In step with humanity
Inventor Aruna Samarawickrama was the recipient of the second Ray Award, awarded by the Ray Wijewardene Charitable Trust in memory of one of Sri Lanka’s most iconic inventors and thinkers. The Ray Award is given to an invention with the greatest potential for commercialization. Samarawickrama received the award for his invention of an artificial limb known as ‘Live Flex’ on Monday, August 24 at the Kingsbury.
The awards ceremony was attended by family, friends and colleagues of Ray Wijewardene. Chief Guest for the evening Otara Gunewardene delivered a succinct speech in which she noted that “as humans we have now decided that there is a certain way we need to think, a certain way we need to act, how much is good to have and how much we need, which really in most cases is far more than we actually require and often it is never enough.” She congratulated the nominees for choosing a path less travelled, saying “I can assure you, if you don’t waver and you follow your heart and listen to your soul, you will be rewarded and so will the world around you.”
The other nominees in the running for the award were Dinesh Katugampola (Radius Meter), Prof. K.K.Y.Perera (automatic electronic time and speed controller for ceiling fans) and Wing Commander P.L.L.C.S. Alwis (cold air retainer door screening system). Delivering the judges’ verdict, Chairman of the Panel of Judges Deepal Sooriyaarachchi noted that the task of the panel was to “look at Sri Lankan inventors in the right context.” For this task, a judging panel of six members with experience in a diverse array of fields was appointed. Mr. Sooriyaarachchi also noted that the shortlisted nominees were marked based on a simple formula used internationally to arrive at a consensus.
Mr. Samarawickrama was appreciative in particular of this judging panel following his win. “This is the first time I’ve been judged by such an experienced panel who were able to look at my product from all angles,” he told the Sunday Times. The Ray is the 40th award he has received for the artificial limb, which he designed in 2005 to help a disabled friend adjust to his daily life. The Live Flex limb is characterized by its customizability, allowing the manufacturer to tailor the leg to suit the height and weight requirements of the user- thus paving the way for natural movement of the ankle. Mr. Samarawickrama added that he was honoured to be recognized by the Trust in particular-“growing up in a village (Walgama in Matara) Ray Wijewardene was a hero for me,” he noted. “He was able to take his product to an international audience and I hope to do that myself someday. I’d also like to be able to donate more limbs to the needy and hope to take the message forward with the recognition from this award.”
In a joint statement Wijewardene’s daughters praised the inventor and others like him for their efforts. “We are so delighted to have such a deserving winner, whose impetus to create and innovate stems from his great humanity and love for his motherland,” they said. “Talking to the inventors we have become increasingly aware of the many struggles, setbacks and tribulations suffered by these creative people who are fuelled not by making money and being successful but fired by the need to help mankind, to make our world and our country a better place to live in. They are inventors and creators, not often entrepreneurs by nature. (We hope) that the prestige and positioning of this award attracts the entrepreneurs, the businessmen, the venture capitalists and the powerful who can take these ideas further into commercialization. It is only then that the award and the legacy of our father Ray Wijewardene will truly come into its own.”