Swinburne technology students win with vape-quitting app

Swinburne’s Master of Technology Students Vatana Chhorn and Klos Wasanapitranon have taken out the top prize in this year’s Design for Change STEM prototyping competition with Vapeo - Quit Vaping, an AI-powered mobile app designed to help young people overcome vaping addiction.

"The Shaping STEM Futures Program addresses the gap between academic learning and industry needs by providing students with interactive, student-led, interdisciplinary training. We connect students with community organisations and industry partners to co-design impactful, practical solutions—giving them the opportunity to receive feedback, gain recognition and see their work make a real-world difference," says Dr Bita Zaferanloo, Lead – Shaping STEM Futures Program.

Vapeo is a personalised quitting application designed to support young people in overcoming vaping addiction. Addressing the rising public health challenge of youth vaping, Vapeo provides flexible, evidence-based strategies tailored to each user's quitting journey. 

Unlike many existing apps, it responds directly to the diverse needs of young users by offering customised pathways for both gradual reduction and immediate cessation (or ‘going cold turkey’). Key features include gamified quit-time tracking, AI-driven personalised quitting plans, gradual quit pattern analytics and community-informed updates from real user feedback.

Master of Information Technology student Vatana is an experienced iOS developer and a former vaper. He integrated feedback from online communities such as Reddit and Facebook to guide app development. Meanwhile, Master of Information Technology student Kloss has a background in multidisciplinary design. He has used his advanced front-end skills to create an intuitive, user-focused interface that enhance the app’s overall user experience.

The students said they were excited about "the ripple effect: from single users to national change."

About Design for Change

As part of Swinburne’s Shaping STEM Futures program, the Design for Change competition challenges students to design and pitch an original STEM prototype, aligned with one of three inspiring visions:

• Inspiring school-aged students and girls in STEM, supported by The Invergowrie Foundation

• Making the world a safer place, championed by Insurance Australia Group Limited (IAG)

• Making the world a better place to live

Participants took part in workshops on Figma, Adobe Express and startup pitching before submitting a 300-word design outline and a 4-minute video showcasing their prototype. Finalists presented their projects at a live showcase event with judging and a Q&A, with top entries receiving prizes, and credit towards the Employability Award.

The competition promotes a collaborative and entrepreneurial mindset, encouraging students to think creatively, take risks and apply their technical skills to real-world challenges. Often linked to their academic studies or industry related projects, this experience enables students to develop strong communication and technical skills while creating impactful solutions.