A T Hackathon 2024- Bengaluru Edition
Samarthanam Trust and DXC Technology Host Successful Assistive Technology Hackathon in Bangalore
Bangalore, January 23rd, 2024: The Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled, with the support of DXC Technology, held a 12-hour Assistive Technology Hackathon in Bangalore today. The event brought together students, developers, and individuals with disabilities to create innovative solutions that address the needs of people with diverse abilities.
The hackathon was inaugurated by Dr. Mahantesh GK, Founder & Managing Trustee of Samarthanam Trust, Mr. Shivaram Deshpande, Head Operations at Samarthanam Trust, Mr. Kartik Sawhney, Founder of ISTEM Foundation, and DXC Technology representatives Mr. Surya Prakash, Sr. Systems Manager, IT Systems, & Mr.Nagendra, Asst Manager, IT Systems . In his welcome address, Dr. Mahantesh emphasized the importance of using technology to empower individuals with disabilities and thanked DXC Technology for their support in making the hackathon a reality.
Six teams participated in the hackathon, working on problem statements related to accessibility in online shopping, creating a centralized platform for people with disabilities, assisting visually impaired individuals with online navigation and stock analysis, making spoken math more accessible, and enriching STEM diagram descriptions.
Throughout the day, teams brainstormed, coded, and developed their prototypes. Mentors from DXC Technology and ISTEM Foundation were available to provide guidance and support. In the evening, each team presented their solution to a panel of judges, who evaluated their projects based on creativity, innovation, technical feasibility, and social impact.
Team Web Assist, led by Vishal Singh, emerged as the winner of the hackathon with their project of the same name. Web Assist is an AI assistant designed to assist visually impaired individuals by providing them with comprehensive website overviews and facilitating their online navigation.
Team Stockcessible, led by Rahul Gajare, secured the runner-up position with their innovative project. Stockcessible is an AI assistant that empowers visually impaired people to independently perform technical analysis of stocks, promoting financial inclusion within the disability community.
Other notable projects included:
- INDREX:Â A browser extension that helps people with disabilities find additional assistive devices to enhance their online shopping experience.
- EmpowerAble:Â A centralized platform connecting people with disabilities to various essential services.
- Accessible spoken math:Â Improving the accessibility of spoken math by incorporating local dialect nuances.
- Rich diagram descriptions using GPT-V:Â Leveraging GPT-V technology to provide richer and more detailed descriptions of STEM diagrams.
A T Hackathon 2024- Chennai Edition
Assistive Technology Hackathon -Chennai Edition
Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled, with support of DXC Technology, successfully organized the Assistive Technology(AT) Hackathon – Chennai Edition on January 5th and 6th, 2024. The pre-event soft launch was conducted via a hybrid version, followed by the physical version of the hackathon at Hotel Chennai Delux. Participants of the hackathon were five teams of students from Prince Sri.Venkateshwara Arts & Science College, Prince Dr.K. Vasudevan Engineering and Technology College, Tamil Nadu Institute for Labor Studies, and Mohammed Sadiq Arts & Science College. Each team focused on addressing specific challenges related to usage assistive technology to make STEM(Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths) Accessible for Visually Impaired. Team 1, named “ACCESS CRAFTERS,” tackled the problem of the lack of STEM content in Indian regional languages. Team 2, “CODE MAVERICS,” addressed the issue of barriers in accessing textbooks with graphic images. Team 3, “MATRIX,” worked on developing an online public platform showcasing stories and journeys of successful role models and enablers in STEM fields, offering mentorship programs and peer-to-peer conversations to encourage visually impaired students to pursue STEM education. Team 4, “REVIVERS,” focused on the lack of representation and role models for visually impaired individuals in STEM fields, aiming to inspire and broaden career aspirations. Team 5, “SUPER SIGHTEDS,” targeted communication barriers between deaf and hearing individuals through a web/software interface for speech and hearing impairments. Eminent judges were persons with disabilities and with strong academic backgrounds and doctorates in STEM-related fields facilitated the event, which aimed to raise awareness among young technicians working with persons with disabilities (PWDs). Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled has played a significant role in modernizing over 200 mainstream schools and has benefited more than 5000 persons with disabilities through the distribution of assistive technology devices. The hackathon serves as a platform to empower PWDs and foster inclusivity in STEM education and career paths.
Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled, with support of DXC Technology, successfully organized the Assistive Technology(AT) Hackathon – Chennai Edition on January 5th and 6th, 2024. The pre-event soft launch was conducted via a hybrid version, followed by the physical version of the hackathon at Hotel Chennai Delux. Participants of the hackathon were five teams of students from Prince Sri.Venkateshwara Arts & Science College, Prince Dr.K. Vasudevan Engineering and Technology College, Tamil Nadu Institute for Labor Studies, and Mohammed Sadiq Arts & Science College. Each team focused on addressing specific challenges related to usage assistive technology to make STEM(Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths) Accessible for Visually Impaired. Team 1, named “ACCESS CRAFTERS,” tackled the problem of the lack of STEM content in Indian regional languages. Team 2, “CODE MAVERICS,” addressed the issue of barriers in accessing textbooks with graphic images. Team 3, “MATRIX,” worked on developing an online public platform showcasing stories and journeys of successful role models and enablers in STEM fields, offering mentorship programs and peer-to-peer conversations to encourage visually impaired students to pursue STEM education. Team 4, “REVIVERS,” focused on the lack of representation and role models for visually impaired individuals in STEM fields, aiming to inspire and broaden career aspirations. Team 5, “SUPER SIGHTEDS,” targeted communication barriers between deaf and hearing individuals through a web/software interface for speech and hearing impairments. Eminent judges were persons with disabilities and with strong academic backgrounds and doctorates in STEM-related fields facilitated the event, which aimed to raise awareness among young technicians working with persons with disabilities (PWDs). Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled has played a significant role in modernizing over 200 mainstream schools and has benefited more than 5000 persons with disabilities through the distribution of assistive technology devices. The hackathon serves as a platform to empower PWDs and foster inclusivity in STEM education and career paths.
