Business Daily Media

The Times Real Estate

.

Announcing Microsoft AI for Accessibility Hackathon APAC winners: Thailand, Singapore, and Philippines accelerate inclusive innovation

SINGAPORE - Media OutReach - 13 May 2022 - Teams from Thailand, Singapore and Philippines are winners of the Microsoft AI for Accessibility (AI4A) Hackathon in APAC. In its third year, the AI4A Hackathon features teams who are deeply committed to solving real-world challenges faced by people with disabilities (PwD).

The hackathon acts as a springboard for creators and developers to launch their applications, with cash prizes, access to Microsoft Technical experts to co-build their solutions on Microsoft Azure and continued mentoring support to build out their solution.

ABOVE: Team Asclepius from Thailand developed a sign-to-text app to help people who are deaf or hard of hearing. L-R: Krissada Singhakachain, Peerapat Sangpattrachai, Kittipon Amornprasertkij, Papop Lekhapanyaporn, Nunticha Praphanturakit
ABOVE: Team Asclepius from Thailand developed a sign-to-text app to help people who are deaf or hard of hearing. L-R: Krissada Singhakachain, Peerapat Sangpattrachai, Kittipon Amornprasertkij, Papop Lekhapanyaporn, Nunticha Praphanturakit


Drawing on real-life challenges faced by PwDs, 14 non-profit organizations (NPOs) shared problem statements that the 75 teams in the AI4A Hackathon used to build innovative solutions around the themes of transport, wearable devices and language tools.

Team Asclepius from Thailand, Team SWIFT Responders from Singapore and Team EIA from Philippines created solutions to bridge the disability divide, which include building an AI-enabled communication aid for people who are deaf, a smart system that allows people with physical disabilities to live independently, as well as inclusive banking for people who are blind.

In addition to these winners, two additional teams from Indonesia (Arabic Braille Converter) and Singapore (MeetMeHear) will receive coaching by Microsoft and its partners, including access to cloud architects, business consultation guidance to develop their solution, from a proof-of-concept to an application hosted on Microsoft Azure.

"We are inspired to see the continued enthusiasm of submissions this year for the hackathon to improve the lives of PwDs and congratulate the winners who so passionately brought their solutions to fruition," said Pratima Amonkar, Chair for D&I and Accessibility for Microsoft Asia Pacific. "The month of May will be an important time for us to see the tremendous possibility of the contribution of PwDs as we roll out exciting awareness, training and mentorship programs with our customers, partners and wider community across the region."

With more than 1 billion people with disabilities in the world, and 650 million in Asia, Microsoft believes that accessibility is essential to delivering on our mission to "empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more." Accessibility is the vehicle to enable inclusion of people with disabilities. To highlight how technology can unlock solutions that empower people with disabilities and enable transformative change within communities in APAC, Microsoft has dedicated the month of May in 2022 to Accessibility Awareness Month, with a series of workshops, trainings and events as well as awarding and celebrating winners of the AI for Accessibility Hackathon winners.

Thailand: Team Asclepius

To help people who are deaf or hard of hearing, Team Asclepius from Thailand, developed a sign-to-text application that uses AI deep learning models to capture movement sequences and body postures that predicts alphabets, words and numbers based on American Sign Language. This group of passionate high school students from Thailand have ambitious plans to include other commonly used sign languages such as British and French Sign Language and enhance it for wider tech applications such as live web events.

SG-Team-SWIFT.jpg
ABOVE: Team SWIFT Responders from Singapore developed a smart system for people with physical disabilities to live independently. L – R: Madeline Lim, Abhimanyu Bhatia; foreground: Nurulasyiqah Mohammad Taha.

Singapore: Team SWIFT Responders

From Singapore, Team SWIFT Responders designed an AI-enabled solution that supports the independent living of adult persons with muscular dystrophy who use motorized wheelchairs for mobility. The Support Wheelchair-user Independence Fall Tracker (SWIFT) smart system that they have developed renders immediate assistance to a wheelchair user who falls off-balance from their functional position. This inspires confidence for wheelchair users, and assures their caretakers, that they can live independently and engage in meaningful activity as their safety is assured.

ABOVE: Team EIA from the Philippines hard at work. They developed an inclusive banking platform for people who are blind. L – R: Christian Calonge, Ivan Christopher Carrillo
ABOVE: Team EIA from the Philippines hard at work. They developed an inclusive banking platform for people who are blind. L – R: Christian Calonge, Ivan Christopher Carrillo

Philippines: Team EIA

To build a more inclusive banking experience for the blind and the elderly, Team EIA from the Philippines developed an Accessibility and Vision Assistant (AVA), powered by AI and machine learning, that works as a smart financial assistant and mobile wallet for the blind and elderly that makes digital banking accessible and clear. This drives financial inclusion for these groups of people and enables them to access payments and banking services quickly and securely.

Two additional outstanding teams have won coaching by Microsoft and its partners to bring their projects into fully running applications hosted on Microsoft Azure:

1. Arabic Braille Converter (Indonesia): an app that could scan and convert Arabic text or graphics into Indonesian Braille format which can be read by screen readers or braille displays. It also has the function to back-translate from Arabic Braille into Arabic text.

2. MeetMeHear (Singapore): an app to assist the deaf and hard-of-hearing to better communicate with others during physical meetings, through the use of AI for speech recognition to provide more accurate live captions.

