Spresense Codefest with Sony
Student experience 19 July 2023
“Hi everyone! My name is Zoha and I have just completed my second year studying Electrical and Electronic Engineering. I recently had the opportunity to participate in the Sony Codefest which took place on June 9th 2023. I would love to share the experience with everyone!
Open to all!
Whilst preparing for my second-semester exams in The Home of Engineering and Materials, I stumbled across the Sony Codefest poster which was being advertised on the walls. Curious about the event, I followed the QR code on the poster which led me to a page containing information about the event. It was a one-day, 10-hour event that was based on the Sony Spresense microcontroller.
Having enjoyed my microcontroller engineering modules, I decided that the codefest would be the perfect opportunity to, not only further develop my technical abilities and knowledge, but also meet new people and network. As well, the information page emphasized that no prior knowledge is required, as the Codefest would be judged on ideas and vision, and that the event is open to everyone in the Faculty of Science and Engineering regardless of their background.
Spresense main board and United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
I had the privilege of working with three other people in my course, who all brought in unique perspectives. On the day of the event, we found out the main task of the project was to utilize the components they gave us, which included the Spresense main board, extension board, camera module, SD cards, USB cables, and Wi-Fi interface modules to create a prototype of a product of an Edge computing ‘Sixth Sense’ that satisfies one or more of the UN’s sustainable development goals. Our team’s idea was to tackle sustainable development goals #3 and #10, which were to increase good health and well-being and reduce inequality.
Our solution was to create computing-based assistance for people who are visually impaired. The idea was to use the camera module and the board to essentially act as a pair of eyes, translating vision and danger perception (a sixth sense!) using artificial intelligence into another sense, such as sound or touch that could be interpreted by the user. Throughout the day, we split into teams tackling different aspects of our idea and then created a presentation, to pitch the idea to academics from the University and employees from Sony.
“My job of launching the day, with our Sony colleagues, was the easy part. The real work was done months in advance through the help of Josh and Lewis, and their guidance from an earlier event run by the students’ Robotics Society.
That said, the way teams gelled on the day and stuck to the challenge, driven only by the various pizza arrivals, and were still enthusiastically presenting their ideas late into the evening, really made the day buzz. Especially as a lot of those teams were only created ad-hoc in the morning from across various courses, which is something I never expected. ”
Professor Bruce Grieve, Deputy Head of Research (EEE) and School of Engineering Deputy Head of Research for Impact & Outputs
Collaboration
The collaboration between The University of Manchester and Sony brings an invaluable experience to students. It allowed us as students to have experience using the latest technologies to develop impactful solutions. Sony brought in employees who mentored us throughout the whole event. It was great to ask any questions from the development of our prototype to industry-related questions. As well, I was able to use the theoretical knowledge which I learned at university and apply them to a real-world problem. Overall, I gained great exposure from industry experts, and it allowed me to better understand what I’d like to specialize in in the future.
The Codefest was an experience to be remembered! Not only did it help develop my knowledge of microcontrollers, programming, and AI. But also interpersonal skills, such as working in a team under time constraints, presenting and communicating, and insight into real-world problem-solving. All of which allowed me to develop as an engineer.”
codefestCollaborationeeeSonySpresenceStudent experienceUN SDGsUnited Nations
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