The ‘IoT-AI Hackathon 2019’ contest for students from universities and junior colleges in the central and Central Highlands regions took place from May till mid-September. The event’s organisers received many entries featuring creativeness and high practicality.

The introduction of the SolarTNT - Multifunctional robot for solar power plants at the ‘IoT-AI Hackathon 2019’ contest

Organised by the Faculty of Information Technology at the Da Nang University of Science and Technology, the contest aimed at encouraging the spirit of creation amongst students in terms of artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT), and facilitating tech ideas to draw investment from businesses.

Notable amongst highly practical projects based on AI and IoT technologies were the SolarTNT - Multifunctional robot for solar power plants; SmartRouting - finding the fastest route and avoiding traffic congestion; IoT-based intelligent orchid irrigation system; Smart Helmet for measuring breath alcohol content and warning against the exceedance of the prescribed level and giving drowsy driving alarms; and Artificial Psychotherapist (AP) for detecting skin diseases and supporting the doctor-patient connection.

It is worth noting that all ideas were developed by grasping real-life demands and putting the theory into practice for optimal solutions.

During their field trip to a solar power plant in the south-central province of Ninh Thuan, a group of talented students from the city’s University of Science and Technology realised that a solar power plant has about 150,000 - 300,000 solar panels and needs dozens workers for the cleanups of these panels.

This fact really inspired the students to create SolarTNT, a multifunctional robot, which, through the pre-programmed technology, cleans and effectively monitors the status of the panels.

Given its high practicability, the SolarTNT won the first prize worth 20 million VND at the ‘IoT-AI Hackathon 2019’ contest.

“During the project implementation process, the team received constructive instructions from both domestic lecturers and businesses involved in the electricity industry. Even some components and materials used for the stereotype product were imported from abroad”, said Vo Hoang Nguyen Khuong, the group leader.

There were projects that demonstrated young people’s social and community responsibility. The Artificial Psychotherapist (AP) initiated by a group of 11th graders from the city-based Le Quy Don Senior High School for the Gifted is a noticeable example.

Nguyen Minh Hieu, a representative from the group, pointed out to the fact that everyone usually faces lots of stress and strains of modern life. In particular, many young people are every tired of the tense schedule of studying and mentally disordered by so many video or online games.

AP - Virtual Psychotherapist provides pieces of tech device to help prevent psychological problems. Alerts on such negative psychological states as fatigue, stress and sadness will be issued by AP, thereby helping to make timely adjustments or intervention for depression.

According to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thanh Binh, the Head of the Faculty of IT at the university, cum Head of the Organisation Board of the contest, IT is of the city’s spearhead sector, and in the near future, AI will greatly affect the job market. Therefore, the contest aimed at encouraging students to come up with their special ideas and products that can be brought to fruition.

‘IoT-AI Hackathon 2019’ also helped to realise the cooperative ties between educational establishments and businesses. Through this contest, the business community involved in IT and electronics in the central and Central Highlands regions were offered the opportunity to approach students-developed innovative ideas, thereby creating much-needed ‘Made in Viet Nam’ products in the coming time.