Young minds addressing global challenges

KATHMANDU, April 22: Sixty software developers, engineers, designers, and technologists from Kathmandu came together at the NASA International Space Apps Challenge: Kathmandu Hackathon over the weekend of April 20 and 21 at DECC Hall, United World Trade Center at Tripureshwor. The winning team, Mars Odyssey, consisting of Binayak Dhakal, Roshan Bhatta and Sakar Pudasaini, developed an easy-to-use tool to teach children programmatic thinking without the need for technical programming knowledge.



The 48 hour event was organized by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) and YoungInnovations within the framework of the SERVIR-Himalaya Initiative supported by USAID. The event was part of the larger NASA International Space Apps Challenge, with similar events being held at the same time in cities on all seven continents.[break]



The top three teams were announced at the closing ceremony on Sunday and awarded cash prizes of Rs 30,000, Rs 20,000 and Rs 10,000. Arun Aryal, Deepak Pradhan, Roshan Batta, and Anil Karki, members of the team Phoenix, were awarded first runner-up for their all-terrain rover, which showcased the ability of the Mars Rover Curiosity to explore and assist in human research in space.



Second-runner up Deep Space 2, comprising of Rabindra Kharel and Deerghayu Shrestha, developed a method to detect and visualize anomalies in spatiotemporal data that could eventually be used to detect hazards and enable faster visualization of the region’s climatic conditions.



Sixty participants, including 16 women, divided themselves into 17 teams, and used earth observation resources and geo-ICT tools to work on challenges that included mapping emergency service providers in Kathmandu through an online interface, creating a mobile application that brings information about space and the universe to your fingertips, and developing a means for common people to remotely control and conduct research on ArduSat, an open-source nanosatellite from a personal computer.



In the week running up to the Hackathon, Women LEAD, an organization working with female students in the Kathmandu Valley to teach women’s leadership, entrepreneurship, and activism, and Karkhana, a for-profit company aimed at developing the culture of experimentation in Nepal in the fields of electronics and technology, organized a bootcamp for seven talented female engineering and IT students, all of whom participated in the Kathmandu Hackathon.



ICIMOD and YoungInnovations will submit the top two solutions to NASA for global judging and awards, which will be solely decided by NASA.

Related story

Together for global peace and wellbeing