A system to automate the collection of parking fees and another which uses artificial intelligence to guard crops are the winners of this year’s TechHack competition. TechHack is an annual entrepreneurship competition using innovation and technology. It was organised by DHI’s Department of Innovation and Technology in collaboration with Gyalpoizhing College of Information and Technology.
Team 404 Found’s Smart Parking System won the first prize in the student category. Their idea aims to enhance transparency in parking fee collection, ease the heavy workload of parking fee collectors and improve efficiency in the parking system. The team of five won a cash prize of half a million Ngultrum.
In the public category, team Yalama was declared the winner taking home the Nu 500,000 prize. The two-member team pitched their Smart Farm Protection System which tackles human-wildlife conflict through artificial intelligence. The system will use image recognition, infrared sensors, and a mobile application.
“It was amazing and I was surprised. I didn’t know if I deserved it or not. But the judges like it. So I think our product deserves appreciation,” said Dorji Gyeltshen from Team Yalama.
The system is a user-friendly and cost-effective solution to help farmers in the country guard their crops.
The TechHack competition is aimed at identifying potential talents in the country that the government and DHI can partner with and develop the technology.
“This event is quite a significant event. This year there is a new tagline called Dream Big. So I think it comes in very handy as GCIT and DHI in collaborating on this National Entrepreneurship Challenge is to bring together student entrepreneurs and also public entrepreneurs to innovate and transform Bhutan,” said Andrey Low, the President of the Gyalpoizhing College of Information and Technology.
“When we have platforms like this, they are able to use that energy in a way that helps them innovate technologies, products, and new business models that could potentially help Bhutan,” said Phuntsho Namgay, DHI’s Associate Director. “When that happens, the culture here is such that it is very risky. So we want to change that and that’s why the theme is Dream Big.”
A total of 144 teams took part in the competition this time, of which five teams from each category were selected for the finals.
“We came up with this idea when we were discussing and researching the current problems that the country is facing. We found out that digitising health records is a problem,” said Ngawang Chojay Rai, a member of Team Personal Health Care Companion.
“I am thrilled that I got to take part in the competition and that I came third,” said Brother Squad’s Tenzin Jamtsho with the idea to develop a system to improve access to blood banks.
The two winning teams also won a year’s free membership to use the equipment and technology available at the Jigme Namgyal Wangchuck Super Fab Lab.
Krishna Ghalley
Edited by Yeshi Gyaltshen
