Hack for Pasadena Tech Contest Produces Four Winning Apps to Help Solve City’s Problems

Four groups of Pasadena innovators bested hundreds of participants during the Hack for Pasadena technology event last week. The winning applications included prototypes of an electricity and water consumption calculator and an application that may help lessen the cases of vehicle collisions at road intersections.

Hack for Pasadena was a two-day contest held at Pasadena City College that saw technology and computer experts pitching web page and mobile application prototypes designed to help improve the city or solve its problems including homelessness, transportation, crime, affordable housing and public safety.

Among this year’s awardees were a group of Pasadena High School freshmen who developed an electric and water consumption calculator based on daily activities to help individuals contribute to conservation efforts. Their Utility Conservation App was recognized as having the “Most Accessible Implementation of Technology to Engage the Community.”

The “Best Application of City Data to Meet a Civic Need” award, meanwhile, was given to the inventors of the Traffic Collision Analysis App, which used the city’s traffic collision database and overlays time, weather, directional analysis and other factors to assess the risks at traffic intersections.

Also awarded was the Go Play Pasadena/A Billion Steps App, a “Biggest Loser” type of game that may help fight child obesity epidemic through organizing weight loss competition between schools. The app was recognized to be a “Start of Something Really, Really Special.”

Finally, the “Most Innovative and Creative Use of the ESRI ArcGIS Software” award was given to the makers of Urban Harvester App, which aims to end hunger in Pasadena by connecting residents and businesses with homegrown and excess food supplies to local food banks and soup kitchens.

The first three winners received $1,500 each, while $1,000 cash prize was given to the winner of the most effective and creative use of Esri’s ArcGIS apps, APIs, maps, or services.

The Department of Information Technology plans to follow-up with the winning teams over the next few months to discuss the feasibility of continuing to develop their apps.

Hack for Pasadena was a part of Connect Weekend: A Weekend of Difference Makers and Disruptors sponsored by Innovate Pasadena.

The participants came from local area schools including the Pasadena City College, Caltech, Art Center, University of Southern California, Pasadena High School, and included technology and design professionals.

The teams presented their web or mobile application prototypes before a set of judges that represent chairs, chief executive officers, vice presidents and investors from the local tech community.

The criteria for judging were based upon working prototype, user interface, depth of concept, creative and innovative approaches to problem solving, exciting uses of civic data and the potential positive impact the app may have on the community.

To know more about Hack for Pasadena, as well as all the team entries, visit http://www.hackforpasadena.com or http://www.bit/ly/Hack4Pasadena. You may also contact Michael Royer, IT manager at Enterprise Commuting, at (626) 744-7929.