Three of our Arm Ambassadors, Brenda Mboya, Nicabed Gathaba and Fidel Makatia joined forces to plan and host an Arm Innovation Day on September 28th, 2024, in their motherland, Kenya.
The dynamic event, which explored the latest innovation on Arm technology, was held at Arm(E3)NGAGE IEEE Ecosystem Lab at Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya, from 9:00am to 4:00pm. The Ecosystem Lab is one of many Arm networks of labs on the continent, which makes it feasible for the developer communities to come together to engage, learn and develop utilizing 21st-century tools.
The event started with a presentation on the Arm Developer Program by Brenda Mboya. She explored what the program is about and why the attendees would find it beneficial to join the community by signing up to be part of it. She highlighted the enormous benefits and opportunities available through the program and by utilizing resources like the Arm Developer Hub, among many other tools.
The keynote address was then delivered by Ben Roberts, an Innovation Architect who has been an active leader in Kenya’s telecommunication sectors over the past decade.
Ben Roberts took us on a captivating journey through his career, beginning with the legendary BBC computer, a nostalgic throwback to an era where installing a program was not as simple as a click. Instead, users had to manually write code to get the software up and running, a far cry from today’s streamlined processes. It was an eye-opener, showing just how much computing has evolved over the years. He emphasized the importance of joining developer communities and urged learners to get involved. He mentioned, "These extracurricular engagements can make a significant difference, as recruiters often look beyond academic qualifications to see who is actively participating in the tech ecosystem."
Nicabed gave an exciting and detailed session on AI on Arm, focusing on Executorch (PyTorch), an innovative end-to-end solution designed to enable on-device inference across a wide variety of platforms. These include mobile devices, edge devices, wearables, embedded systems, and even microcontrollers, making them highly versatile and cutting edge!
The session was interactive and hands-on, which gave the audience a chance to not just hear about the framework but also see how Executorch operates on mobile devices. Nicabed expertly guided participants through practical demonstrations, showing how this framework simplifies AI implementation in mobile and edge AI systems.
The audience were captivated by the capabilities of Executorch, and many developed a keen interest in exploring the framework further. It was an impressive showcase of how AI can seamlessly integrate into devices with limited resources, offering great potential for on-the-go AI solutions.
Fidel’s session on Windows on Arm was an absolute must-attend. He kicked off with an insightful overview of the architecture of Windows, delving into how Arm is revolutionizing the way developers approach app development.
His presentation made it clear that Arm is removing traditional limitations, providing developers with more flexibility and freedom to create high-performance apps without the constraints they may have faced in the past.
Fidel emphasized how Arm’s advancements are making the development process seamless and more efficient, allowing developers to optimize their apps for Windows on Arm devices. He explained how this evolution is improving performance, battery life, and overall user experience, making it a win-win for both developers and end-users.
To cap things off, Fidel conducted a hands-on session where he walked the audience through a live demonstration of a starter code for a Windows app. The participants got to see the development process in action, from setting up the environment to writing the initial code. This practical example helped the audience understand how easy it is to get started with app development on Windows using Arm technology.
The session was engaging and highly informative, leaving the audience excited about the possibilities and eager to dive into Windows on Arm development.
The event had over 100 registrations, with over 50 attendees actively engaging with the speakers and the Arm Ambassadors throughout the day.
This event was made possible by the generous support of Arm. The Arm Developer Program team provided branded SWAG and refreshments for the attendees.
A big thank you to the IEEE community at Kenyatta University for mobilizing students, to the staff at the University who ensured the event ran smoothly and a special thanks to Professor Maina and his team for making this day happen after months of planning.
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I enjoyed working with Kenyan Arm ambassadors Nicabed and Fidel on this. I am grateful to the arm team as well for all the support.