WinCE Student Challenge Winners Announced

Congratulations to all participants of Microsoft's third annual Windows Embedded Student ChallengE, a competition that pitted teams of undergraduate students from around the world to create Windows CE-based embedded devices that address real-world issues.

Out of a field of 367 teams from 17 countries, the team from the Politehnica University of Bucharest (Romania) was recognized for its "Forest Watcher" project as having the created the most innovative device that fit this year’s theme "Preserving, Protecting and Enhancing the Environment." Using Windows Embedded CE, the team designed a monitoring system for preventing forest devastation. The solution includes a network of sensors placed in the forest, which gather information about cutting noises, temperature, humidity, pressure and carbon monoxide in the area. Data is processed and via a mobile smart client the forester is informed about problems like fire or illegal logging. The team was awarded $8000 for its award-winning design.

The runners-up in order are:

• The University of Southern Florida (U.S.) for its "Erebus Scarecrow," an intelligent system to reduce eradication of protected and rare birds in fish in fish farms.
  
• Xidian University (China) for "Starswave," a system designed to conserve electricity through controlled street lamp lighting.
  
• Politehnica University of Bucharest (Romania) for "BirdSpot," a system for identifying and classifying bird species.
  
• Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications (China), for "ACES," an A1coal mine enhancing system.

These teams will also receive cash awards ranging from $6000 to $3200. For full project descriptions go to, http://www.windowschallenge.com/finalists.aspx.

Posted by Jon Erickson at 09:56 AM  Permalink