MakeOHI/O 2024: A Recap
This past weekend, I had the opportunity to attend Ohio State University’s biggest makeathon, MakeOHI/O. It took place on March 23rd and 24th, drawing in more than 200 students from both undergraduate and graduate programs.
Representing 99P Labs as a mentor and judge at MakeOHI/O, I was privileged to experience the impressive commitment and teamwork among participants. The event served as a testament to the OHI/O community’s shared passion for innovation and problem-solving, exemplifying the dedication that sets this community apart.
Knowlton Hall was buzzing with enthusiasm as students approached challenging problems with inventive solutions. The collaborative atmosphere fostered meaningful interactions between mentors and students, encouraging the exchange of ideas and fostering growth in a supportive environment.
In this blog post, I’m excited to share more about the challenge we set for the students: to rethink mobility through working alongside AI. I’ll also shine a light on some of the outstanding projects, including the project that took first place and three others that earned medals. Their work really shows what these talented students can do when given the chance to push their limits.
Balancing Inspiration and Innovation with a Themed Approach
Creating a compelling challenge prompt for students can often feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. This time, we experimented with a new approach in hope of keeping the task engaging yet manageable. The challenge was centered on innovating mobility through human-AI collaboration — a hot topic, yet broad enough to encourage a variety of interpretations and innovative outcomes.
The core of this challenge was to rethink and expand upon traditional mobility concepts, with AI not only enhancing but also empowering. We urged students to think broadly, blending human creativity with artificial intelligence and cutting-edge technology to forge new paths in mobility.
To guide their brainstorming process, we provided three areas for inspiration:
AI-Enhanced Environmental Perception
This area encouraged students to envision AI’s role in improving how mobility systems understand their surroundings. The challenge was to design algorithms and data capture methods that enhance a system’s ability to perceive, interpret, and react to environmental changes. By improving situational awareness in complex environments, AI could significantly increase the safety and efficiency of mobility solutions, opening up new avenues for intelligent data fusion techniques.
Human-AI Collaboration
Here, the focus was on exploring effective ways for AI systems to collaborate with humans, enhancing navigation safety, efficiency, and decision-making. This challenge sought to find the balance where AI complements human actions, ensuring mobility solutions are not only efficient but also intuitive and seamless to use, fostering a partnership where both humans and AI contribute their unique strengths.
Personalized Mobility
The challenge in Personalized Mobility was to create adaptive, AI-driven services tailored to individual user preferences, contexts, and environmental factors. This area inspired students to consider how AI could understand and anticipate the needs of users, delivering uniquely personalized mobility experiences through intuitive human-computer interaction (HCI) solutions.
Understanding the constraints students face, especially time, we suggested leveraging low-fidelity prototyping, digital tools, and “Wizard of Oz” simulations. These methods allow for the quick, effective demonstration of ideas without the need for fully working prototypes. Our goal was to encourage creativity and feasibility, showcasing how these concepts could realistically influence future mobility solutions.
The response to the challenge was remarkably positive. We received eight entries, each displaying impressive creativity, thoughtfulness, and innovation. The quality of these projects surpassed expectations, demonstrating that providing the right balance of guidance and freedom can empower students to produce exceptional work in the realm of human-AI collaboration.
This year’s challenge wasn’t just about generating ideas but about pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in mobility. By exploring new ideas, each team took important first steps in addressing the complex problems facing the world of mobility. As we delve into the projects in the next section, it’s evident that these collaborations demonstrate the possibility of transformative impact of AI on mobility. Each project serves as a testament to the potential for innovation, sustainability, and enhanced human experiences in the world of mobility.
Celebrating Innovation and Empowering Every Participant
In any competition, deciding on the winners is often the most challenging part for a judge. At MakeOHI/O 2024, this task was especially daunting. Students pour immense effort and creativity into their projects, only to have a brief moment to present their ideas. It’s based on this short presentation that we, as judges, must determine the top projects — a responsibility we find incredibly weighty and, at times, insufficient for truly appreciating the depth of their work.
This year, we sought to address this discomfort with the traditional judging process by adopting a unique awards structure: one first-place prize and three medals. This decision was driven by our least favorite aspect of these events — the feeling that we might not fully acknowledge each student’s hard work and innovative thinking.
The move from the standard first, second, and third prizes to one top prize and three medals was an attempt to broaden recognition and appreciation. This approach aimed to acknowledge more projects for their exceptional ideas and execution, making the event feel more inclusive and recognizing the diverse talents present.
