UTAR Faculty of Information and Communication Technology (FICT) showcased their talent with four teams securing first, second, and third prizes at the ViTrox Tech 4 Good Challenge held on July 8, 2023, at ViTrox in Penang.
The first-prize-winning team, named "Martial Art," comprised three members: Yeoh Ban Choon and Ng Shi Qi, Bachelor of Computer Science (Honours) students, along with Yap Chee Kuang, a Bachelor of Information Technology (Honours) Communications and Networking student. Their project, "Augmented Reality (AR) Martial Arts Education Application," earned them the championship title in the "Well Being" track.
The AR Martial Arts Education Application aimed to make learning martial arts accessible and engaging using Augmented Reality (AR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Led by Yeoh, the team drew inspiration from their diverse martial arts backgrounds and shared passion for promoting martial arts. Their goal was to raise awareness about the benefits of martial arts, making it accessible to people of all ages and skill levels. The application provided personalized learning modules with instant feedback and 3D visualizations, revolutionizing martial arts training.
Ng highlighted that the application contributed to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially in Quality Education (SDG 4) and Gender Equality (SDG 5) by promoting inclusive martial arts education and empowering young people. Yap expressed their surprise and motivation upon becoming champions and credited UTAR's supportive and innovative environment, particularly the guidance from faculty members in refining the application.
The victorious Martial Art team received RM3,000 cash prize, medals, and certificates in recognition of their exceptional achievement.
Continuing the remarkable success of the Martial Art team, two more teams, Reef and GPT0, achieved second place in the competition. The three-member team Reef, consisting of Bachelor of Computer Science (Honours) students Oh Jia Sheng, Lim Xuan, and Yvonne Eng Xin Yee, secured second prize in the "Sustainability" category for their project titled "Food Donation."
The "ReeF: Recycle Food" project by Team Reef aimed to combat food wastage through a mobile app empowering users to manage and reduce food waste. It featured food freshness detection, donation options, a decentralized reward system, and IoT for food redistribution. Their goal was to raise awareness about food waste and align with Sustainable Development Goals, especially zero hunger and climate action.
Team leader Ong said, "Our inspiration came from global concerns about food waste, motivating us to create a practical solution. We wanted to use technology to raise awareness and empower individuals to reduce food waste. The app is user-friendly, helping users assess food freshness, prevent overbuying, and engage in waste reduction. IoT streamlines food redistribution."
Lim explained, "ReeF promotes responsible consumption, reduces landfill waste, and supports hunger relief. The reward system encourages social responsibility. It contributes to SDGs, benefiting society, the environment, and the industry."Eng emphasized their innovative approach and the valuable support from UTAR in their success.
Team Reef received RM1,500, medals, and certificates for their outstanding achievement.
Moving to another accomplishment, the GPT0 team consisted of students Tan Sin Chee, Lee Wei Song, and Daniel Looi Jun Jie, all pursuing Bachelor of Computer Science (Honours) degrees. They were awarded RM1,500 for their project titled "Talkable" in the "Well Being" category.
Explaining their project, they said, "Our winning project, 'Talkable,' is an innovative application designed to bridge the communication gap for the deaf and mute community. It provides an interactive and immersive platform for learning and practicing sign language. Using Augmented Reality (AR) technology, the app overlays sign language videos on real-world objects, creating an engaging learning experience. Additionally, it features sign language recognition to facilitate communication between the deaf and mute and those who can speak. The application also includes a comprehensive library of images with vocabulary labels to assist illiterate users in constructing sentences and effectively communicating. In essence, our project aims to empower the deaf and mute community, promote social inclusion, and enhance their overall well-being."
Regarding their motivation, they stated, "Our inspiration for the Talkable project arises from our profound passion for technology and our desire to make a positive impact on the lives of the deaf and mute community. Witnessing the communication challenges faced by these individuals and their struggle for social integration, we saw the potential of technology to significantly enhance their quality of life. Building on our experiences in hackathons, we recognized the transformative potential of augmented reality (AR) as an educational tool for teaching sign language in a more engaging and immersive manner. Furthermore, we identified the pressing need for a sign language recognition system to facilitate daily interactions for the deaf and mute."
Regarding the societal impact of their project, team leader Tan stressed, "Talkable holds substantial societal implications as it directly addresses the communication barriers experienced by the deaf and mute community. By providing them with a comprehensive and easily accessible tool for learning sign language, we champion social inclusion and create pathways to enhanced education, improved employment opportunities, and better access to healthcare. Additionally, our application contributes significantly to dispelling stereotypes and stigmas associated with the mute and deaf community, fostering a more inclusive and compassionate society."
Lastly, the HeliCoda team secured third prize for their project titled "Gnome: An Intelligent Farming Analysis and Alert System" in the Agriculture category. Comprising Bachelor of Computer Science (Honours) students Soh Wen Kai, Goh Ken How, and Ho Joe Ee, they were awarded a cash prize of RM1,000, as well as medals and certificates in recognition of their outstanding achievement.
The Gnome project is an innovative agricultural system that leverages federated learning for real-time crop anomaly detection and predictive modeling to assess crop conditions, all while ensuring data privacy. It aims to revolutionize agriculture by providing insights to farmers, increasing farming accessibility, and promoting sustainability, with the goal of building a thriving farming community.
The team is proud of their victory, attributing it to their collaborative effort and passion for technology. Their participation was driven by a shared enthusiasm to challenge themselves, bring fresh ideas to the technology field, and create practical solutions with real-world impact. They also valued the learning opportunities provided by projects in various tracks, broadening their knowledge and perspectives.
Under the guidance of Dr. Aun Yichiet from UTAR's FICT Department of Computer and Communication Technology, the four UTAR FICT teams explored emerging technologies like AR and AI to bring their innovative ideas to life.
The Tech 4 Good Challenge, organized by ViTrox and UTAR, aimed to inspire young students to showcase their creative ideas, using engineering design to address real-world problems. It welcomed participation from both secondary school and university students.
News Website : https://news.utar.edu.my/awards/2023/August/16/02/02.html