Vietnam, July 1, 2024: Today, Microsoft officially announced that the Respectability team has successfully represented Vietnam to become one of the winning teams of the “Microsoft AI for Accessibility Hackathon 2024” in the Southeast Asia region.
Microsoft AI for Accessibility Hackathon (AI4A Hackathon) is a competition launched by Microsoft in 2019 to seek initiatives using AI to improve daily life activities for people with disabilities. This year, AI4A Hackathon 2024 in Southeast Asia attracted more than 650 contestants from 180 teams from more than 20 universities in 7 countries. In Vietnam, AI4A Hackathon 2024 was jointly organized by Microsoft and RMIT University Vietnam within the framework of RMIT Vietnam’s Accessibility Design Competition 2024. Teams that compete with AI-related initiatives and make it to the second round of the Accessibility Design Competition 2024 will be eligible to participate in Microsoft’s AI4A Hackathon 2024.
Accordingly, AI4A Hackathon 2024 received 25 entries from Vietnam with diverse solutions, contributing to solving difficulties in daily life for people with speech disorders, stuttering, visual impairment, autism, physical weakness, etc. The organizers had a hard time selecting 5 teams to enter the final round this year. After a day of presenting their ideas to a panel of judges from Microsoft, RMIT University, UNDP Vietnam, DRD Vietnam, FPT and HCL Tech, the Respectability team with the solution SightSence Technology, has won the championship of Vietnam’s AI4AH 2024 competition.
SightSence Technology is a solution that uses AI technology to develop glasses with integrated cameras and a sensor cane for the blind that can convert visual data into tactile information through a Braille display.
Respectability is a team of 3 students from RMIT University, Nguyen Quoc Binh, Nguyen Huynh Nhu, and Saurabh Padmakumar.
Saurabh Padmakumar, Respectability team representative shared: “We are extremely honored to win the Microsoft AI4A Hackathon. Accessibility is not just about convenience, but also about empowering people to fully participate in society. It shows us how technology can make the world more accessible, thereby creating a world that works for everyone. Our solution was inspired by what our teammate observed in his blind friend, who had difficulty communicating due to not being able to see facial expressions or body language. Our product uses AI to detect these visual cues and translate them into a custom Braille display, designed to be affordable for everyone.”
Ms. Nguyen Quynh Tram, Country General Manager of Microsoft Vietnam, said: “There are more than 1 billion people with disabilities worldwide, of which Asia has about 650 million people. They are the ones who need assistive technology, but currently only 1 in 10 people have access to technology to fully participate in daily activities in society. That is why Microsoft has organized the AI4A Hackathon for the past 5 years with the desire to use technology such as AI to support people with disabilities around the world, so that they can better integrate into society as well as improve their career opportunities.”
“We are very pleased to continue to coordinate with RMIT University to organize the AI4A Hackathon this year in Vietnam. Participants’ entries are truly impressive and full of enthusiasm for improving the lives of people with disabilities. Hopefully, the AI4A Hackathon will continue to inspire and empower you to develop your solutions into reality,” said Nguyen Quynh Tram.