Windows Embedded Student ChallengE

Windows Embedded Student ChallengE used to be a separate student design contest based on the Microsoft embedded technologies. Starting with 2006, it is part of the Imagine Cup contest.

Romanian teams that participated in the contest:

2005 - 3 out of 5 Romanian teams in the world finals:

3rd place - Project Invisanet
Alpha Team: Anca Mihaela Hamuraru, Alin-Iulian Lazar, Florin Dinu si Cosmin Nicolae Stan
Team mentors: Nicolae Tapus, Vlad Panait

Honorable Mention - Project: Hello Teddy
Blue Arrow Team: Andrei Laurentiu Georgescu, Stefan-Valentin Guna, Gabriel Alexandru Ghiondea, Emil-Cristian Bîrsan
Team mentors: Nicolae Tapus, Vlad Panait

Mention - Project: IntelliTraffic
Newton Team: Maximilian Machedon, Iulian Moraru, Bogdan Marius Tudor, Andrei Eugen Lascarov Stamate
Team mentor: Nirvana Popescu

[more about 2005 contest..]

2006 - 3 Romanian teams in the world finals:

1st place - Project Forest Watcher
44Tech Team: Cristian Iuliu Pop, Ioana Romelia Bratie, Omar Salim Choudary, Mircea Dan Gheorghe
Team mentor: Nirvana Popescu

4th place - Project BirdSpot
The Release Candidates Team: Alin Iulian Lazar, Andrei Gheorghe, Mihai George Ciureanu, Radu Nedelcu
Team mentor: Nicolae Tapus

Mention - Project Pi-CoPS
Neptune Team: Stefan Bucur, Mihai-Alexandru Balan, Razvan Tataroiu, Vlad Ureche
Team mentors: Nicolae Tapus, Vlad Panait

[more about 2006 contest..]

BirdSpot - 4th place @ WESC 2006

Project name: BirdSpot
Contest: WESC 2006
Award: 4th place
Alpha Team: Alin-Iulian Lazar, Andrei Gheorghe, Mihai Ciureanu, Radu Nedelcut
Mentor: Nicolae Tapus
(raport)

In the news:




Abstract:

The Danube Delta located in Eastern Romania is one of the best preserved natural habitats in the world and is on the list of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites and Biosphere Reserves [1]. Besides a wide variety of plants and fish, the Delta is also home to over 300 different bird species, some of them being very rare or unique such as the cormorant or the white pelican [2]. Studying these birds without too much anthropic interference is thus an important element in conserving their habitat and sustaining growth. Furthermore, as millions of birds come to the Delta every year to lay their eggs, several cases of avian influenza have been detected in autumn 2005, the virus being brought by some species coming from Asia [3][4]. Identifying these species as soon as they arrive and monitoring the high risk areas has become vital in order to prevent the virus from spreading and thus affecting the health of both wildlife and human beings or having harsh economic consequences.
The BirdSpot system automatically detects, identifies and classifies bird species based on visual information in order to determine the evolution of the population density of distinct species in a designated area. The system is built upon non-obtrusive, energy-efficient and affordable wireless devices that can be placed in remote natural habitats to gather visual data. BirdSpot then uses wireless long range communication equipment to aggregate data from these remote devices to a processing server. Bird detection and classification are accomplished by means of intelligent image processing and adaptive machine learning algorithms. As the images are analyzed, the output results consisting of the identified bird species and their locations are integrated into a database and are accessible via a user-friendly web interface. Furthermore, these results can be used in order to create specific reports. For instance, in case the arrival of a migrating virus-susceptible species is detected, a special alert will be issued to the interested authorities.
BirdSpot improves on existing imaging equipment used by bird-watchers or scientists: BirdSpot devices are designed to be autonomous and operate unattended in remote areas. Moreover, the key feature of the system is that it allows automatic, real-time classification of birds into species starting from relevant captured images. Tracking animals and birds in particular currently involves tagging individual specimens using rings or cumbersome electronic transmitters [5]. What BirdSpot focuses on however is not following the habits of individual birds but monitoring and synthesizing the general evolution of the density of species over a certain territory.
Thus, as it receives input from a number of remote devices deployed in an area, the BirdSpot system is able to compute and offer a general picture of the distribution of bird species. This can greatly facilitate and streamline the work of ornithologists. Current methods for assessing bird populations require the participation of hundreds of volunteers who must follow tedious procedures [6]. BirdSpot, on the other hand, can provide similar information with minimal supervision and is able to process statistical and geographic results automatically. The human contribution is reduced to collaborative assistance in training an automated species classifier.
The system is also designed with the numerous hobbyists and enthusiasts in mind as BirdSpot can be a fun way to take part in an exciting and educative birdwatching experience. However the main features of BirdSpot primarily qualify it as a powerful scientific tool and in the context of the recent birdflu threat as a potential means of protecting lives.