Problem Statements from Non-Profit Organizations

NPOs across the region contributed to the hackathon through problem statements, based on real experiences faced by PwD. Some of the problem statements shared include:

  • How can AI provide wearable devices that will help persons with visual impairment traverse the streets independently and safely?
  • How can AI provide accessibility for online applicant assessment tools such as language assessments, verbal reasoning tests, and abstract reasoning tests?
  • How might we automatically create closed captions for offline use to help the deaf and hard of hearing community?

The NPOs represent a variety of organizations committed to improving the lives of people with disabilities in Asia Pacific.

Korea – Korea Differently Abled Federation
Malaysia – Malaysia Pan-Disability Football Club
Philippines – AHA! Learning Center
Philippines – Atriev
Philippines – Project Inclusion
Philippines – Virtualahan
Singapore – SG Enable
Sri Lanka – MJF Charitable Foundation
Thailand – Tab Foundation
Thailand – The Redemptorist Foundation for People with Disabilities
United Nations Development Program
Vietnam – Disability Research and Capacity Development


About Microsoft

Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT" @microsoft) enables digital transformation for the era of an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge. Its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.

#Microsoft

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

News from Asia

Zeagoo Europe Launches Limited-Time 30% Off Spring/Summer Event

BERLIN, GERMANY - Media OutReach Newswire - 25 March 2025 - Zeagoo Europe is set to launch its highly anticipated Spring/Summer 2025 promotion, running from March 25 to March 31, under the theme “...

Great World Residences unveils new name and brand identity

SINGAPORE - Media OutReach Neswire - 26 March 2025 - Great World Residences, formerly known as Great World Serviced Apartments, proudly announces its new name and refreshed brand identity, marking...

Presented by K11 Art Foundation, Philip Colbert’s monumental sculpture THE LOBSTER PAINTER – a collaboration with Co-Museum – along with five other works create an immersive city takeover

The sculptures are now available for public viewing at various locations across K11 MUSEA and add a bold, interactive dimension to Hong Kong’s city-wide celebration of the arts From 26 March to 13 ...

Coca-Cola in Hong Kong become Founding Partner of Kai Tak Sports Park

Bringing People Together and Elevating Refreshing Moments in Hong Kong’s Home Venue HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 26 March 2025 - Coca-Cola in Hong Kong, represented by The Coca-Cola C...

FBS Supports 250 Children in Indonesia During Ramadan

JAKARTA, INDONESIA - Media OutReach Neswire - 26 March 2025 - FBS, a leading global broker, continues its commitment to social responsibility with a $10 000 donation to the Peduli Anak Foundation...

ESG Achievement Awards 2024/2025 is Open for Applications, Honouring Technology-Driven Sustainability and Innovation

HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 26 March 2025 - The Institute of ESG & Benchmark (IESGB) is proud to announce the launch of the fifth edition of the ESG Achievement Awards 2024/2025...

Experience the Rich Fishing Heritage of Hong Kong with "Aberdeen 1773"

HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 26 March 2025 - Hong Kong Fisherman's Wharf is excited to introduce the "Aberdeen 1773 Fishing Heritage Tour", a cultural experience that brings the rich ...

Insulation Material Y-Warm: A New Era of Thin and Light Winter Apparels

BEIJING, CHINA - Media OutReach Newswire - 26 March 2025 - Even after over a hundred years of application of thermal insulation materials in construction and other industry, this application in te...

Case Study Highlights INDIBA 448 kHz Radiofrequency’s Role in Visceral Fat Reduction and Prevention of Fat Accumulation

SINGAPORE - Media OutReach Newswire - 26 March 2025 - A revolutionary case study and scientific research have revealed that INDIBA 448 kHz monopolar radiofrequency technology offers a highly effe...

Galaxy Macau™ and SCMP Learn Team Up to Inspire New Educational Pathways at Pioneering Parents’ Talk Held at GICC

Leading Education Experts Gather to Shape Conversations Around Global Education for the Next Generation MACAU SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 26 March 2025 - Galaxy Macau™, in collaboration with ...

Why the Way We Think About Employee Wellbeing Is Holding Us Back

Workplace wellbeing has finally reached the mainstream. It’s no longer seen as a ‘nice to have’ or an afterthought—it’s a core business issue. But d...

Samsara Eco expands global leadership team

Industry heavyweights join Samsara Eco to accelerate its enzymatic recycling technology Chief Innovation Officer and Executive Product Director a...

National Print Awards Announce Ricoh Women in Industry Award

The National Print Awards (NPAs) are proud to introduce the Ricoh Women in Industry Award, a prestigious new accolade recognising and celebrating ...

Financial Forecasting: 3 Tips for SMEs

Financial forecasting means predicting your business’s future revenue, expenses, and cash flow so you can plan ahead. If you’ve ever wondered whether ...

NextOre Unveils World First MR Analyser for Underground Copper Trucks

NextOre, a global leader in  Magnetic Resonance (MR)-enabled bulk ore sorting technology, has now made its world first sensor system available for...

Incode joins Australia’s Age Assurance Technology Trial to protect children online

With a market-leading +99% accuracy rate, Incode will play a key role in safeguarding Aussie minors on social media Incode Technologies Inc., a...

Sell by LayBy