Garage48 Hardware & Arts might be growing older and reaching a mature age, but the creativity and energy of the participants, mentors and organisers stays fresh as ever! The Garage48 Hardware & Arts 2018 was a wonderful and truly fun celebration of connecting arts, design and technology in hardware prototypes for already 5 years in a row. With over 1oo participants and mentors from all across the Baltics, 32 ideas pitched from a very wide variety and 16 teams building prototypes, we witnessed once again what excellent results determination, courage, great sense of humour and teamwork can give. The winning team USB spent the weekend building a solution that would make each high school student in Estonia learn hardware programming.
"The weather during the weekend was fantastic to spend it outdoors doing anything, but people from as far as Lithuania drive over here to spend 48 hours with people they don't know and to do things that they don't know yet how to do. The result can only be in a good way unordinary. And if these people have done it constantly for years, I believe there are people who will continue the tradition," commented the moderator and mentor of this year's event and an organizer of Garage48 Hardware & Arts since the very beginning, Hedgehog CTO Indrek Rebane.
The Garage48 Hardware & Arts 2018 hackathon was organised by University of Tartu, the Estonian Academy of Arts | Eesti Kunstiakadeemia and Garage48 in cooperation with the Est-Lat Accelerate program and Estronics cluster.
Margus Rosin, a jury member from the University of Tartu Institute of Technology sees the hackathon as a great opportunity for students to learn new skills and the mentality of continuous learning: "For the 5th time Garage48 Hardware and Arts united enthusiast to build something new. Teams had rough but also fun 48 hours building their products. Every participant should be considered as a winner! Do not stop learning and pushing forward! Hope to see you in the next Garage48!"
Viesturs Sosars, founder of TechHub Riga and Est-Lat Accelerate project partner, who mentored the teams throughout the event is also impressed with what the teams achieved and by the market potential in many projects: "Garage48 Hardware & Arts event in Tartu was an inspiring mix of ideas, skills, hard work and continuous fun. Seeing teams acheiving so much within limitations of time and development resources is truly impressive. There clearly were projects that can make it to the market, and it is now up to teams to put their effort to make it happen."
Viesturs Sosars, founder of TechHub Riga and Est-Lat Accelerate project partner, who mentored the teams throughout the event is also impressed with what the teams achieved and by the market potential in many projects: "Garage48 Hardware & Arts event in Tartu was an inspiring mix of ideas, skills, hard work and continuous fun. Seeing teams acheiving so much within limitations of time and development resources is truly impressive. There clearly were projects that can make it to the market, and it is now up to teams to put their effort to make it happen."
The place where all this magic happens, University of Tartu Physicum, is an excellent venue for the event and has become like a hackathon-home for the regular participants of the hardware & arts hack in Tartu. THANK YOU for hosting and helping us out again! We had all sorts of materials and smaller equipment for the teams, that teams got to use with the help of the local team at the venue. Thank you Teet Tilk, Renno Rehtla, Joonas Merisalu, Ragnar Margus and Martin Appo from University of Tartu! Additionally our long-term supporter MassPortal joined us all the way from Latvia with their 3D printer and with mentors' team on site - Aivars Vaivods, Peteris Duka and Valters Celminš. Lazer cutter arrived with the support of Rizart and was frequently used thanks to Tiit Paade and Dmytro Yaroshenko.
This time we had two groups of mentors. The mentors' A-team was supporting the teams from Friday evening to Sunday finale. These amazing people willing to take the time were Indrek Rebane (electronical & mechanical engineering Hedgehog), Toomas Välja (UX design, software engineering at Fortumo), Markus Järve (electronics engineering at Starship Technologies), electronics product management at Bikeep, Barking; founder @ Krakul OÜ), Märten Peterson (Architecture, 3D printing at Estonian Academy of Arts), Emil Syundyukov (software engineering at Start(IT) Foundation), Mihkel Heidelberg (software & hardware engineering at Hedgehog).
