(Japanese follows. 日本語は英語の後にあります。)
AnimalHack 2023
Sarasa Ouchi
About
In September 2023, AnimalHack, an inaugural international hackathon initiated by devoted student volunteers from NECIA, kicked off with a Zoom meeting. Central to this collaborative effort is an exploration of the relationship between animals and humans, encompassing pets, service animals, farm animals, and wildlife. Leading this pioneering initiative are six organizers: Yuma Karube and Sarasa Ouchi, who serve as Co-chairs, supported by a team including Yua Murakami, Banri Ouchi, Hanna Suzuki, and Sougou Tojima.
Preparation
Over the course of approximately three months, meticulous preparations were undertaken for the hackathon, encompassing a multifaceted array of tasks. These included conceptualizing an engaging event name, crafting a visually captivating logo—expertly designed by Sougou Tojima—as well as producing custom merchandise featuring the logo. Concurrently, groundwork was laid for a seamless virtual experience, with the creation of a DevPost page and a Discord server to facilitate smooth communication among participants. Additionally, an online registration platform was made for presentation submissions, while a thorough search for judges ensured impartial adjudication of entries. Finally, certificates were meticulously designed and issued, serving as a testament to the dedication and achievement of all involved.
Event
The hackathon boasted a turnout of 263 participants, resulting in the submission of 29 projects via DevPost. From these, 11 projects that met the entry requirements earned the opportunity to present at the hackathon event. Participants from four countries—India, the US, Canada, and Nigeria— were convened at the Zoom meeting, setting the stage for a truly global collaboration.
The event kicked off with a warm welcome from the co-chairs, followed by introductions of the organizing committee, an overview of the hackathon schedule, details about the upcoming publication of a commemorative book, and a display of AnimalHack merchandise. Following this, attention shifted to the presentations, where each participant was allotted a 10-minute slot to pitch their projects to a panel of judges and fellow participants. Engaging with insightful comments and probing questions, the audience contributed to a dynamic exchange of ideas.
The panel of judges comprised Ms. Eriko Nishimoto from Binnovative and Ms. Namaswi Chandarana from an external entity. Following the completion of all presentations, the judges meticulously deliberated and unveiled their selections, culminating in the eagerly awaited announcement of the results.
The award-winning projects are as follows:
1st Place
“Hydrate Cat” by Yuma Karube
2nd Place
“Squirrel repeller” by Shun Nagata and Rei Nagata
3rd Place
“Pet Picker – A Simple Approach to Finding Your Perfect Pet” by Soham Vij
Honorable Mentions
“Motorized scarecrow with infrared laser detection system and camera” by Shuntaro Sato
“Cloud-assisted Electronic Deer Repeller” by Hanna Suzuki
“pawprint” by Tyo An
Excellence in Creativity Award
“Petupia” by Zana Yan
Emerging Talent Award
“Virtual Pet Adoption Center” by Dharshini Venkatesan
The awarded projects were published and celebrated on the DevPost page, while personalized certificates of achievement were promptly dispatched to the winners.
Publication
Following the event, organizers reached out to the winners, asking their interest in contributing to a comprehensive book encapsulating the essence of their projects. Upon receiving affirmative responses, the resultant was divided into four captivating chapters:
- “Hydrate Cat” by Yuma Karube
- “Squirrel Repeller” by Shun Nagata and Rei Nagata
- “Pet Picker – A Simple Approach to Finding Your Perfect Pet” by Soham Vij
- “Cloud-assisted Electronic Deer Repeller” by Hanna Suzuki
The editorial reins were handled by Yuma Karube, Banri Ouchi, and Sarasa Ouchi, while the visually striking cover was conceptualized by Banri Ouchi. This book, titled “Unleashing Technology Innovations for Positive Human-Animal Relationships: Tales from AnimalHack,” which encompasses the aforementioned chapters, is currently available on Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing.
(日本語)
AnimalHack 2023 主催レポート
大内更紗
2023年9月、NECIAの学生有志が立ち上げた国際ハッカソンAnimalHackの記念すべき第1回目がZoom meetingの形式にて開催されました。本ハッカソンはペット、介助動物、農耕動物、野生動物などあらゆる動物と人間の関係性をテーマにしたもので、動物に焦点を当てた国際的でオープンなハッカソンがないことから創設されたものです。オーガナイザーは以下の6人です。
- 輕部結真（運営委員長）
- 村上結愛
- 大内絆吏
- 大内更紗（運営委員長）
- 鈴木帆奈
- 戸島壮剛
準備内容
ハッカソン開催にあたり、以下の準備が約3ヶ月に渡って行われました。
- ハッカソンの名前決め
- ロゴの作成（デザイン：戸島壮剛さん）
- ロゴを使用したグッズの作成
- 参加者募集用にDevPostのページの立ち上げ
- 参加者とのコミュニケーション用にDiscordを開設
- プレゼンテーションのためのオンライン登録ページの作成
- 審査員探し
- 賞状(Certificate)の作成
開催
DevPostでは263名の参加者、29件のプロジェクトの応募がありました。そのうちの出場要件を満たした11件をハッカソンイベントでのプロジェクトプレゼンテーションに招待し、インド、アメリカ、カナダとナイジェリアの4カ国から参加者がZoom meetingに集まりました。当日は運営委員長の2人の歓迎の言葉からキックオフし、、オーガナイザーの紹介、ハッカソンの進行予定の説明、本出版の案内、AnimalHackのグッズ宣伝を終えて各参加者からの発表に移りました。参加者は審査員や他の参加者の前でそれぞれ10分間のプレゼンテーションを行い、審査員からコメントや質問を受けました。審査員はBinnovativeから西本会里子さん、外部からNamaswi Chandaranaさんにお願いしました。全てのプロジェクトの発表が終了した後、審査員が選考を行い、本イベントは結果発表にて締めくくられました。受賞作品は以下の通りです。
1st Place
輕部結真さん作 “Hydrate Cat”
2nd Place
永田舜さん 永田怜さん作 “Squirrel repeller”
3rd Place
Soham Vijさん作 “Pet Picker – A Simple Approach to Finding Your Perfect Pet”
Honorable Mentions
佐藤俊太郎さん作 “Motorized scarecrow with infrared laser detection system and camera”
鈴木帆奈さん作 “Cloud-assisted Electronic Deer Repeller”
Tyo Anさん作 “pawprint”
Excellence in Creativity Award
Zana Yanさん作 “Petupia”
Emerging Talent Award
Dharshini Venkatesanさん作 “Virtual Pet Adoption Center”
受賞者には作成したCertificateを送付し、Project galleryと上述の受賞者をDevpost pageで公表しました。
本の出版
イベントが終了した後、それぞれの受賞者にプロジェクトをまとめた本に寄稿することに興味があるかについてのコンタクトが行われました。彼らの返事を受けて、計4つの章 (輕部結真さん作 “Hydrate Cat” / 永田舜さん 永田怜さん作 “Squirrel repeller” / Soham Vijさん作 “Pet Picker – A Simple Approach to Finding Your Perfect Pet” / 鈴木帆奈さん作 “Cloud-assisted Electronic Deer Repeller”)から成る本が作成されることになりました。本のタイトルは編集者全員で決められ、本の表紙を大内絆吏、編集を輕部結真、大内絆吏、大内更紗の3人が担当しました。上述の4章が収録された本 “Unleashing Technology Innovations for Positive Human-animal Relationships: Tales from AnimalHack” は、現在 Amazon Kindle Direct Publishingから出版されています。