Categories: News

The top apps from NASA’s Space Apps Challenge held in Islamabad

Every year since 2012 NASA has held an International Space Apps Challenge, the main goal of which is to bring together sharp individuals from all over the world and engage them in the pursuit of finding solutions to real world problems.

This year’s Challenge saw participants from over 55 countries. The host site in Pakistan was the Institute of Space Technology, Islamabad. A diverse group of competitors hailing from Pakistan’s top educational institutions gathered at IST where over 200 data sets provided by NASA were at their disposal. In a two-day hackathon, held from April 11th to April 12th, the participants went from prototype to a working design in alignment with NASA-designed challenges.

After a round of demonstrations and presentations, here are the top three apps to come out from Islamabad.

Team Tech Titans

Tech-Titans, the team behind the app that took away the top prize, tackled the Water Mapping Challenge. Their app, Water Source, is a Crowd Sourcing Web Platform to map drinkable water sources. It can search and visualize drinking water sources in Pakistan on a map using Heatmaps and Classified Point Symbology. It can also be used to target places in Pakistan where clean drinking water is scarce. If the app is eventually released it can help Pakistan, and other third world countries, in targeting and providing clean drinking water to affected areas.
The project source code is available for viewing here.

Team RemoRoboCon

This team solved the SpaceGloVe: Spacecraft Gesture and Voice Commanding challenge. Their aim was to enhance the telemanipulators in the International Space Station(ISS), NASA. Telemanipulators in the ISS are very important and versatile robots. They are used in repair operations and reduce the risk to astronauts from space walks. One of the telemanipulators is Dextre which is currently controlled by joystick console system. Team RemoRoboCon’s prototype uses wearable technology to improve precision and motion of control by adapting the robots to use data from wearable tech and voice commands from astronauts. This will let astronauts be able to do more by freeing their hands from controlling the joysticks.
The project source code is available for viewing here.

Team TerminalGigs

This team also took on the SpaceGloVe: Spacecraft Gesture and Voice Commanding challenge. They had a two part solution: an android app which uses gyro-sensor and proximity sensor readings for click events on a remote PC. The second part being a small server program which runs on the remote PC that interrupts and executes commands from android to remote PC. It also takes speech input from the android app and executes it on the PC.
The project source code is available for viewing here.

These 3 teams won the local awards. However, Team RemoRoboCon has been forwarded as the global nominee to NASA. The results come out in May. We wish Team RCC the very best!

-Image/Video Credits IST Media Club

Sponsored
Maryam Dodhy

I love bringing to light stories of extraordinary people working in Pakistan's tech and startup industry. You can reach out to me through maryamdodhy@techjuice.pk.

Leave a Comment
Share
Published by
Maryam Dodhy

Recent Posts

Pakistani Passport Continues to Rank Among the Worst in the World

According to the most recent Henley Passport Index, Pakistan's passport is still one of the…

18 hours ago

November 9 Approaches: Will Iqbal Day Be a Public Holiday This Year?

As Iqbal Day approaches on November 9, Pakistan prepares to honor Allama Iqbal, the celebrated…

19 hours ago

Most Wanted Human Trafficker Taken Into Custody

GUJRAT: According to the Gujrat circle of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), they have arrested…

19 hours ago

Air Sial Starts Weekly Flights from Islamabad to Riyadh

Air Sial, one of Pakistan's leading private airlines, has officially launched its weekly flights from…

20 hours ago

Important Update on Profit Rates for Savings Schemes 

On Friday, the government stated that from November 4th, 2024, profit rates on National Savings…

21 hours ago

Pakistan to Legalize Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency Through SBP Act Amendments?

The federal government has proposed amendments to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Act aimed…

22 hours ago