While this new approach succeeded in recognizing a wider number of teams, it still left something to be desired. Even though our goal was to honor more projects, we couldn’t shake the nagging sense that we hadn’t done enough to acknowledge the full spectrum of talent and dedication on display. The reality that not all projects could be celebrated weighed heavily on us. It’s disheartening to consider that some participants might depart feeling overlooked, despite the passion and hard work they invested in their projects.
This sentiment stands in stark contrast to what we envision for hackathons. Our goal is for every student to leave feeling empowered, their minds abuzz with ideas and the satisfaction of having embraced a challenge. The event is about more than winning; it’s about the journey — exploring new concepts, collaborating, and pushing beyond one’s limits.
As we contemplate the awards process and its results from this year, it’s evident that there’s still progress to be made. Although we’ve taken steps to honor a greater number of students, our primary objective should be to guarantee that each and every participant leaves with a feeling of accomplishment and acknowledgment for their efforts. Looking forward, we’ll continue to seek ways to make this aspiration a reality, aiming to make the hackathon experience enriching and affirming for everyone involved.
Despite the challenges of the judging process and the lingering desire to celebrate every participant’s hard work, our challenge saw some truly remarkable projects that stood out for their ingenuity and execution. The winners, exemplified the spirit of innovation and creativity that our prompt aimed to foster. Let’s take a closer look at the projects that earned the top prize and medals, and explore how they pushed the boundaries.
Showcasing the 99P Labs Make OHI/O 2024 Challenge Winners
Next up, we’ll showcase the winning projects from our challenge. We’ll start with the 1st prize winners, followed by highlighting our three outstanding medalist teams. These projects are really interesting, so keep reading to learn more about the incredible work these talented teams have accomplished. Join us in celebrating their hard work!
1st Place Winners: Team Banana Bread
Team Banana Bread secured first place in our challenge. They created a project on blind spot detection and handling for autonomous vehicles. By addressing a critical safety concern in the field of scene understanding, the team demonstrated a deep understanding of the challenges associated with real-world scenarios and showcased their ability to apply advanced technologies such as computer vision and machine learning to create practical solutions.
What truly set Team Banana Bread’s project apart was their forward-thinking approach to scene understanding. Rather than focusing solely on present-tense analysis, they explored the potential hazards that could emerge from unseen areas, effectively applying a predictive component to their solution. This predictive aspect highlighted their commitment to not only addressing current challenges but also anticipating future issues in mobility, ensuring that their solution remains relevant and valuable in an ever-evolving technological landscape.
The team’s commitment to making mobility safer and more aware of their surroundings was evident throughout their project. Their emphasis on affordability and accessibility further underscored their dedication to creating solutions that can be adopted widely. They introduced a promising approach to boost the performance and safety of autonomous driving systems by blending depth estimation algorithms, customized post-processing methods, and real-time hazard assessment.
Team Banana Bread’s victory highlights their adeptness in identifying a significant domain problem within scene understanding. They showcased not only their technological skills but also their ability to address this issue with innovation and precision. Their win underscores the importance of recognizing such challenges and applying advanced techniques to devise effective solutions in the realm of self-driving technology.
Medalist: Hummingbird Walker
Team No Sin Da Woo’s project, the “Hummingbird Walker,” aimed to solve the problem of visually impaired individuals facing obstacles and navigating their surroundings safely. Recognizing the challenges faced by this demographic, especially among the aging population, the team drew inspiration from their experiences working at a senior facility where they witnessed firsthand the difficulties encountered by visually impaired individuals.
The team’s solution focused on creating an affordable and user-friendly device capable of detecting obstacles and providing effective navigation assistance. They designed a system using an Arduino Uno as the central processing unit, integrating various sensors and motors to achieve their objectives. Key features included an HC-SR04 ultrasonic sensor for obstacle detection and a joystick-controlled servo motor for enhanced scanning capabilities.
What sets the Hummingbird Walker apart is its affordability, costing less than $150 in components compared to other solutions on the market that can exceed $2,000. Additionally, the device incorporates user-friendly features such as Morse code functionality and audio feedback systems, catering to the diverse needs of its users. Looking ahead, the team plans to integrate components onto a single Raspberry Pi for faster processing, explore communication with autonomous vehicles, and consider connecting audio feedback directly to hearing aids for enhanced discretion and aesthetics.
In conclusion, Team No Sin Da Woos Hummingbird Walker offers an impressive solution to a critical issue faced by the visually impaired community. Through their dedication to affordability, accessibility, and user-centric design, the team has created a device with the potential to significantly improve the quality of life for those with visual impairments, setting a commendable example for future assistive technology projects.
