From where I sat, Team One Beep, pictured, had a slick presentation and a simple, elegant idea. They grabbed the highest score, writes Peter Griffin, who was on the judging panel for the preliminary finals.
The student developer teams have to harness technology- Microsoft of course – to solve the world’s big problems. Team One Beep hit on the idea of packaging data to be sent via radio waves and then converted back to text to use on computers. The idea was generated by the One Laptop Per Child programme and the lack of broadband or dialup in developing countries.
The winning team of student developers will be chosen in April, to represent New Zealand at the worldwide finals of the Imagine Cup in Poland.
The annual technology competition, in its eighth year, challenges students from around the globe to develop technologies to help solve the world’s toughest problems.
Joining Team One Beep in the national final are:
Team Enpeda – Also from the University of Auckland, Team Enpeda devised a working prototype of a computer controlled driver assistance system. It uses a cell phone camera and is able to detect the road environment ahead and warn drivers if they stray off course and into danger.
Team eUtopia – From the University of Waikato, Team eUtopia came up with a live video distribution service that links conservation organisations to the public and allows for remote monitoring, private research and even surveillance of animals.
Team Vital Link – From the University of Auckland, Team Vital Link tackle the issue of poverty, in particular, fair trade for artisans in impoverished countries whose handicrafts are often undervalued. The team aims to provide a global marketplace by capitalising on the viral marketing capabilities of Facebook to help these people make enough money to improve their daily lives.
The national finals will be held at the University of Auckland Business School on 30 April.