Invisanet - 3rd place @ WESC 2005

Project name: Invisanet
Contest: WESC 2005
Award: 3rd place
Alpha Team: Anca Mihaela Hamuraru, Alin-Iulian Lazar, Florin Dinu si Cosmin Nicolae Stan
Mentor: Nicolae Tapus, Vlad Panait
(raport)

In the news:



Abstract:

Aerial reconnaissance has long been a field of engineering research. However, even powerful and accurate systems such as those based on satellite photography are flawed by their latency, cost and availability. Common commercially-available satellite imaging products offer data that is usually several months old and has an acceptable level of detail only for some locations [1]. Real time satellite surveillance is expensive and normally available only to military personnel for national security purposes [2]. There are situations when people need a fast and convenient way to obtain real time aerial images of the surrounding territory, on a small or medium scale, for such purposes as helping people in danger in crisis situations or for industrial applications.
Invisanet (Intelligent Visualisation Aerial Network) is a system that gathers and intelligently interprets bird’s eye views of nearby terrains. It uses a network of aerial units flying at a relatively low altitude that are able to take pictures of the terrain and send them to a ground station for processing and dissemination. The images are automatically adjoined in a broader view based on their relative position and orientation. Users provided with mobile devices can send requests to the system to visualise the incoming images in real time or to indicate areas to be explored. The system elaborates plans and trajectories to cover those areas and instructs the airborne units to follow them accordingly using motion control commands and GPS-based positioning feedback. Advanced services such as pattern recognition inside the incoming images are also provided to the users.
Invisanet is lightweight and cost-effective. It is made up of easy to deploy components:
Airborne Units (AUs) – they are primarily floating helium blimps equipped with an embedded photo camera module, navigational and positioning mechanisms and wireless communication equipment; they are responsible for data gathering.
Communication, Information and Control Coordinator (CIC) – a highly portable unit located on the ground that is built using an eBox II device; it receives data from the AUs, processes it and sends it to system users or accepts requests from the users and envisions plans to accomplish them.
Portable Devices (PDs) – they are provided to system users and consist of mobile platforms; they are used to connect to the CIC and request data or provide control commands for the AUs.
Thus, Invisanet comes with a novel approach to aerial imaging, making it more responsive, accessible and flexible. Its fast response time is critical in certain applications such as search-rescue missions and crisis response in floods or in an otherwise inaccessible territory. As dynamic data is fed into the system users can focus their exploration on certain areas of interest in real time. The ability to use Invisanet to monitor ongoing events makes it suitable for dealing with environmental issues such as cleaning oil spills or for crowd control and security surveillance. Versatility is also an important issue in the design of Invisanet: the system not only gathers raw data but also processes it in order to be mapped alongside geographical positioning information. Furthermore, application-specific processing algorithms are applied in order to obtain pattern or area matching.
Invisanet introduces an innovative approach to aerial imaging that can bring many benefits to fields such as industry, agriculture or the protection of people and of the environment. Its users can thus transcend their field of view, gain a new perspective on the local situation and ultimately expand their horizon.

Hello Teddy - Honorable Mention @ WESC 2005

Project name: Hello Teddy
Contest: WESC 2005
Award: Honorable Mention
Team: Andrei Laurentiu Georgescu, Stefan-Valentin Guna, Gabriel Alexandru Ghiondea, Emil-Cristian Bîrsan
Mentor: Nicolae Tapus, Vlad Panait
(raport)

In the news:

Abstract:

Imagine you could be all day near your child, even while working or having to go on a business trip and your offspring has to stay home with its grandparents, your spouse or a baby-sitter. Think of being able to see it any minute of the day or talking to him any time you want to.
Statistics show that in most U.S. homes with two parents, both of them have a job. These parents have to ask for help from a relative, a neighbor or a day care provider. In the world, about 70% of parents place their young children in some type of daily care.
All the people would like to see and talk to their children when they are away from them. Hello TEDDY! is a system that goes beyond conventional boundaries in child care by providing support for these people; it is disguised as a toy (a teddy bear) and it allows parents to closely monitor their children while they are on a business trip and somebody else takes care of their children. Parents can use this system from a remote computer miles away from home and they are be able to watch, listen or speak to their children as if they were one foot away.
Stories are important elements in a child’s life as they develop the child’s imagination and the perception of the surrounding world. That is why Hello TEDDY! can tell such stories either by being programmed by parents or by playing when the child requests with a squeeze of one of teddy’s hands. Using sensors, one can monitor their children’s environment: if the baby-sitter forgets to close the window and the temperature drops, parents receive a notification. Scheduled memos can be stored and played at a proper time so the little ones know when it is bed time or time for dinner. If the children require their parents’ attention, they will be able to call them by squeezing another member of the teddy.
The system assures parents that baby-sitters have an adequate behavior in respect to their children. It has a psychological impact on parents, by making them feel close to their little ones; they will be relieved and they will be able to focus on their work.
It is important to know that Hello TEDDY! does not replace human guidance, but it is only a tool for persons who are taking care of children that can help organizing this activity in a more efficient way. Children will like this “toy” because it is funny and it tells bedtime stories. Just think what an impact advice coming from a toy that resembles the voice and warmness of a parent would have.