The UWI Hackathon hosted by the Department of Computing, Faculty of Science and Technology at The University of the West Indies, Mona Campus which took place on September 23, 2023, was a highly engaging and competitive event. Nine teams showcased their innovative projects, aiming to win cash prizes generously sponsored by The Agile Lab, Jamaica Developers Community (JDA), and the Department of Computing at the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus.

The participating teams included:

1. Quiz Labs - A two-member team that developed an application to transform notes into personalized quizzes.

2. Terminators - A team of three members that created "Jamguard," an application to track criminals using facial recognition via the Jamaica Eye system.

3. The Navigators - Comprising five members, this team developed facial recognition software designed to monitor dangerous criminals.

4. The AI Architects - A two-member team that worked on "Solar+," an app designed to optimize solar power usage.

5. NAV - A team of three members that developed "MD-GPT," an application for patient diagnosis.

6. The Avant-Guards - A four-member team behind "Seek," a learning assistant product.

7. Mechatron - A high school team consisting of three members, who created a resource distribution system for welfare packages in Jamaica.

8. Jaguars - The winning team with three members, developed a system to detect gunshots using sound.

9. The Data Acrobats - Created an AI-based system to track the needs of plants in a greenhouse and adjust environmental conditions accordingly.

The competition was intense, but the Jaguars emerged victorious, securing the 1st place prize of 250,000 JMD. Quiz Labs claimed the second-place prize of 150,000 JMD, and the third-place prize of 50,000 JMD was awarded to The Data Acrobats.

The UWI Hackathon not only showcased the remarkable talent and innovation of the participants but also served as a platform for networking and collaboration within the tech community.

This event highlighted the importance of technological solutions in addressing real-world challenges and provided an exciting glimpse into the future of technology in Jamaica and beyond. Congratulations to all the participants for their hard work and dedication in making the UWI Hackathon 2023 a resounding success.

Photo caption: Members of the UWI Hackathon-winning team, Jaguars, flanked by members of the Quiz Lab and The Data Acrobats, who secured the second and third prizes, respectively as well as Dr. Dana Dixon (Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister with oversight for Skills and Digital Transformation and Matthew Stone, co-organizer and graduate student, Department of Computing, The UWI Mona.

Follow the Faculty of Science and Technology on Instagram @uwimona_fst and on Facebook at @ The Faculty of Science and Technology, The UWI Mona. For enquiries, WhatsApp us at 1-876 552-4691, call us at 1-876-977-1785 or email us at fst@uwimona.edu.jm.