RP students place first runner-up for AI app helping visually impaired commuters

A team of six students from the School of Infocomm (SOI) has emerged first runner-up in the Budding Youth Track at the recent Huawei Tech4City Competition, winning $6,000 in cash prizes.

Team Hear2Go, comprising Janelle Chow, Tea Wee Keat, Ng En Hui, Lucas Quek, Kelly Ong and Ng Wei Jun from the Diploma in Business Information Systems (now known as Applied AI and Analytics), also clinched the Best Innovation in Mobility award sponsored by SBS Transit.

The team developed the Public Transport Accessibility App in collaboration with the Singapore Association of the Visually Handicapped. Their AI-powered solution detects bus numbers and announces arrivals aloud in real time, helping visually impaired commuters travel more independently and confidently.

"The aim was to give clear audio and vibration alerts so users know exactly when their bus arrives," shares En Hui, who served as team lead.

The idea stemmed from learning about a visually impaired commuter's daily struggles with public transport. "It made us realise how much more can be done to make taking the bus truly inclusive for everyone," explains Kelly.

To build their solution, the team researched existing tools used by visually impaired commuters and identified key pain points. They explored several technologies before deciding on object detection paired with public transport API data to create a practical and reliable system.

"We felt the competition was a great chance to gain real hackathon experience, learn new tools and challenge ourselves beyond classroom projects," says Janelle. "We had no idea how far we would go, but we wanted to try, learn and see what we could achieve as a team."

Interested in creating AI solutions that make a real-world impact? Find out more about the Diploma in Applied AI and Analytics.