URI hackathon to tackle health, wellness challenges

HealthHacks RI 2016 will be held Oct. 14-16 at the University of Rhode Island.
HealthHacks RI 2016 will be held Oct. 14-16 at the University of Rhode Island.

SOUTH KINGSTOWN – HealthHacks RI 2016, a “hackathon” to create solutions for health and wellness challenges, will be held Oct. 14-16 at the University of Rhode Island.
URI is holding the event in partnership with Social Enterprise Greenhouse, a business accelerator, and MedMates, the state’s health care technology network group, according to Nick Constant, the lead student organizer and a graduate electrical engineering student.
Constant, in a recent telephone interview, said the hackathon, which is in its second year, was expanded to include health and wellness to make it a more inclusive event, and interest students from other programs and majors.
He said they are trying to “boost the entrepreneurial spirit” and hope to spur some new businesses for Rhode Island. He said entrepreneurs can learn about resources at URI, how to protect their ideas and what’s required in a business plan by participating.

Kunal Mankodiya, an assistant professor of electrical, computer biomedical engineering and organizer of the event, said small teams of inventors will have 48 hours to identify a problem related to aging, diet/nutrition and medical technology, and come up with a solution. Teams will be assisted by mentors.
Teams will present their work to a panel of judges and the public. Participants will compete for cash prizes – the first-place winner receives $1,000; second, $500; and third, $250 – and the public also will vote for its favorite solution. Constant said he expects between 10 and 12 teams of five people to compete. It costs $20 to participate.
“Each and every team will make something tangible,” he said in a statement. “The result will be something you can pick up and touch.”
“The ultimate goal is to take an idea and make it better through collaboration,” Constant added. “This event takes those small embers and makes bigger flames.”
The Colleges of Engineering, Business and Health Sciences are sponsoring the hackathon.
Teams will have access to micro-processors, sensors, motors, 3D printer and other materials. Fully formed teams, as well as individuals interested in joining a team, are welcome. Participants do not have to be engineers, scientists or health professionals.
The event begins Oct. 14 at URI’s Memorial Union, 40 Lower College Road, with Dr. James V. McDonald of the R.I. Department of Health, who will present health challenges in need of solutions. Oct. 15 will be devoted to project work. On Oct. 16, starting at 1 p.m., teams will showcase their work for the judges and the public at URI’s Pharmacy Building, 7 Greenhouse Road.

At 2 p.m. at the Pharmacy Building, Wendy Nilsen, program director of the National Science Foundation’s Smart and Connected Health Division of Information and Intelligent Systems, will give the keynote address.
All teams will pitch again at a public event Nov. 2 to local investors.

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