E-Paper
First India-Israel Hackathon draws huge response from young innovators
First India-Israel Hackathon draws huge response from young innovators
Jerusalem, The first India-Israel Hackathon, organised on the theme "Restorative Healthcare," has drawn a huge response from young innovators from both countries seeking to develop technology-driven solutions to challenges in healthcare and rehabilitation.
Ambassador of India to Israel JP Singh felicitated the winners of the Hackathon this week.
Among the winning solutions in Israel was a wheelchair-mounted limb mobilisation system that harnesses the natural rotation of a wheelchair's front wheel to enable controlled leg movement without the use of electricity.
The solution seeks to provide a simple and potentially accessible approach to assisted limb mobilisation and rehabilitation.
The winning solutions in India included a system that uses real-time video processing and automated movement analysis to assess the limb movements of injured patients.
By comparing their movements with those of healthy individuals, the system can objectively monitor rehabilitation progress, identify areas requiring improvement, and support more personalised and effective recovery.
Ori Kadvil, a member of the Indian Jewish community in Israel, conceived the Hackathon as an initiative, while other community members actively participated in organising it, the Indian mission said.
"The initiative provided a platform for the community to strengthen people-to-people ties between India and Israel while harnessing the creativity and technical skills of young students for solutions with wider societal impact," the mission said in a statement.
The theme of "Restorative Healthcare" was selected with a focus on developing practical and accessible solutions for rehabilitation and improved quality of life.
Problem statements for the Hackathon were sourced from hospitals, start-ups and universities in both countries. Four problem statements were identified on the Israeli side, while 10 were taken up on the Indian side, with Thapar University serving as the nodal partner in India.
The Hackathon brought 1300 students and individuals from both countries to address the 14 problem statements, the mission said.
The initiative also facilitated the formation of mixed India-Israel teams.
The Hackathon was conducted through a series of rounds.
The first round focused on introducing the problem statements, familiarising participants with the healthcare ecosystems of India and Israel, and facilitating the formation of teams.
In the subsequent round, the teams developed and refined their proposed solutions with guidance from mentors and experts. The final round culminated in an intensive innovation marathon, during which the teams presented their solutions for evaluation.
The solutions developed during the Hackathon showed significant potential for piloting and further development, with participating teams exploring pathways towards commercialisation and wider deployment.
The initiative demonstrated the potential of student-led innovation to translate real-world healthcare challenges into practical solutions with social impact.
"The First India-Israel Hackathon, conceived as a platform for community engagement and innovation, evolved into a meaningful celebration of India-Israel friendship, youth-led innovation and technology for social good," the Indian embassy said.
"The initiative demonstrated how collaboration between young people and communities across the two countries can generate solutions with the potential to contribute to the welfare of society and the global good. The Embassy of India looks forward to supporting and strengthening such initiatives and to the next edition of the India-Israel Hackathon," it said. HM RHL
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
