02 October 2019
The Build On Singapore 2019 Hackathon was organised recently by Amazon Web Services, the National University of Singapore, and the Government Technology Agency (Govtech). The competition attracted participants from the Institute of Technical Education, junior colleges, polytechnics, and well as Singapore’s universities.
During the competition, students tapped their own real-life issues as inspiration to create novel technological solutions.
The themes of the competition were based on issues drawn from everyday life, such as helping drivers find the best routes and cheapest places to park, or creating ways to improve school campuses.
Singapore Polytechnic’s team was inspired by one of their members, a foreign student holding multiple jobs to pay her tuition fees. Nexus, the team’s creation, requires users to carry out various quests to improve their skill sets, for which they are matched with potential employers for paid part-time jobs.
One NUS team put together NoSqueeze, a mobile app that integrates a student’s schedule with the bus schedule, creating a customised timetable to help the user avoid crowded buses or being late for school.