App for runners best in the NASA Space Apps Challenge

NASA Space Apps Challenge is a several hours long science and programming marathon conducted under the aegis of NASA - the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The two-day competition, which is one of the largest projects of this type in the world - was held at the National PGE stadium in Warsaw. The aim of the initiative is to develop apps and data visualization platforms that could be useful in space research and exploration.

This year\'s fifth edition of the international competition was for the first time held also in Poland. Designers, graphic designers, engineers, as well as astronautics and space research enthusiasts meet in 193 locations in 72 countries.

The jury of each of the local hackathons awards two main prizes for the authors of the best projects. Winning projects from around the world will be evaluated by NASA experts, who will select 25 best ideas. Their authors will be invited to the United States to the finals of NASA Space Apps Challenge.

The Polish jury chose three most interesting of eight solutions presented last Saturday and Sunday. The best two teams will now be evaluated by NASA experts, and the third will also take part in the international online voting, which also gives a chance to participate in the world finals.

The highest score was given to the team Extremely Genius Geeks, whose members prepared the application Lungs Watcher. It can be useful, for example, for runners suffering from allergies. The user enters data about their health condition and the planned route into the application. The app will show, which air pollutants are present on the selected route or propose an alternative route.

Second place was taken by Europa Team from Warsaw. They presented the idea of a service, which on the one hand would allow Internet users to reporting that, for example, in a given place people get teary eyes, or see airborne dust. On the other hand, people who use this solution would be able to find out whether at the site they, for example, chose for camping, there are many such cases, which may indicate air pollution.

Third place went to the team of students of Warsaw University of Technology and the University of Warsaw, who prepared an application-game Astro-Zorya. Players will have to provide conditions for the survival for the virtual astronaut, who is on Mars.

Co-organizers of the NASA Space Apps Challenge in Poland are programming school Coders Lab and software house Visuality. Strategic partner of the event, providing work space, is Business Link.

PAP - Science and Scholarship in Poland

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