Uachtaráin , formerly the Viceregal Lodge, is the official residence of the President of Ireland. It is located in the Phoenix Park on the northside of Dublin.-Origins:...
on February 15, 2011.