2018 App Challenge Showdown Recap

When: Wednesday, May 30  |  1:00-3:00 p.m.
Where: Polsky Exchange  |  Promontory Room

At the Showdown, our finalists presented how they

• harnessed the power of “big data” and machine learning to support the pedagogical development of teachers
• motivated frail adults to keep moving with a voice-enabled application for the Amazon Echo
• combined economic research into human bias with real-time tote board data to give users smart betting suggestions
• used environmental data of Chicago to suggest an optimally “natural” route between two locations to demonstrate the benefits of urban greenspace

and two winners received $10,000 in prizes!

Our Judges

 Laura Paradis, Ci3

Laura applies human-centered design research practices to identify opportunities and prototype solutions for improved healthcare experiences. She collaborates with researchers, healthcare providers, and young people to build user agency and models of sustainability.

Matthew Walter, TTI

Matthew Walter is an assistant professor at the Toyota Technological Institute at Chicago. His interests revolve around the realization of intelligent, perceptually aware robots that are able to act robustly and effectively in unstructured environments, particularly with and alongside people. His research focuses on machine learning-based solutions that allow robots to learn to understand and interact with the people, places, and objects in their surroundings. 

Michael Wills, Division of the Humanities

Michael Wills began his career in the telecom industry, eventually arriving at the Division of the Humanities, where today he is the Director of Humanities Computing. His team provides support for the computing and technology needs of the members of the Division, enabling them to focus on the academic mission of research and teaching. Michael participates in a number of working groups and committees aimed at helping the university save costs and improve the technology services across campus.