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Supporting developments for Interstellar Solutions

Published on May 06, 2016
PLDT Innolab hosts 2016 NASA Space Apps Challenge PH

Leading telecoms and digital services provider PLDT

recently hosted one of the nationwide run of the 2016
NASA Space Apps Challenge at PLDT Innolab in
Mandaluyong to support the countrys vision of a
space program and developing creative solutions for
outer space explorations by local app developers and
programmers. Organized last month, some 40
university students, app developers, and programmers
participated in the 3-day challenge to create digital
solutions from categories including Technology,
Aeronautics, Space Station, Solar System, Earth, and
Journey to Mars.
The NASA Space Apps Challenge is an international event, simultaneously held at 121 cities in 55 countries. 99 of
which are located outside of the United States. The local winner of every leg of the space apps challenge will have a
chance to be included among the roster of global winners to be chosen by NASA.
Mithi Sevilla, a Robotics Enthusiast from Nanica.io, discussed the possibilities of their solutions as she gave examples
of ongoing projects that may inspire participants in creating their own apps. One such project includes ArduSat, which
is a miniature cube micro satellite launched in 2012 composed of the open-source hardware Arduino that uses the
same program as Diwata-1, which was launched last March of this year.
Arduino is a rapid electronic prototyping platform. Its so popular because it can be easily used by beginners. But at
the same time, it is technical enough for advanced shooters, Sevilla said. And because it has open-source software
and hardware, it encourages exploration and can be modified.
Ten teams competed to design solutions viable for NASA with the solution developed by a team of app developers
and programmers, consisting of Emerson Benoza, Robin Salazar, and Adrian Vergel Viar, were hailed as the winning
project. Their project Trypo Sense Puncture sensor allows astronauts to detect and pinpoint pressure changes and
punctures on space suits and equipment for them to immediately repair the problem. Their project creates a sensor
network that detects punctures on inanimate objects such as spacesuits or for the International Space Stations (ISS).
Emerson Benoza, an Electronics & Communications Engineer, shared his thoughts for their teams plan, discussing
certain limitations that are foreseeable in the process. Even if we have the particular technology we need, theres still
a problem with reliability and repeatability, Benoza said. Thats what we needed in order to reach the particular
aims we have for our ideas we needed to think of the problem to the solution we are trying to create.

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