The growing problem of citizen insecurity It is a challenge that requires innovative solutions. In an effort to address this problem that afflicts many Peruvian cities, the UTP – El Comercio Hackathon was held last November, in which students from the Technological University of Peru 48 hours to develop an application that helps combat this scourge efficiently.
The winner was a team made up of UTP Chimbote Campus students Gabriel Andrade, Luis Bautista, Omar Mariños and Antonio Montejo, who created a program that has functions such as a panic button in case of emergency, neighborhood chats and even intelligence functions artificial to identify violent actions. El Comercio spoke with these young people about their experience in the contest, how they approached the problem of citizen insecurity and their future plans.
-Tell me about your project?
Antonio Montejo: The project that we proposed was about combating citizen insecurity. When they gave us the problem, we realized that it was something that we also live every day and there was also the motivation to protect those we love the most, so our idea is to put ourselves in the shoes of the citizens and the importance of feeling insurance.
-What features did you implement from this?
Antonio Montejo: We try to give users facilities such as a virtual shield, as well as real-time SOS calls connected to security or police entities. Likewise, we implemented a neighborhood chat so that people in different districts are alerted to what is happening and we also implemented a chat with AI both offline and online, which allows people to have help at all times.
The last thing we proposed was the SPAD (Crime Prevention System), which is an artificial intelligence with facial recognition capabilities that identifies sudden movements and sends an alert to the authorities so they can carry out a quick response.
-Were there any features that were left out due to lack of time?
Luis Bautista: Yes, it was another facial recognition function that, although it is true that we showed it that way, was not so complete. Basically, what this function did was use the cameras that most municipalities in Peru already have installed to detect the identity of people and whether they were criminals. Obviously, obtaining with the responsible people in all cases.
-How the hackathon format influenced the way they worked and their outcome
Gabriel Andrade: Yes, the format influenced our work very significantly, more than anything because of the issue of time. And while I think we made a good product with the time they gave us, if we had more time to plan it it could have been much more efficient.
-It is worth asking then, do you plan to bring this project to reality?
Luis Bautista: Yes, that’s basically the idea. In last year’s Hackathon that we also won, we also wanted it to be implemented, so that people can use it. And it’s the same with this year’s project.
Arturo Antonio Montejo Soto: Even before finishing this Hackathon, we were convinced of the value of our application because we discussed it a little with our families and saw the potential. We implemented a small Gantt chart, which is a tool that helps us visualize the entire process that must be carried out to complete the project, and we estimate that we need a work time of around 8 months to complete it.
-What is the importance of contests like this Hackathon?
Gabriel Andrade: I believe that apart from the prizes, the greatest boost of this type of event is the value that the students, the participants, can generate when developing solutions. Because it is no longer just an assignment for the university, but an opportunity to improve people’s lives, the community and society.
-Do you plan to participate in more ‘hackathons’?
Luis Bautista: We were talking about it, but some of us are already in the tenth cycle, so I don’t think we will be complete to participate in the UTP ‘Hackathon’ next year.
-There are more external ‘hackathons’ in which you could participate together.
Antonio Montejo: In fact, we are just seeing that. I think we have created a good group and it is no coincidence that we have won this contest twice, so each of us knows what potential we have, which is why we wanted to participate in external ‘hackathons’. We had just planned to participate in one of the APEC, but we came across this one in which we wanted to try again to obtain first place.
-As a group, are there any ideas or technologies that you want to continue exploring?
Luis Bautista: Talking during the contest, we agreed that what caught our attention the most were the technologies related to artificial intelligence and we always had the idea that in our case, that was the winning point, so we discussed all the ideas that we wanted to implement with AI. And this is going to continue, I think it is the future and it is being increasingly accepted by people.
-Is there anything else to add?
Antonio Montejo: Yes, let the ‘hackathons’ continue to be promoted, because they generate this healthy competitiveness aimed at the greater good and contributing to society. Not only this contest, which is from UTP and El Comercio, but most of its kind are dedicated to combating social problems using technology. So, if we continue promoting these types of competitions, we will definitely have a better country.