Thinking, designing and making a world a better, smarter and more connected world with/through Internet of Things (IoT) solutions, the inaugural “Infineon LG </> Make Hackathon” in Singapore on IoT took place in the month of June 2019 in Singapore.
Infineon and LG, two giant technology firms in the world, came together, driven by a common shared goal of creating a smarter and more connected world through IoT solutions, organised a hackathon in Singapore, to empower seasoned start-ups and student entrepreneurs to create new technological solutions for IoT that will run on the LG webOS open source platform, along with Infineon microelectronics capabilities in the areas of intelligence, power efficiency, security and sensing.
“This hackathon is about a shared community of innovators driven by a common desire to use leading-edge technologies to build a better future for all. We are delighted to be a strategic partner of LG in nurturing innovation in a globally connected ecosystem. Together, we can make life easier, safer and greener in tomorrow’s connected world,” said Mr. Chua Chee Seong, President and Managing Director, Infineon Asia Pacific.
“Our goal is to build and grow a global webOS community where developers may leverage a wide range of webOS functionalities such as AI, connectivity and IoT in their collaborative work to produce innovative solutions and services that together shape an even better life for all,” said Dr. I.P. Park, president and CTO of LG Electronics. “LG is excited to be a co-host of this event with Infineon, who has long been our valued partner in hardware, and wishes this hackathon to be the beginning of creating the future of IoT together.”
I visited the innovation showcase by the seasoned start-ups and student entrepreneurs during the Infineon LG </> Make Hackathon at Infineon Asia Pacific office in Singapore prior to the announcement of the winners. Some were pretty impressive in their innovative solutions and designs that could make an impact to the society down the road.
Infineon and LG provided interested innovators with technology guidance, as well as special access to products and software, helping the shortlisted teams at the Infineon LG </> Make Hackathon in Singapore develop their ideas and proof-of-concepts to the panel of judges.
What were some of the IoT solutions presented at Infineon LG </> Make Hackathon?
- Healthcare – prevent deaths among low-income pregnant mothers
- Wellness – smart cane for the blind, real-time physical performance analysis
- Environmental – real-time flood alert system, smart air-conditioning for spaces and user, and clean energy for homes
- Mobility – commerce and connectivity for smart vehicles, safer rides for motor-cyclists, safer rides for children
- Homeland security – fast and secure identification process
The panel of judges chose GoReMas Enterprise from Malaysia as the first prize winner and Wangi Lai PLT from Malaysia as the second prize winner.
1st Prize – GoReMas Enterprise, Malaysia
GoReMas Enterprise’s prototype, Floodsensed, is an IoT flood monitoring system with social media alerts such as Facebook, Slack, and Telegram, YouTube Live Stream etc. This equipment gathers critical data such as rain volumes, water levels, temperature, barometric pressure from the devices and nodes, sending the crucial data to the Floodsensed IoT platform for users.
I had a chat with GoReMas Enterprise when I was visiting the Innovation Showcase. I find their idea and design to be very useful for countries that have regions prone to flooding.
2nd Prize – Wangi Lai PLT, Malaysia
The 2nd prize innovative solution/design is the BAWA cane, a clip-on module for existing white canes, helping the blind and visually impaired identify and avoid obstacles with shared insights and foresights through data and analysis.
During the media interview with Wangi Lai PLT, he shared more on how the BAWA cane works and how their BAWA cane is helping the blind and visually impaired. Hopefully, with this prize win, the BAWA cane is able to make a difference and bigger impact to the blind and visually impaired people around the world.
It’s great to see Singapore hosting such a hackathon, with Infineon and LG partnering together to drive technological advancements and growth in the IoT solutions segment. This also showcase Singapore’s vibrant ecosystem as a startup hub with many partners based here.
The IoT solutions is an area that has a huge potential to grow bigger and wider in scope in this current and future market and technological developments. Infineon LG </> Make Hackathon on IoT, the inaugural hackathon held in Singapore, is a testimonial to that development and growth.
I look forward to Infineon and LG pushing forward ahead to create and grow the future of IoT solutions together through future Infineon LG </> Make Hackathons.
* Information courtesy of Infineon, LG Electronics and CIZA Concept *