Top 10 wireless apps advance to finals of 5th SWEEP Innovation and Excellence Awards
[November 11, 2008/MANILA]
Making it to the final round of the 5th SWEEP Innovation and Excellence
Awards are wireless applications developed by student-teacher teams
from the Ateneo de Davao University, Ateneo de Manila University,
Bulacan State University, Systems Plus College, and University of San
Carlos.
The five schools came up with the top 10 mobile solutions designed
to help communities build their capacity to prepare for the onslaught
of natural disasters in order to mitigate losses. They bested 76 other
entries submitted by teams from SWEEP partner schools nationwide based
on the theme “Strengthening Community-Based Emergency Management
System”.
Working models
of their innovative wireless applications will be on display and open
to public demonstration during a three-day SWEEP Awards culminating
event to be held on March 12 to14 at the Mega Trade Hall of SM Mega
Mall in Mandaluyong.
These
include a system that makes use of social networking, SMART SMS and
SMART Money transfer to gather relief goods. Another one is an
emergency management system that integrates GPS and GIS technology to
easily locate, search, and rescue victims.
Also
securing a finals appearance is an automatic multipoint and
simultaneous fire detection and dissemination system that works through
wireless data transmission and the Internet. Not to be easily outdone
is a typhoon forecasting system that employs SMART’s Base Transceiver
Stations (BTS) combined with a sensor suite patterned after the
radiosconde technology.
Other
contenders for the top three spots include a contacts disseminator that
functions as an emergency contact directory to aid cell phone users in
getting in touch with the proper organizations and/or persons in times
of need; a system combining a device and a phone application designed
to detect household threats, specifically, fire-related cases and
intruders; and a server that converts text messages to voice messages
to help the elderly, blind and partially sighted individuals.
Completing
the roll of finalists are a weather forecast system designed to monitor
the wave levels of certain areas and at the same time function as a
tsunami indicator; a system designed to detect electrical current loss
that provides assistance to residences by automatically sending an
advisory to authorities and power companies in the event of a blackout;
and a flood information system that makes use of the SMART Person
Finder to accurately provide subscribers situations on nearby public
roads through SMS, MMS and the Internet.
Final
judging will consist of team presentations and evaluation of the
working models. Winning teams will be awarded cash prizes while their
schools will receive an equivalent amount in the form of a grant. First
prize is P500,000; second prize, P300,000; and third prize, P150,000.
Aside
from the proclamation of winners, a much anticipated side activity is
the annual PalaECEpan quiz bee where engineering students from SWEEP
partner schools will battle it out in easy, moderate and difficult
rounds to determine the smartest of the pack. This year’s PalaECEpan
will be conducted by the Institute of Electronics Engineers of the
Philippines (IECEP).
Making
the 5TH SWEEP Awards even more exciting are two new featured challenges
– the “Doon Po Sa Amin” for Smart Schools partners, and the “Customer
Service Innovation” competition open to IT students of SWEEP, ADIS and
HR partners.
Other event
highlights include a mini job fair, interactive booth exhibits, free
Internet surfing, raffle draws, and live entertainment courtesy of
today’s hottest artists.
The
annual SWEEP Innovation and Excellence Awards is organized by Smart
Communications, Inc. (SMART) as part of the company’s Smart Wireless
Engineering Education Program (SWEEP), an industry-academe partnership
program that helps raise the level of technology and engineering
education in the country.
(Published 11 November 2008, Smart Communications, Inc.)