{"id":44756,"date":"2023-10-20T15:38:25","date_gmt":"2023-10-20T15:38:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/startupsmart.test\/2023\/10\/20\/nasa-space-apps-challenge-takes-melbourne-entrepreneurs-to-the-final-frontier-startupsmart\/"},"modified":"2023-10-20T15:38:25","modified_gmt":"2023-10-20T15:38:25","slug":"nasa-space-apps-challenge-takes-melbourne-entrepreneurs-to-the-final-frontier-startupsmart","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.startupsmart.com.au\/uncategorized\/nasa-space-apps-challenge-takes-melbourne-entrepreneurs-to-the-final-frontier-startupsmart\/","title":{"rendered":"NASA Space Apps challenge takes Melbourne entrepreneurs to the final frontier – StartupSmart"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"MELBOURNE<\/div>\n

From holograms and jet packs to IKEA-inspired space goods, the Melbourne leg of the NASA Space Apps Challenge inspired a range of new intergalactic ideas.<\/p>\n

The event, held at Lab-14 at Melbourne University\u2019s Carlton Connect Initiative, brought together more than 100 people, organiser Michelle Mannering says.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had such a diverse skill set and such a diverse range of solutions that were actually created,\u201d Mannering tells StartupSmart.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWe even had a couple of astrophysicists and scientists.”<\/p>\n

Combining coders, developers and engineers with creators, artists and storytellers, 16 teams formulated solutions for some of the world\u2019s biggest challenges.<\/p>\n

The two-day hackathon had six key themes: aeronautics, space station, solar system, technology, earth and journey to Mars.<\/p>\n

Melbourne teams went head to head working on a wide range of ideas for the chance to compete with NASA hackathon teams across the globe and attend a live rocket launch.<\/p>\n

As the event unfolded teams hacked into science experiments, gaming, rocket packs, mobile apps, virtual reality, holograms and storybooks.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat was really cool was seeing the different kinds of things that people were doing,\u201d Mannering says.<\/p>\n

A judging panel including Signal Ventures general partner Atlanta Daniel and Blue Chilli startup market manager Ren Butler assessed the 16 pitches at the end of the event.<\/p>\n

The top prizewinner was Oh-Ree-Ga-Mee, an IKEA-inspired storage rack that can be folded to fit into tight spaces on a space station.<\/p>\n

In addition to a mix of VIP tickets to upcoming events like Melbourne Knowledge Week, the team scored a 15-minute spot on a space experiment flight taking off this July.<\/p>\n

Interface developer Steven De Salas and his team won the ‘Best Use of Data’ category.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy idea was to create a wearable arm band device for astronauts and space travellers to alert them to potential hazards in space environments,\u201d De Salas tells StartupSmart.<\/em><\/p>\n

In practice, the Technical Environment Ambient Monitoring System (TEAMS) device would track radiation levels, atmospheric pressure drops and gas chemistry changes while broadcasting this information to all team members wearing the armband.<\/p>\n

If one of them is threatened, an alarm and vibrations will trigger to alert the rest of team wearing the band so they can respond immediately to help their peer.<\/p>\n

De Salas, who attends hackathons regularly, says the NASA Space Apps Melbourne challenge is one of the most fun he has attended.<\/p>\n

But he says the type of ideas that were developed were also very strong, particularly the jet pack.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was pretty impressive,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Photo: Steven Cooper<\/em><\/p>\n

Follow StartupSmart on<\/em> Facebook,<\/em> Twitter,<\/em>LinkedIn <\/em>and <\/em>SoundCloud.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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