Atos announces the winners of its international student competition, the Atos IT Challenge. The 3 winning teams were presented with their awards this afternoon during a Ceremony which took place virtually, with the Atos Scientific Community at Atos’ headquarters in Bezons and with the finalists online.
Now in its eleventh year, the competition received over 100 entries from teams from 19 countries around the world compete on the theme “To the Moon… to Mars… and to the stars”.
The goal of this year’s challenge was to explore how data can be used from space within digital data driven ecosystems in order to advance humanity’s progress, both in space and on Earth. They were encouraged to develop space-related applications, with a particular emphasis on (though not restricted to) the Atos Mundi platform which hosts Copernicus Earth satellite imagery.
From the 19 shortlisted teams which were selected to develop their applications under the supervision of Atos Scientific Community coaches, 13 of these made it through to the final judging. From this the Atos IT Challenge Jury, made up of experts and Atos executives[1], chose three finalists. These are:
- 1stprize and competition winner: “Sargassum Detector” from theUniversity of Orléans, France
This app manages the large expanses of the Sargassum seaweed. It detects floating islands of algae with satellite images, then estimates on which coasts they will be stranded. The objective is to be able to warn local authorities in advance in order to promote a rapid collection of algae and a low impact on the coasts. The project also includes an app which allows users to participate in the collection of algae, by putting them in touch with partner associations or collection services. The team won €10,000.
- 2nd prize: “Lumø”, from the National University of Singapore
This app primarily targeted at firefighters provides a range of descriptive statistics, such as GIS maps and dashboards containing charts and reports, that allow for quick decision making when it comes to wildfires. In addition to the descriptive statistics of the current situation, it also has two additional features: a real-time analysis of a location’s vulnerability to a spontaneous wildfire, and a simulation that can model wildfire spread. The team won €5,000.
- 3rd prize:“RiverEye”, from the University of São Paulo, Brazil
Protecting the vegetation alongside rivers with general wildlife is crucial for the subsistence of the ecosystem and the well-being of human life. This web platform inspects and automatically detects vegetation areas that should be preserved alongside rivers using satellite imagery together with Machine Learning and Computer Vision techniques. It also includes a tool for users to compare a region across different times of acquisition. The team won €3,000.
Each of the finalist students will have the opportunity to complete an internship at Atos or be able to discuss other opportunities.
Commenting on these results, Sophie Proust, Group Chief Technical Officer, Atos said: “There is no denying that this year’s topic was a big hit - using the power of earth observation satellite data to advance humanity’s progress. We had over 100 entries covering areas of deforestation, agriculture, climate, energy and pollution. The winners of the Atos IT Challenge this year have shown real originality and creativity with their innovative solutions that meet some of today’s greatest real-world challenges we are facing in our ecosystem, such as the destruction of natural habitats and solutions which help protect them. A big congratulations to our winners and to all of our contestants!”
Since its creation in 2012, the Atos IT Challenge has empowered students from around the world to develop applications connected to major trends in the digital revolution, such as smart mobility, connected cars, interactive media, connected life, the “right to be forgotten”, blockchain and artificial intelligence. Students are mentored by members of Atos Scientific Community who provide technical and practical support, advice, and encouragement.
