Bengaluru, October 19, 2024 – Nitte Meenakshi Institute of Technology (NMIT), in collaboration with the Bengaluru Traffic Police, successfully hosted the inauguration of the “i-Solve” National Hackathon on October 18th, 2024. The two-day event hosted by the Information Science and Engineering department of NMIT brings together bright young minds from across India to develop innovative solutions for traffic management and congestion avoidance in urban areas, using Bengaluru as a model city.
In December 2023, NMIT signed an MOU with Bangalore Traffic Police to bolster the traffic congestion in the city. The hackathon, which saw an overwhelming response with over 700 students registering from all over India, culminated in 30 teams competing in the final round at NMIT’s Sir M Visvesvaraya Auditorium. The event was a testament to the power of collaboration between academia, law enforcement, and industry in addressing real-world challenges.
Shri M N Anucheth, IPS, Joint Commissioner of Police, Traffic, Bangalore City, graced the occasion as the Chief Guest. In his address, he emphasized the importance of leveraging technology to solve urban traffic issues:
The event was also attended by several distinguished guests, including Deputy Commissioners of Police from various traffic divisions of Bengaluru, highlighting the significance of this initiative in the eyes of city authorities. D.R. Siri Gowri Deputy Commissioner of Police, Traffic North Division, Shiva Prakash Devaraju, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Traffic South Division and Dr Anil Kumar P Grampurohit, Police Inspector, Chickpet Traffic Police Station graced the occasion.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. H. C. Nagaraj, Principal said “At NMIT, we believe in harnessing the power of research to address real-world challenges. The i-Solve Hackathon exemplifies our commitment to fostering innovation that benefits society. By bringing together bright minds from across India and collaborating with the Bengaluru Traffic Police, we’re not just identifying traffic management issues – we’re actively working towards solutions. This event underscores the importance of industry-academia partnerships in driving meaningful change”
Dr. Mohan S. Goudar, Head of the Information Science and Engineering Department at NMIT, welcomed the dignitaries and Prof Balachandra Anantharamaiah, Faculty of IS Department, rendered a Vote of Thanks.
NMIT’s ongoing partnership with Bengaluru Traffic Police aims to develop AI & Machine Learning solutions, predictive modeling, mathematical and simulation models for traffic and congestion management on Bengaluru roads, with the potential to extend these solutions to other cities.
Prof. Balachandra, who played a key role in initiating this collaboration, stated, “This event is a culmination of our efforts to bridge the gap between academic research and real-world applications. We are proud to see the enthusiasm and innovative ideas presented by the participants.”
From the 30 finalist teams, 10 will advance to the final round, where the top three teams will be recognized for their exceptional solutions. The judging panel included experts from the Bengaluru Traffic Police Department, IEEE Computer Society Bangalore Chapter, industry researchers, and NMIT faculty.
The exceptional solutions will be handed over to the Bengaluru Traffic Police.
As Bengaluru continues to grapple with traffic congestion, events like the i-Solve Hackathon pave the way for innovative, technology-driven solutions that could potentially transform urban mobility in the city and beyond.