Innovative solutions to real-world challenges showcased at DkIT computing expo
Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) recently showcased the final year projects of the Computing courses.
25 projects were presented to Industry representatives, from apps to games, developed as part of the final year project module. A number of awards, such as Best Team Project, Best Student Portfolio and Best Student Poster were presented across six computing programmes, Software Development, Games Development, Cloud Computing, Maths and Data Science, Computing Systems and Operations.
Projects presented in this year’s exhibition included a Student Accommodation Management System designed to connect students and landlords, an AED location tool, and a web-based volleyball video tagging and highlight sharing platform designed to help coaches and players get more value from their match footage.
Raphael Frogoso was awarded the "Best Student Portfolio" for his contribution within his project "AiClipse" an AI-powered image detection platform enhanced by a community feedback loop that validates and refines detection results, creating a continuously improving model.
The winning project in the Software Development category went to the team behind Stockd Harjappan Singh Maan, Mila Murphy, Jianfeng Han, Elga Jerusha Henry and Yee Chean Chang. Stockd (stockd.live) is a virtual pantry and recipe recommendation app. The idea was inspired by the students’ experience of ingredients sitting in the fridge, not knowing what to cook with what they already had, and watching it go to waste. With Stockd, users simply scan their grocery receipt, and the app automatically organises their ingredients into a virtual pantry and suggests recipes based on what they already have - helping reduce food waste and take the stress out of everyday cooking. The potential behind the project was recognised by Enterprise Ireland earlier this year when Stockd was named in the top 50 entries in the Enterprise Ireland Student Entrepreneur Awards.
Jianfeng, UX/UI Developer, Stockd said:
“Stockd started as just an idea and became a working product - after all the challenges along the way, it means a lot to see it recognised. This was a true team effort and we're grateful to our mentors for their support. This award gives us the confidence to keep building.”
AI Developer, Mila added:
“Seeing something we built together from scratch being recognised at the expo made all the hard work feel worth it. It's been an incredible year and I'm really proud of what we achieved as a team.”
The winning team in the Games Development category was the team behind ReName Studios – Joseph Byrne, Ben McKeever, Kaylon Riordan and Eóin Hamill. The team is dedicated to making "Accessibility First" video games. Using eye-tracking technology, they developed a "Visiblity Mode" for people with visual impairments such as cataracts. "Visibility Mode" desaturates the background and saturates foreground elements in vivid colours for clarity.
Speaking on behalf of his team, Ben said:
"It's invigorating to receive this award. Our idea felt rather risky as we were trying an approach we hadn't seen before. We are overjoyed at the support of our lecturers, DkIT as a whole, and evaluators from across several industries. For us, winning means realising that our philosophy truly has merit, and we feel inspired to further develop our ideal of 'Accessibility First.’"
Students involved in the exhibition were from the following courses:
- Final Year BSc (Hons) in Computing in Software Development
- Final Year BSc (Hons) in Computing in Games Development
- Final Year BSc (Hons) in Cloud Computing
- Final Year BSc (Hons) in Maths and Data Science
- Final Year BSc (Hons) in Computing Systems and Operations
- Final Year BSc in Computing (Software Development)
Award winning students included:
1. Software Development Best Team Project Winner - Team Pocky - Harjappan Singh, Jianfeng Han, Mila Murphy, Elga J. Henry and Yee Chean Chang with "Stockd", a smart recipe suggestion and pantry management system designed to help people such as students plan meals efficiently.
2. Games Development Best Team Project Winner – ReName – Joseph Byrne, Ben McKeever, Kaylon Riordan, Eóin Hamill, with ReBeat a 3D platformer with a twist.
3. Best Project Award for Computing Systems and Operations - Tadhg Brady and Bence Veres for their project Workflow - A Small Business CRM
4. Maths and Data Analytics award: Pe Wen Tan (Wendy)
5. Best Student Portfolio Award: Raphael Frogoso
6. Cloud Computing Best Poster: Aloysius Wilfred Pacheco -Design and Integration of a Cloud based platform for Robot Swarm Management.
Speaking after the event, Dr Martin McHugh, Head of the Department of Visual and Human-Centred Computing, DkIT, said:
"The DkIT Final Year Computing Expo is a fantastic showcase of the creativity, technical excellence, and innovation our students have developed throughout their studies. This year’s projects highlight not only strong technical skills in areas such as software development and games development, but also the students’ ability to solve real-world problems with confidence and professionalism. We are extremely proud of their achievements and of the dedication shown by both students and staff in making the expo such a success."
Peadar Grant, Head of Department of Computing Science and Mathematics, DkIT added:
“This year’s Computing Expo again attracted strong interest from industry leaders, technology firms, alumni, and the wider DkIT community. With projects spanning Virtual Reality & Games, Software Development, Computing Systems and Data Science, our final-year cohort showcased creative, innovative, and impactful solutions to real-world challenges using state-of-the-art technologies. Visitors had the chance to explore demos of our students’ work. Industry representatives engaged directly with students, providing valuable feedback, and scouting emerging talent for future employment."