Students win high tech honors

By Salma Abdelaziz

This year at Microsoft's international Windows Embedded Student Challenge, Tech was well represented by four of its most innovative computer engineers.

Ayan Kishore, David Liu, Vikram Sivakumar and Herman Wong participated in the 2006 competition with an original project that received praise and attention from fellow competitors and judges.

This year's theme was "Preserving, Protecting and Enhancing the Environment," which challenged students to use technology to better their natural surroundings.

Tech first became involved in the competition through Kishore, who was in his graduating year and wanted to prepare a final project that would both boost his grade and garner prestige. He found that the contest was a positive reinforcement and motivation for his goals, and contacted three other students to join him in his efforts.

James Hamblen, an Electrical and Computer Engineering professor, served as the team's advisor.

With his guidance, the group quickly began brainstorming ideas and researching embedded computers.

Initially, the group focused on the environmental problems and financial difficulties caused by household consumption. Through an embedded system, the group discovered that computers could automatically adjust devices in the house according to research, future predictions and cost.

This was the basis for their "e-house," which was comprised of a home automation system, a mobile control unit and an in-home control unit. The system used sensors, the internet, and "real-feel" technology to create a comfortable house that does not significantly damage the environment. Furthermore, the consumer can adjust the functions of the "e-house" from any location with the mobile control unit or at home from the in-home control unit.

The result, if implemented, is $11.5 billion in savings in American household consumption, a remarkable improvement. The protection of health through air purifiers and an alert system to warn consumers of blackouts or outages are additional benefits of the system.

An excellent presentation, thoughtful advice from Professor Hamblen and a cooperative team effort caught the eye of the Microsoft panelists. The judges were both industry professionals and Microsoft employees.

During the first round, the judges picked 30 teams from among a diverse pool of different schools and nations. Tech was invited to the finals and flown to Microsoft's Redmond site in Seattle. For two weeks, the group members dedicated themselves to creating a presentation that would enhance the appeal of their project and give them a chance at winning.

Kishore, Liu, Sivakumar and Wong placed in the top ten. Last year Tech participated in the challenge for the first time and placed 30th. This year, Tech jumped up to ninth place, and expectations for next year are rising.

The experience lasted several months and its impact on each student was significant. All the students agreed that the competition was one of the most important events they had ever participated in at Tech.

Liu provided further insight. "The competition was an amazing and enjoyable learning experience. I highly recommend students to enter. It gave me a chance to really think about real world problems and how I could use my skills to help solve these problems. Being able to participate in a team and apply ourselves was the most fun I've had as a student at Tech," he said.