On Saturday another group of mentors arrived to support the prototyping and business developemt of the teams' projects. Thank you Alvo Aabloo (Co-Founder of Garage48 Hardware & Arts, Professor at University of Tartu), Renee Puusepp (Architech & Designer, Senior Researcher at Eesti Kunstiakadeemia / Estonian Academy of Arts), Aleksander Tõnnisson (Co-Founder and CEO of Buildit accelerator), Rene Tõnnisson (Co-Founder and Member of Executive Board of Baltic Innovation Agency and Buildit accelerator), Mihkel Mäll (Industrial Designer at MI/KL Industrial Design Studio), Viesturs Sosars (Co-Founder at TechHub Riga), Jaak Sarv (CTO / Co-Founder at GeneWix OÜ), Sergii Kharagorgiiev (Chief computer vision engineer at Starship Technologies), Mihkel-Emil Mikk (Industrial Designer at MI/KL Industrial Design Studio), Kristaps Grinbergs (Co-founder, Swift developer at Qminder), Anton Prokopov (Mooncascade) and our amazing pitching coach Elise Sass (Garage48 advisor). THANK YOU!
Thank you also to our jury members - Ave-Gail Kaskla (Farnell), Kristjan Mändmaa (Estonian Academy of Arts), Sten Allik (Estonian National Defence College), Rene Tõnnisson (Baltic Innovation Agency and Buildit Accelerator), Margus Rosin (University of Tartu Institute of Technology).
Our event could be followed via live feed in our blog written by Saskia Jõers. The final live video went and stayed online thanks to MindMedia team. The cool photos in our blogs and Facebook are made by Sandra Eowyn Karu and Toomas Välja.
And of course, the event would not have happened if not for the hard work of the organizing team, lead by the amazing Anu Piirisild, who is the co-founder of the event and has been running the organizing since day one. Our team members and volunteers were Priit Salumaa (Garage48, Mooncascade), Indrek Rebane (Hedgehog), Renee Puusepp (Estonian Academy of Arts), Alvo Aabloo (University of Tartu), Mariana Raudsepp (University of Tartu), Kadri Kõivik (SPARK HUB, Garage48), Laura Grikke (TechHub Riga), Elize Rubesa (startin.LV), Kelli Rimmeld, Marie Elise Kont, Anni-Brit Remmelg.
And now without further adue, see all the winners of Garage48 Hardware & Arts 2018.
Overall WINNER - USB
Programmable USB device for every Estonian high school student.
Programmable USB device for every Estonian high school student.
Team: Peeter Virk , Kert Männik (electronics engineer), Kristo Allaje (electronics engineer), Kalle Kruusmaa (electronics engineer), Eno Menov (electronics engineer), Alo Peets (electronics engineer, team lead).
Prize: 1000€ for development of the prototype from University of Tartu and Estronics cluster, goodies from city of Tartu.
First Runner-up - Hit the node
Modular, extensible game platform that allows kids to play orientation games. Always unique because of flexible module locations and combinations. Modern way to have fun with physical activities, brain games and team collaboration, using technology.
Team: Alberts Bušinskis (server programmer), Evija Urtāne (UI designer), Toms Gribusts (server programmer), Emīls Kadiķis (mobile programmer), Ralfs Rotkājs (mobile programmer), Ralfs Grīnfelds (marketer), Jeļena Jermolajeva (marketer), Anastasija Savenkova (marketer), Arsenijs Picugis (electrinics engineer).
Prize: Ahhaa tickets, sweet gifts from the organizers.
Team: Alberts Bušinskis (server programmer), Evija Urtāne (UI designer), Toms Gribusts (server programmer), Emīls Kadiķis (mobile programmer), Ralfs Rotkājs (mobile programmer), Ralfs Grīnfelds (marketer), Jeļena Jermolajeva (marketer), Anastasija Savenkova (marketer), Arsenijs Picugis (electrinics engineer).
Prize: Ahhaa tickets, sweet gifts from the organizers.
