On April 19th, the annual DAH event unfolded, with a primary emphasis on Blockchain and its potential applications.
This year’s challenge revolved around identifying a use case that could synergize the powers of Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence.
Addressing this challenge I gathered a team of tech-savvy individuals, also known as my friends. Thus, our group was formed, consisting of Michiel Verbeke, Milan Lemaire, and myself, of course.
After arriving at the Mind and Maker’s space on the Howest campus in Bruges, we were promptly directed to indulge in some fries and ‘frikandellen’ from a mobile ‘frietkot’.
After enjoying this tasty treat, we brainstormed a use case for the challenge at hand. Our idea centered around developing a tool to ensure the authenticity of premium products like Wagyu steak. We envisioned a platform where farmers could upload the unique ID of their meat, boosting their credibility and potentially increasing their asking price.
This concept garnered approval from the lecturers assisting us, recognizing its practicality and potential impact.
Following brief discussions on implementation strategies, our group delved into coding the necessary components. Surprisingly, progress flowed smoothly, and we remained immersed in our tasks until 3 AM. Eventually, we reluctantly bid farewell as the second-to-last group to leave the challenge, heading off to catch some much-needed sleep.
After a brief night’s sleep (only 4-5 hours), we returned to the MaM venue. We were welcomed with a light breakfast before diving into the presentations of the various groups and their ideas. Some teams showcased brilliant concepts, while others opted for more unconventional approaches, which I’ll refrain from detailing here. 😉
Once the presentations concluded, the effects of our sleep deprivation began to take their toll, significantly hampering our productivity throughout the day. Regrettably, we struggled to identify a suitable use case for integrating an AI component into our solution.
After a long day, the moment of truth arrived: presenting our solutions to the jury comprised of lecturers and representatives from a gaming company leveraging Blockchain technology.
During our presentation, we explained our idea and demonstrated its functionality. Despite our efforts, it wasn’t sufficient. Each of the other teams had also devised impressive concepts and presented robust proof-of-concepts. The winners truly deserved their recognition, having created solutions of significant practical value.
In conclusion, I believe our entire group would agree that staying up late into the night to collaborate was enjoyable, but the second day truly tested our limits, reminding us that we’re not teenagers anymore 😉
I’d like to express my gratitude to Howest for the opportunity to participate in this hackathon. It was indeed a pleasant experience with excellent catering. While working with Blockchain isn’t my favorite cup of tea, I can certainly recognize the opportunities it presents!
After the 24-hour hackathon, we all went home to get the rest we desperately needed.
Source 2nd picture:
Deconinck, S. (2024, 22 april). Shane Deconinck on LinkedIn: #trust #ai #web3 #web3 #hackathon. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/shanedeconinck_trust-ai-web3-activity-7188184830424068097-bF_K?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop