Student success on the national stage
Liam, Bachelor of Applied Technology — Software Development, has won first place at the national student hackathon with an app designed to improve accessibility for visually impaired users.
The competition, held over a forty-eight-hour period, challenged teams from across the country to build working prototypes that solve real-world problems. Liam's team, "Clear Path," developed a mobile application that uses the phone's camera and artificial intelligence to identify obstacles and read printed text aloud in real time.
"The goal was to make navigation safer and more independent for people who are blind or have low vision," Liam said. "We tested the prototype with local community members and refined the interface based on their feedback before the finals."
Jury members praised the app's intuitive design and technical execution. The project stood out among more than sixty submissions for its practical application and polished user experience.
Liam completed the project using tools and frameworks covered in the program's second-year courses. He also drew on skills learned in the Kingfisher Building's computing labs, where students work on industry-standard software in a collaborative environment.
The School of Computing & Academic Studies has long supported students who participate in competitive programming and hackathons. Faculty members in the Computing & Information Technology department provide mentorship and access to specialized resources for teams representing the polytechnic.
"Liam's achievement highlights the hands-on, project-based learning that defines our Software Development program," said Martin Ostrowski, dean of the School of Computing & Academic Studies. "Students here don't just learn theory; they build, test, and ship working software."
Liam plans to continue developing the app after the competition and hopes to launch it publicly before the end of the academic year. He is also considering entering the project in provincial innovation competitions and pursuing a co-op placement with a health technology firm.
Prospective students interested in building a career in software engineering and application development can apply to the Bachelor of Applied Technology — Software Development program. The four-year degree includes three paid co-op work terms and a capstone project that mirrors the type of challenge Liam faced at the national hackathon.