Second Runner-up - TSI - Thermal Signature Imitation
Nowadays adversary uses on a battlefield thermal cameras to detected the positions of our soldiers in order to strike them with rockets or with artillery. Our solution TSI device will create on a battlefield a false target to the enemy observers. For that purpose, our device will resemble the figure and heat signature of a human being. Our product will be a combination of new technology and materials, easy to use and cost effective.
Team: Veiko Dieves (team lead), Kaarel Piip (physicist), Sherif elSherif (electronics engineer), Martin Jürisoo (thermal signature specialist), Rain Randsberg (mechanical engineer), Antonina Vracinska, (electronics engineer), Ingela Heinaste (marketer).
Prize: sTARTUp Day 2019 tickets, goodies from city of Tartu, sweet gifts from organizers,
Best Technology - Old Ladies
Automating making of Lithuanian tree-cake.
Team: Danielius Visockas (team lead), Arturas Jonkus (electronics), Darius Bruzgulis (industrial design), Silvar Muru (mechanics), Pilypas Savickas (industrial design).
Prize: goodies from Farnell
Best Design - Hodlbox
Piggy bank for cryptocurrencies.
Team: Janis Vegis(UI/UX designer), Oskars Cirsis (product desinger), Rihards Gravis (mobile or web apps developer), Märt Uibo (rising star).
Prize: 2 tickets to the Luxury Brand Management seminar
Special prize for defence application - Hit the node & TSI
Prize: shooting range training with Estonian National Defence College equipment.
Most Fun team - Ripspam
Spam filter for your real life post box for filtering spam mail.
Team: Mikus Upmalis (mechanical engineer), Pāvels Reško (server programmer), Egert Vahter (electronics engineer), Kalle-Gustav Kruus (electronics engineer).
Prize: Choco tool
Best Marketing - Noodle Mama
The first ever fully-automated instant noodle vending machine.
Team: Laura Pint (product designer), Karolin Stimmer (marketing/UI), Merilin Kõrnas (marketing), Roberts Dargis (server programmer), Sander Kütt (mechanical Engineer), Sander Sinijärv (electronical engineer), Ulf Anso (electronical engineer).
Prize: Hedgehog hike
Prize: Hedgehog hike
Favourite of the Audience - Boardmix
Device that plays different games with you, when you are alone. We start with 'Rock-Paper-Scissors' and continue with other games such as 'Tick, Tack, Toe', etc.
Team: Ucha Vekua (team lead), Karl Martin Teras (developer), Jaan Tohver (developer), Siavoosh Payande (electrical engineer), Magnus Otsa (designer), Emils Liepnieks (marketer), Signe Krumina (marketer).
Prize: sweet goodies from organizers
Prize: sweet goodies from organizers
PILOT Special Prize - SPOODY
We are developing new sense for human - "spider feeling", right from the pages of Spiderman comics! Special sensors will keep aware of your surrounding, so you can tell if someone sneaks up on you!
We are developing new sense for human - "spider feeling", right from the pages of Spiderman comics! Special sensors will keep aware of your surrounding, so you can tell if someone sneaks up on you!
Team: Michael Nitsenko (team lead), Janis Dimpers (JDat), Dietrich Nexus (mechanics engineer), Dobrinya Lazarev (electrical engineer), Alina Pysariuk (marketing).
Prize: 72 hours of development access to opensource selfdriving cars with 1 full day of tests on closed 5G self-driving test track in Riga.
Mass Portal special prize - ChessMove
Electronic chess board records you your chess moves, which enables you to analyse and learn from your previous game.
Team: Teele Annus (chief marketer), Kristjan Pihus (server programmer), Ekaterina Krivich (server programmer), Hendrik Türk (electronics engineer), Edgars Grava (electronics engineer), Adam Erik Enok (product designer), Anders Martoja (electronics engineer), Triin Vallner (product designer).
Prize: special 3D statue
And all other pariticipants & teams, mentors and organizers - WE ARE ALL WINNERS & WE ROCK! Thank you for this amazing weekend!
We can't wait what the next 5 years of Garage48 Hardware & Arts holds!