Medalist: ParkAssist
Team Make Magic, our next medalist team, developed an innovative solution called “ParkAssist” to tackle the common problem of finding vacant parking spaces in crowded lots. Their project aims to save drivers time, reduce traffic congestion, and minimize the environmental impact of vehicles searching for parking.
The team identified that drivers often waste significant time and fuel navigating through parking lots to find available spaces. To address this issue, they created ParkAssist, a system that utilizes ultrasonic sensors and cameras to detect the presence of vehicles approaching parking spaces. By analyzing and mapping data from the sensors using AI software, ParkAssist determines the availability of parking spots and guides drivers to the nearest empty space.
One impressive aspect of ParkAssist is its focus on dataset creation. Using the open-source software Yolo V5, the team’s AI recognition system detects vehicles in a simulated parking lot and collects data based on their X and Y coordinates. This dataset creation element is crucial for training machine learning models to accurately predict parking space availability and optimize navigation guidance.
ParkAssist has the potential to save drivers an average of 17 hours per year, reduce up to 30% of urban traffic congestion caused by parking searches, and provide significant economic and environmental benefits. The team targets healthcare professionals, students, professors, and visitors to malls, movie theaters, and tourist attractions as their primary audience.
ParkAssist stands out from existing parking solutions by offering motion sensor navigation integration, real-time availability, and a commitment to future enhancements, such as integration with smart city infrastructure and the development of a mobile application.
Medalist: No Name
Team “No Name,” took on a significant challenge in the realm of GPS applications — the lack of inclusivity for individuals with mobility setbacks. Current navigation systems frequently neglect the distinct requirements of users with mobility impairments, hindering their independence and ease of movement. Acknowledging this issue, the team focused on creating a navigation solution that addresses the specific needs of this underserved group. Their project sought to enhance accessibility by designing an innovative system that empowers individuals with varied mobility impairments to navigate urban settings confidently and efficiently.
In response to the identified problem, Team “No Name” devised a solution that integrates advanced technologies to empower individuals with mobility challenges. At the core of their approach lies the incorporation of AI to improve pedestrian navigation. Leveraging AI algorithms, the system dynamically generates graphs of pedestrian locations, continuously updating the environmental map based on real-time user feedback. The adaptive nature of this feature ensures that navigation recommendations stay accurate and appropriate, considering the varied requirements and preferences of different users. Furthermore, the team’s solution adopts a comprehensive approach, combining hardware and software elements to improve accessibility and ease of use. They developed a prototype utilizing Arduino technology, enabling tactile navigation guidance through a joystick interface, along with visual and auditory cues for direction indication. This holistic integration of hardware and software not only facilitates seamless navigation but also prioritizes inclusivity by accommodating users with varying sensory abilities.
There were many aspects of the project we liked. Foremost, their innovative use of AI to dynamically create pedestrian location graphs, coupled with real-time user feedback, demonstrates a forward-thinking approach to navigation technology. By prioritizing adaptability and user-centric design, the team’s solution holds the potential to revolutionize pedestrian navigation, ensuring accessibility for all. Additionally, their emphasis on diverse direction displays, catering to users with visibility and hearing impairments, underscores a dedication to inclusivity and user empowerment. Furthermore, the tangible prototype developed by the team, incorporating Arduino technology for tactile navigation guidance, exemplifies a practical and user-friendly solution to the identified problem. Overall, Team “No Name” has demonstrated exemplary innovation and dedication in developing an inclusive pedestrian navigation system that addresses the diverse needs of individuals with mobility impairments, setting a precedent for inclusive design in the realm of navigation technology.
Conclusion
In conclusion, MakeOHI/O continues to solidify its reputation as a highly enjoyable and innovative hackathon event. The focus on hardware prototyping provides an exciting platform for participants to showcase their creativity and technical prowess. This year’s event was particularly successful, as evident from the high levels of engagement and the remarkable quality of projects presented. The combination of enthusiastic participants and their innovative ideas contributed to an engaging atmosphere, highlighting why MakeOHI/O remains a standout event in the world of hackathons.
If you found this glimpse into the hackathon rewarding, I welcome you to stay engaged with our community. Consider subscribing to the 99P Labs blog to stay updated on the latest developments, connecting on LinkedIn to expand your professional network, or reaching out to explore partnership opportunities that can help foster further collaboration and innovation within the field. Together, we can continue to drive progress and celebrate the achievements of talented individuals in the hackathon community.
