Capgemini's Tech Challenge 2020 winning mobility solution will empower the elderly

Capgemini today announced the winners of Tech Challenge 2020, the 7th edition of the company’s flagship annual hackathon. Team Enziq won the 2020 title for creating innovative solutions and prototypes that enable easier mobility for people with special needs. In a first, the grand finale of Tech Challenge 2020 was conducted virtually in view of the unprecedented circumstances. Tech Challenge 2020 received a record response, with more than 240,000 participants across nearly 95 cities in India registering for the event – an increase of 50% from last year. A high 35% of the participants were women.

The task for the participants of Tech Challenge 2020 was to demonstrate how emerging technologies, like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT), can be enabled to develop a domestic or commercial solution to address mobility challenges for people with special needs, including people with disabilities and elderly citizens. The solution was required to address accessibility issues, including access to basic services like food and healthcare and to online services, as well as facilitate participation in social events in local communities. This year’s challenge captures the essence of the Group’s recently announced purpose of unleashing human energy through technology for an inclusive and sustainable future.

The five-member Team Enziq, comprising both students and experienced professionals, developed a tech platform with three separate solutions. The team created a Unified Interface App which can be used for domestic and commercial purposes. The app includes an IoT-based security interface for safer living, regular health monitoring and medication reminders, and for tracking vital organ performance through Artificial Intelligence (AI) AI and machine learning (ML). It also has a voice assistance mechanism connected to medical centres or primary caregivers for help during an emergency, as well as a Lidar-based navigation assistance solution to help meet mobility challenges faced by the visually impaired. This system has a macro lens for depth capture of real-time surroundings and can map objects accurately up to 10 meters. It provides a Virtual 3D map construct of the area around and gives a sense of not only distance but also the type and size of the object. The Gesture Recognition System enables a two-way communication for the speech and hearing impaired, paving the way for their better integration with others and surroundings.

The finalists were evaluated by a jury panel consisting of experts from academia and industry, as well as Capgemini India leadership. The external jury members were: Aditya Kumar Sinha, Director & Center Head (Patna) at Center For Development Of Advanced Computing & HOD ACTS, C-DAC Pune; Dr. Inderveer Chana, Professor & Associate Head, Dean Of Student Affairs, Thapar Institute Of Engineering & Technology, Patiala, India; and Anupam Chatterjee, Founder & CEO, The Decision Labs. Arul Paramanandam, COO of Capgemini in India, and Nisheeth Srivastava, Chief Technology and Innovation Officer at Capgemini in India, represented the company.

Congratulating the winners and the finalists, Arul Kumaran Paramanandam Chief Operating Officer of Capgemini in India said, “At Capgemini, we recognize that the unprecedented times we live in call for an urgency to act and deploy innovative solutions. We are therefore committed to unleashing human potential through technology for an inclusive and sustainable future. Tech Challenge 2020 presented a platform for young tech enthusiasts to showcase their creativity by finding innovative solutions using emerging technologies. The objective is to promote overall sustainable development for the community we live and work in. The record response this year and the quality of talent was overwhelming and a reflection of our conviction that people have the power to revolutionize the way we interact with the society and the world at large.”

The winning team at Tech Challenge 2020 won prize money of INR 3 lakh, as well as direct qualification for the final round of interviews for potential employment opportunities at Capgemini. The top 5 colleges with maximum participation in the event were felicitated with special trophies at the virtual grand finale. Additionally, there were special campus prizes for participants like Top Campus Coders, Fastest Finger, Top 5 Language Coders, Top Women Coders, Social Coders and Zone-wise winners.

In 2019, Tech Challenge finalists competed to develop solutions on water conservation, which is aligned to Capgemini’s continued focus on sustainability.

About Capgemini

Capgemini is a global leader in consulting, digital transformation, technology, and engineering services. The Group is at the forefront of innovation to address the entire breadth of clients’ opportunities in the evolving world of cloud, digital and platforms. Building on its strong 50-year heritage and deep industry-specific expertise, Capgemini enables organizations to realize their business ambitions through an array of services from strategy to operations. A responsible and multicultural company of 265,000 people in nearly 50 countries, Capgemini’s purpose is to unleash human energy through technology for an inclusive and sustainable future. With Altran, the Group reported 2019 combined global revenues of €17 billion. Visit us at www.capgemini.com.

Capgemini in India comprises over 125,000 team members working across 12 locations: Bangalore, Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Gandhinagar, Gurugram, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Noida, Pune, Salem and Tiruchirappalli. Learn more about Capgemini in India at www.capgemini.com/in-en.