Analog Flooding hackathon winners

Early warning system wins Analog Devices flooding hackathon

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Analog Devices hackathon winners Stephen Nugent, Andy Nolan, Eileen Liston, Stephen Millard, Vincent Foley and Andrew Linehan

16 November 2016

A framework for providing more accurate flood predictions won the first ever Analog Devices Hackathon, held at Thomond Park in Limerick.

During the two-day event 10 teams pitched their ideas to a panel of judges who were looking for novel uses of Analog Devices International’s (ADI) technology to deal with what is becoming an increasingly common danger.

The winning team presented a solution that combined sensors measuring water levels and water quality with photographs and data gathered by drones and on lampposts to construct a predictive model of when and where a flood would be likely to happen and how severe it would be. Based on this data, an app would then send localised alerts to councils and residents.

Commenting on the winning concept, Mick Higgins, Analog, said, “In the run-up to this event, flooding experts told us that there is a gap in data monitoring of river basins.  Current technology also doesn’t tell us how severe floods will be.  This proposal fills that gap.”

Colin Lyden, Fellow, Analog Devices, who led the event, said: “The layers between our technology and the end user base are becoming less and less. Previously, our technology was sold to a manufacturer who built products, for example CAT Scanners, who then sold them to vendors and then to hospitals. We didn’t see the immediate impact our technology could have. This event was about showcasing how ADI technology can be used to address significant issues and how our technology and our people can make a difference.”

The company will now engage with flooding experts like the Tyndall Institute, JBA Ireland and Gartland Concepts to to look at ways to further develop the winning entry.

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