University of Johannesburg (UJ) student, Kieran Ekron has won the South African leg of the Imagine Cup 2009, confirming him a place in the finals of the global competition in Poland next year.
The Microsoft-sponsored technology competition, now in its eighth year, saw more than 2 460 South African computer programming students create applications designed to solve real-world problems. Globally, more than 200 000 students from 100 countries entered the Imagine Cup 2009.
The head of Microsoft's developer and platform team, Clifford de Wit, says: “Students are the ones who get to engage with technology and make it real for us. Those aspiring to become technology leaders need to continue getting their hands dirty playing with technology and pushing the boundaries of innovation.”
For 2010
Ekron's winning entry, dubbed Sim Stadium, is a programme that predicts the behaviour of crowds and provides stadium managers information about faults in football stadium designs to prevent pedestrian congestion.
It's hoped that this programme will become an important contribution to the managing of local stadiums during the 2010 Fifa World Cup.
Proudly South African
The other big winners at the Imagine Cup both came from the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. Team Abantu Developaz won the development category with their project Education Assist System; a website that helps learners and teachers prepare their daily academic activities up until the final exams.
Team Solo won the game design and development category with Engage, a multiplayer arcade space shooter game that supports up to four players.
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