On October 13th, 2024, we hosted an exciting event at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. Arm community in College Station collaborated with IEEE Texas A&M to organise a hackathon that attracted 160 participants, with 15 innovative projects presented. The main aim of the event was to see what solutions participants could build on Arm to solve common problems in the society.
The judging panel included distinguished individuals such as Jim Spohrer, former IBM Director; Mrs Rupal Jain, a former Manager at Micron; and myself, who served as an Arm Ambassador. The 3 best performing teams were recognised for their efforts. The top team were awarded iPads, the second-placed team received gaming monitors, and the third-place team were rewarded with Sony headsets.
A sample of the projects presented include:Cat Scanner (Smart Cat Feeder): This innovative project was created to provide cat owners with an automated solution to feeding their cats and ensuring that their food bowls were always filled. The system is capable of identifying individual cats and preventing other cats from accessing the designated meal. Using advanced ML algorithms, the system was trained to recognize each specific cat. Developed on an Arm-based platform, this project achieved the top position in the competition, and the dedicated team members were honoured with iPads for their outstanding achievement.
2Smart 3D Printer Ecosystem: The project secured the 1st runner-up position by creating a 3D printer accessory with internet connectivity, enabling users to remotely print their designs. The system included a feature to detect when the filament was empty and alert the user for a refill. Moreover, in case of filament depletion, the system could pause the print job and redirect it to another available printer. The project was developed using a Raspberry Pi Pico W, an Arm-based MCU. As a token of appreciation, the team members were rewarded with gaming monitors for their outstanding achievements.
IoT Fridge: The system was designed to wirelessly control the temperature of a refrigerator. The developers created the project to tackle a specific issue: inconsistent temperature when storing ice cream in the freezer and fridge sections. To address this, a system was built using a Raspberry Pi Pico W, an Arm-based MCU. Additionally, the system was connected to the secured campus Wi-Fi, allowing remote temperature monitoring to ensure that the ice cream was always stored at the ideal temperature. The live demonstration of the system in action during the presentation was particularly engaging. As a result of this project, the team earned the second runner-up position and were awarded with a Sony Headphones.Magic Mirror: This AI-powered mirror was designed to assess skin quality and detect acne. It used an AI algorithm running on a Raspberry Pi, an Arm-based MCU, and a camera module to analyse the face for signs of acne. The team is planning to further develop a mobile application to enhance the user interface and experience. Some of the feedback they received was to explore and adopt the use of Kleidi AI to accelerate their models for improved performance.
Digital Astrolabe: This team developed a system that serves as an alternative to GPS satellites for navigation. The system, built on a Raspberry Pi Pico (Arm-based), tracks the position of the sun and uses algorithmic calculations to determine longitude and latitude. Their future plans include miniaturising the device to make it more portable and user-friendly. They also aim to enhance the user experience with ML integration.
Bicycle Anti-Theft: This team developed a solution to address the problem of bicycle theft on campus. Built on an Arm-based Raspberry Pi Pico W board, the system could track a bicycle's location and send a push notification to the owner's phone if someone attempted to unlock it without consent. The notification included a live link to the bicycle's location.
Other projects presented included a Digital Backpack designed to track the contents of the bag, a Self-Balancing Two-Wheel Robot that used machine learning and computer vision for navigation, a Smart Prescription Machine to remind the elderly when it's time to take their medication, a Smart Solar Power Tracking System, a Smart Vacuum Cleaner powered by machine learning, and a Smart Mail Detector that could notify users if new mail had been placed in their mailbox or if an approved person was accessing their mail.
All the solutions were based on Arm technology, and it was exciting to see the power of Arm and how the community in College Station is utilizing it as a tool for innovation.
This hackathon was a tremendous success! It was amazing to see what people could build using Arm technology. We plan to organise another hackathon early next year to give those who missed this one a chance to participate. Additionally, follow-up workshops will be carried out to continue training the community with hands-on knowledge in preparation for the next hackathon. The community in college station is really growing.
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