News

A student project won first prize in the "24 Hours of Innovation" competition

May 28, 2012
The “Viewnity” project, developed by Nicolás Bianchi, a student in the Web Application Analyst and Programmer program; Felipe Coirolo and Nicolás Saúl, students in the Systems Engineering program; and Diego Ventura, a student in the Bachelor’s program in International Studies at Universidad ORT Uruguay, along with Natalia Campos, a student in Industrial Design; Magdalena López, a Chemical Engineering student, and Sylvia Schenck, a Food Engineering student at the University of the Republic, and Federico Masini, owner of the audiovisual production company “Popup!FX,” won first prize in the local “24 Hours of Innovation” competition, which took place on May 23 and 24, 2012, at the Telecommunications Tower. The project, which aims to be the first voice-based mobile app designed to assist people with visual impairments, also won the special “International America’s Award.” Sixteen teams participated in the local competition.

The School of Engineering supported this competition, sponsored by Antel, in collaboration with the engineering schools of the Catholic University of Uruguay, the University of Montevideo, and the University of the Republic.

The teams had to design, within 24 hours, an innovative solution to problems posed by companies, research laboratories, and creative professionals. They then had to produce a presentation video that was evaluated by the local jury. The winners from each country were subsequently judged by an international jury.

The “24 Hours of Innovation” competition is an international event held in Québec, Canada. It takes place within the framework of C2-MTL, an annual global conference aimed at exploring the “commerce/creativity” dynamic and its potential to redefine the business world. More than 540 teams from various countries participated in this edition.

“Viewnity” proposes a mobile app that allows people with visual impairments to receive voice-based information about buses, traffic lights, and general descriptions based on geolocation. It uses the concept of “crowdsourcing” (outsourcing tasks through the use of large professional communities) via game mechanics and social awareness-raising to encourage users to share information about their visual experiences. has also has active has from the government and businesses.

Students Diego Ventura and Nicolás Bianchi noted that “the working group was finalized at the start of the activity, which enriched the project because they came from different fields.” Both stated that their ultimate aspiration is for “this project to become a reality. We won’t stop until then.”

Article published on the ANTEL website