Swedish technology major Hexagon’s research and development hub Hexagon Capability Center India (HCCI) in the city is planning to open an AI (Artificial Intelligence) Community Centre next year. “It will be accessible to all… basically [for students] from 8th standard to those who have completed engineering and [offer] free education on AI topics,” HCCI Vice President and Country Manager Navaneet Mishra said on Monday.
Speaking at the presentation of prizes to winners of ‘Hexathon’, a 24-hour hackathon held over the weekend, he said Hexagon has signed an MoU with IT industry body Nasscom and will partner Telangana government for the facility, which is expected to open in the first quarter of 2020, in Hyderabad. It will cover 350 students, in batches, in a year., he said, adding even those familiar with AI will find the facility useful. The finer details, including the selection criteria for identifying the beneficiaries, were to be worked out.
Mr.Mishra mentioned about the proposed centre while listing student engagement of HCCI, which included setting up of labs at academic institutions such as NIT Warangal and CBIT to help students familiarise with Hexagon technologies.
HCCI, whose headcount is set to increase from over 1,400 to 1,500 by this year, engaged with academic institutions through its ‘Campus Champions’ or senior employees who interact with colleges not only during hiring time but through the year briefing them about the latest technology and “how we can be of help,” he said.
The response to the hackathon, which was open to all, was overwhelming, he said, adding it sought to solve the day-to-day challenges with focus on the five core themes of smart city, smart agriculture, smart factories, smart office and water management. As many as 136 teams battled it out to claim the winner and a clutch of distinctive ideas positions.
IT Secretary Jayesh Ranjan said 11 teams were evaluated and five were selected. But, all the 11 teams would be attached to the relevant departments for taking the ideas forward.
Meanwhile, the top honours of the hackathon went to Yodha, an all girls team from Malla Reddy Engineering College for Women, Hyderabad, for a smart voting system using blockchain technology to facilitate online voting.
The team comprising third year engineering students Shivani Kolanu, K. Prashanthi and Ramyasri Kallam, whose prize includes a trip to Singapore, intends to test its solution in a gated community. The team members will also meet the Chief Electoral Officer and explore opportunities to further develop and deploy the solution.
