A group of University of the Ozarks computer science students took part this past weekend in HogHacks, a 24-hour collegiate hackathon held at the University of Arkansas.
Hosted by the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) at the U of A, the event is an overnight software engineering competition among area college students that takes place every semester. This year’s theme focused on music, challenging students to develop creative, technology-driven solutions within a limited timeframe.
Ozarks students formed two teams to compete to develop a working prototype to present in front of a panel of judges.
Team 1, made up of Sergio Traitel, Skylar Holloway and Faith Moppets, completed a project titled,“Mozart: Choose Your State of Mind.”
“This project recommends music based on how users want to feel,” said Dr. Chol Hyun Park, assistant professor of computer science at Ozarks. “For example, it can suggest calming music before an exam or energizing, but not overwhelming, music before a sports event, helping users intentionally regulate their emotional state. A particularly strong aspect of this project was that the team supported their approach with academic research, citing studies showing that music can influence emotional states within minutes. They incorporated these findings into their presentation to justify and strengthen their design.”
Team 2, made up of Dylan Mawedze, Raymond Rolle, Dremecio Culmer and Vaughnique Francis, worked on a project titled, “EchoFree.”
“This project aims to make music more accessible for visually impaired individuals,” Park said. “The team visualized music based on rhythm and explored the idea of translating beats into physical vibrations through wearable devices such as bracelets or necklaces, allowing users to experience music through touch.”
Park said that even though neither Ozarks team finished in the top three, “their performance was especially impressive.”
“All participating students have been studying computer science for less than a year at Ozarks, yet they successfully completed the entire process, including ideation, development, and presentation within just 24 hours,” Park said. “Both teams delivered final presentations and represented our university with professionalism and creativity.”
Topics: Computer Science