Stude-developed Android mobile app tops Sweep

THE team from Colegio de San Juan de Letran Calamba bagged the grand prize in the 9th Sweep Innovation and Excellence Awards, the annual search of Smart Communications Inc. (Smart) for the most innovative wireless applications and devices by students.

"SMS.AWT: Switching and Monitoring System Using Android in Wireless Technology" is an Android mobile app that acts as a wireless system to control and monitor electrical appliances and lights especially when the user is away from home. Apart from conserving electricity, the wireless device also lessens the risk of fire-related incidents.

The same app was also hand-picked by Ericsson as recipient of the Ericsson Networked Society Award, which recognizes innovations that lead to higher efficiencies.

First runner-up was Tarlac State University (TSU) for its device, "Smart Helmet Engineered for Accidents and Disasters (Head)," while De La Salle Lipa (DLSL) was second runner-up for its entry, "Systematic Market
Application for Real-time Trading (Smart)."

TSU's Head is a device that offers faster rescue operation to motorcycle accident victims by locating the accident area through the use of global positioning system (GPS) technology. It also gives automatic vital condition updates of the motorcyclist to his nearest relative, chosen police precincts or hospitals through SMS when the driver is in distress.

The device also allows recovery of stolen motorcycles. The Android mobile application of the device is primarily programmed to show real-time map where the motorcycle is actually located. It also has a "black-box" capability, which records all locations where the motorcycle has been through and can only be accessed with the user's passcode.

Meanwhile, DLSL's Smart is an Android application that allows the user to shop for groceries from the comforts of her home or someplace else. It saves the user from going to the supermarkets for their groceries, wandering through confusing aisles, and waiting in long lines to pay the bill.

The mobile app allows the user to order groceries via his mobile phone and pay for them via the app's interface. After the payment transaction is confirmed, the customer simply has to drop by the supermarket to pick their already-packed groceries, ending the time-consuming, very annoying and painstaking cycle that happens in the supermarket, especially during peak hours.

Three more special awards were also given during the event—Voyager Special Award (Ateneo de Manila University’s Botika-On-The-Go); IdeaSpace Award (University of Southeastern Philippines’ Wordify: A selected
Language Translator Using Digital Image Processing); and Smart Developer Award (DLSL's Smart).

Smart has been holding the Sweep Awards for the ninth straight year to encourage wireless applications development among partner schools and harness mobile technology for nation-building.

Sweep is the first-of-its-kind industry-academe partnership that seeks to enhance the quality of technology and engineering education in the country. To know more about Sweep and the apps, visit http://www.smartsweep.ph. (PR)