Georgian Team Base2 Makes a Mark at NASA's Space Apps Challenge
Backed by the Bank of Georgia, the Startup Buro successfully hosted one of the world’s most renowned hackathons, the NASA Space Apps Challenge. This ambitious project caters to a global community of individuals passionate about space exploration, climate dynamics, and global challenges.
This challenge aspires to galvanize progressive minds globally, harnessing their pioneering ideas for the greater good and pushing the frontiers of technological evolution.
Hosted at GITA, this year's two-day event witnessed the participation of about 20 teams, with 12 showcasing their ingenious solutions to a panel of experts. These teams embarked on their journeys equipped with real-world data, sourced directly from NASA and prominent space institutions worldwide.
The teams had the autonomy to select from a list of 30 intricate challenges, each presenting its own unique problem to be unraveled.
A panel of distinguished jurors declared two teams as victors. Among them was the illustrious Base2 team, which delivered an ingenious solution to the challenge titled "Everything Begins with Water".
Earth houses an unfathomable 370 quintillion gallons of water, yet a mere 0.01% is accessible for human use. This seemingly boundless resource is, in fact, finite and necessitates conscientious stewardship. The teams were tasked to design an illustrative tool aiding students in comprehending the ramifications of climate change on this invaluable resource and providing insights into Earth's intricate water cycle.
Base2 unveiled a captivating video game, which seamlessly educates users about Earth's water dynamics, human interactions with these resources, and the consequential environmental transformations.
Consisting of a vibrant ensemble of five - two artists, two game developers, and a developer-cum-team leader, Base2 utilized artificial intelligence in their design, although the lion's share of the visuals was artistically handcrafted. Notably, the team has been collaborating for an extensive period and runs a shared venture, "Base2", which mentors budding programmers aged 16-22 through a custom computer game.
Giorgi Tsartsidze, the team's luminary, emphasized the importance of hosting international events of this magnitude in Georgia, lauding them as fertile grounds for networking and collaboration. He advocated for incentivizing individuals with interests spanning physics, space, and astrophysics.
In the words of the Base2 team, participation was driven not only by the allure of a challenging task but also by the prospects of networking and forming meaningful connections.
The competition was undoubtedly fierce. A few other teams too, embarked on game design in line with the theme, while some introduced impeccable devices, capturing the jury's admiration.
The NASA Space Apps Challenge spans across 300 cities worldwide. However, the journey doesn't culminate with local accolades. Winning teams are presented with the golden opportunity to shine on a global stage. Undeterred by their recent victory, Base2 has its eyes set on the global competition, with aspirations of taking their "Way of Water" project to unparalleled heights.
For a sneak peek into the game crafted by Base2, delve into the video provided below.