A group of Computer and Electrical Engineering students won as Champions in the first Hackathon Competition organized by USHER Technologies, in cooperation with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and the Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology Research and Development (PCIEERD).
The nationwide hackathon contest aims to discover and unravel insights from an anonymized vibration data of a building and determine its "signature" using artificial intelligence algorithms. A total of eleven schools participated in the competition including FEU Institute of Technology, Asian Institute of Management, De La Salle University - Manila, Bulacan State University, Colegio de Muntinlupa, Mapua University, Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, St. Peter’s College - Iligan City, Technological Institute of the Philippines, University of Batangas, and University of the Assumption.
Out of these participating schools, the iTamaraw team called “AIssentials” (composed of Joey Bisnar, Jay Anne Cipriano, Ervin Co, Mon Impelido, and Tiara Roz A. Peregrino) managed to make it to the top with the presentation of their "Real-Time Earthquake Damage Detection System".
According to Cipriano, the team leader, their project was built to assess the severity of a certain tectonic plate movement caused by an earthquake.
“Once the Earthquake Recording Instrument produces acceleration data, our system’s algorithm automatically analyzes the movement. Once completed, results of the algorithm will be the basis of the required intervention you must do,” she explained.
Cipriano expounded further saying that their system has the ability to notify its users if an earthquake brought a slight, moderate, or extreme damage in a building.
“If it's slight, you don’t have to take any action. If it’s moderate, you can do some inspection because there might be cracks or faults in your structure. Lastly, if it’s extreme, you need to rebuild the components. That’s the basic functionality of our system,” she added.
When asked about the edge of their project as compared to the other entries, Cipriano said it was all about having a solid basis and support system from the FEU family. She even revealed they worked night and day to finish this project while constantly communicating with several Civil Engineering professors.
“Perhaps the reason why our project was able to stand out was because it has a solid basis. Other schools only categorized the vibration’s data to what they know. In our case, it was different. We were supported by different mentors. Almost everyone from FEU contributed to make this contest successful,” she exclaimed.
“That’s really one factor that gave us a good edge --- the reliability and credibility of our assessment tool. Even if you don’t make any more modifications on our project, it’s already ready for public use.”
On obtaining the needed skill set for the competition
Meanwhile, Co reiterated that when joining hackathon competitions, a participant must always be knowledgeable in programming, critical thinking, and communication. For him, these set of skills played a huge role in their team’s success.
“Since this is a hackathon, we must know how to program very well and assess which programming language fits right for our project. Critical thinking, on the other hand, is applied in understanding and analyzing the problems given to us as well as creating ideas that can help throughout the contest. Lastly, the most important for me is communication because without this skill, we could not have gone this far and win the competition,” Co explained.
Peregrino added that analytical and creativity skills are needed as well to thrive in this type of competition.
“Even though the topics given to us were out of our spectrum or expertise, if you’re great in analyzing data, you’ll still be able to comprehend its parameters and relationship. Also, if you’re creative enough, you’ll be able to think outside the box to produce a good output. I think when you have these two skills, you’ll really be able to ace the hackathon competition,” she said.
Team AIssentials was announced as the 1st Placer for Usher Technologies’ Hackathon Competition held on July 15 to 17, 2021.
As a reward, the team received a cash prize from Usher Technologies but they have yet to discuss how they are going to spend the money. Nevertheless, they are calling and hoping for support from FEU Tech and its Innovation Center team should they decide to introduce their project into a bigger market or audience.
“Our project is almost nearing total completion. What we just really need now is funding for a possible startup implementation and purchase of Earthquake Recording Instruments. We hope FEU Tech can continue to support us in this area,” Cipriano said.
On overcoming challenges
Since the competition was held during their final exam week, the students had to prioritize and manage their time wisely which resulted in a big challenge for the team. They also had to conduct everything online --- from their preparation to the actual competition itself.
“The first challenge we really encountered was that we’re not together face-to-face. We had to collaborate ideas and do everything online,” Bisnar said.
Impelido added that at some point, this experience challenged their mental health because they had to figure out everything at the nick of time. Fortunately, every ounce of stress and hard work became worthwhile in the end.
“I wanna say that this competition has really challenged us mentally. The stress we experienced was overwhelming. But overall, it was a good ride and a very fulfilling journey. Also, a competition like this one is a good avenue for self exploration, self development, to test your existing skill sets, or even discover the hidden skills you have,” he said.
Full-time Computer Engineering faculty Engr. Nino U. Pilueta, who also served as one of the team’s coaches, shared the same thoughts about joining these kinds of competitions. In an interview, Pilueta said these competitions enhance the students’ ability to express their ideas, accept challenges, and improve their ability to think critically.
“The rewards are just consolation prizes. Joining competitions can also help your professional growth and even our educational goals,” he highlighted.
Further, Director of Mathematics and Physical Sciences Engr. Daryl D. David believes that exposing students to local and international competitions can equip them with different learnings which aren’t found inside the classroom.
“There are a lot of things that we can still learn from experience. Things that go beyond the classroom. It’s also very important nowadays because in a world where everyone is so competitive, the only edge that you have is your experience,” he explained.
“I’d like to say that we must continue joining these competitions because basically, FEU won’t be FEU without its letter ‘e’ which is excellence.”
FEU Institute of Technology offers competitive programs in Civil Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Electronics Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering.
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