UK coders head for global contest

The winning team from Hull must now prepare for the grand final

A team of British students is to represent the UK in a global software development contest run by Microsoft.

Three students from the University of Hull won the UK competition with software designed to help patients recovering in intensive care units.

They will now travel to India to battle teams from around the world for a share of a $215,000 (£124,000) prize fund in the Imagine Cup.

The team used Microsoft technology and web services to build their software.

Andy Sterland, Tom Randall and James Lissiak declared themselves "over the moon" to have beaten nine other teams in the UK competition.

Each of them demonstrates a very insightful and mature appreciation of how technology can solve real-world problems Kevin McDaniel Microsoft

The trio - who competed as Team Three Pair - developed an application called Digital Recovery Environment, designed to reduce the emotional trauma caused by memory loss in critically ill patients.

The application delivers personal messages, news and other media to patients' hospital bedsides.

"We really feel we have an application that can have a positive impact on people's lives at a time when they're at their most vulnerable," said Andy Sterland.

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Microsoft's Kevin Daniel commended the standard of entries across the board.

"Each of them has created an application that pushes and challenges the power and potential of technology and demonstrates a very insightful and mature appreciation of how technology can solve real-world problems," he said.

The four-year-old Imagine Cup attracted entries from more than 38,000 students from more than 140 countries this year.

Entries are split into six categories: software design, algorithm, information technology, short film, interface design and Project Hoshimi, a programming battle.

Organisers say the competition offers students the chance to explore technological and artistic opportunities away from regular classroom activities.