IIT Guwahati and IIT Jodhpur were judged as the first and second runners-up in the competition.
The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) emerged as the winner of the Codefundo++ National Challenge, organised by Microsoft India.
The IIT Madras team won the challenge for developing artificial intelligence (AI)-powered drones to provide precise information about where exactly people are stuck when a disaster strikes, according to a news agency report.
IIT Guwahati and IIT Jodhpur were judged as the first and second runners-up in the competition.
The team from IIT Guwahati came up with DisasterUnknown’s Battleground (DUBG), a mixed reality app for efficient post-disaster management. The app makes basic tasks like communication, navigation and current status monitoring easy for rescuers.
The IIT Jodhpur team showcased an Internet of Things (IoT)-based solution that acts as an early warning system and takes precautionary measures on detection of disasters.
The three winning teams will be awarded cash prizes of Rs 5 lakh, Rs 3 lakh and Rs 1 lakh respectively, Microsoft said.
Codefundo++ National Challenge
Over 5,000 students from 21 top engineering colleges participated in the challenge, which kicked off in September 2018 under Microsoft’s Academia Accelerator programme.
The theme of the challenge was “Building state- of-the-art technology to predict or manage natural disasters better.”
The winning teams will receive technical and educational support through the AI for Earth grantee community and each winning team will also be awarded $5,000 in Azure credits from AI for Earth.
Launched in July 2017, AI for Earth is a $50 million, five-year commitment from Microsoft to put AI at work for the future of the planet.
