One of the members of MetroPlus Team expressed his impressions in a blog
On my way to Hackathonist 2014, I only had an idea and formulations derived from it at my disposal. It was the first time I’ve participated in an Hackathon and my inexperience in the software development field casted a doubt in my head on the outcomes. After hanging the idea post-its on the wall, I went on a manhunt for team members. I’ve convinced the developer Mücahit to join me, but most of the remaining people were undecided. Finally a voting was held and my idea was selected onto the list to be worked on, with a team assembled around it. It was probably the most stressful Hackathonist moment for me, because I wasn’t sure if my idea was going to be selected at all.
As we’ve further went over the idea and as I’ve got to know my teammates better, I realized how fitting our team members were. Aziz took over the business and hardware part, Mücahit the web app part, Muhammed the Android part and Nazlıcan the presentation part. Aziz then took over the command of business development, which allowed me to retreat to my cave to formulate specific transport algorithms.
Hours later when I emerged, the project’s scale was vastly expanded and there was even a new team member, Sevgi. I was later told that, the sensor integration to the model was pitched, discussed, accepted and someone with good knowledge of Arduino systems was invited from Twitter to set up the LED lighting.
Eventually with everyone’s collaboration, the project was molded from a mere flow optimization to the following:
Formulation side: The schedule of metrobus line no 34 (Avcılar-Zincirlikuyu) is to be taken from City SDK API’s and mathematically represented, passenger density per metrobus stops are to be modelled and an optimization for 3 stops are to be made based on passenger comfort.
Back end side: Analyses for various stops could be done by the inputs entered from the web interface. The mathematical results are to be transferred onto the sensor and front end applications.
Sensor side: Through Arduino, the LED lighting properties are to be programmed, which would simulate a passenger guidance system to be employed on the metrobus platforms.
Front end side: MeetOnBus provides metrobus specific information based on user comfort preferences (arrival time, crowdiness etc.) and the opportunity to the user to meet their friends along the route and travel with them.
Along with Ekrem from the ImonaCloud crew, our developers worked hard to meet the Hackathonist deadline.
I was among the ones sleeping over at Studio-X, just to finish the mathematics of the model.
On the last day, Aziz came up with CNC-cut board representing the metrobus line.
LED sensors were installed on this board and we went on with the jury evaluation.
The traffic flow optimization side got very good reviews from the jury.
We shared our model’s results in our final presentation.
MetroPlus+ project was awarded:
- Second place in overall votes
- Best Open Data Potential
- Most Innovative Sensor Based Application
- Application Closest to Marketplace (along with all the teams)
- Most Innovative Application on ImonaCloud Platform (post-competition)
Congratulations to my teammates Aziz, Nazlıcan, Mücahit, Muhammed and Sevgi on our success. Without them it would be very hard for my idea to come to fruition.
Also, I’d like to thank TAGES for staging the Hackathon event and providing nourishment, ImonaCloud crew and Ekrem for cloud platform support, Mr. Erhan from IBB for sharing the Istanbul traffic data, Rutger van Willigen from Waag Society for his technical guidance with the City SDK and Studio-X for their hospitality.
Goktug Islamoglu, MetroPlus+ Team Member, 21 May 2014
Resource: http://hack-a-metrobus.blogspot.ch/2014/05/hackathonist-2014-impressions_21.html
