UoA Student Teams Win Grand Prize and Other Awards at SPAJAM 2016 Sendai Qualifier

The Sendai Qualifier of Smartphone App Jam (SPAJAM*) 2016 was held from June 4-5 (Sat-Sun). Eight teams entered this qualifier, and three of them were UoA student teams.

This year, the teams developed smartphone applications based on the theme of "Visitors to Japan". The team "MATSU OK ROCK" won the Grand Prize, and the team "team Spiritual" won the award for excellence. By winning the Grand Prize, "MATSU OK ROCK" has qualified to participate in SPAJAM2016, which will be held from July 2-3 (Sat-Sun) at Kumagaya City in Saitama Prefecture.

GRAND PRIZE 　(Qualified for SPAJAM2016)[Title] Kabutter
[Team] MATSU OK ROCK
[Members] Noyuki Murata (4th year Undergraduate student), Ryoma Hirasawa (4th year Undergraduate student), Tsubasa Watanabe (1st year Master's student), Yusuke Nakayama (4th year Undergraduate student)
[Summary of the Work]
Application for Finding Doppelganger Buddha Statues:
The application uses OpenCV (Open Source Computer Vision Library) to analyze your photo and find the Buddha statue resembling you. Additionally, it gives you information about your doppelganger Buddha statue and the temple in which the statue is enshrined.
[Introduction]
We were focus on sightseeing of visitors to Japan in accordance with a theme. Although there are many people who visit temples and shrines from abroad, most of them may only enjoy the atmosphere or look at its architecture. We think it is important that visitors can get interested in the history and origin of temples and shrines as a new way of enjoying their visits. As a solution, we designed a method of using photo analysis to find a Buddha statue which resembles the user's face. There are many types of Buddha statues with a wide range of faces and facial expressions. For example, there is a legend that visitors are able to find a Buddha statue which has very similar face to their face at the Sanjusangen-do in Kyoto. We aimed at making it more enjoyable for visitors to temples and shrines by telling them where their doppelganger Buddha statues are located, and information about the origin of the temple or the shrine.
[Comments]

• Yusuke Nakayama
  As a front-side engineer, I developed the iOS client, and I was charge in a roll as a presenter.
  We succeeded because of the way we brainstormed for hours on end while taking strolls on the riverside to clear our minds. It was my 3rd time of participating in a SPAJAM qualifier, and I'm glad that we finally won an award.
• Tsubasa Watanabe
  My research has to do with studying extraterrestrial planets. It was very interesting experience to be able to apply the technology I'm using in my research to the creation of an application that matches peoples' faces with Buddha statues.
• Naoyuki Murata
  Through this qualifier, I realized just how important it is to take the time to brainstorm in a hackathon. I'm amazed that we won the Grand Prize, and I would like to tackle on SPAJAM2106 with confidence.
• Ryoma Hirasawa
  I became painfully aware of how important a good idea is, and the fact that it is impossible to create such an idea alone. It is thanks to everyone that we were able to create this application. It was very enjoyable. I hope we can work with the same level of harmony at SPAJAM2016.

AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE
[Title] TaxFreeHelp
[Team] team Spiritual
[Members] Associate Professor Yasushi Fujii, Taisei Igarashi (4th year Undergraduate student), Yuta Sakaguchi (4th year Undergraduate student), Satoshi Kaji (4th year Undergraduate student)
[Summary of the Work]
Application to streamline filling out Record of Purchase of Consumption Tax-Exempt for Export
[Introduction]
This application will solve some problems of duty-free shops, such as the troublesome procedures and the difficulties that tax exemptions pose to small local shops. It helps streamline the process of filling in the Record of Purchase of Consumption Tax-Exempt for Export, eliminating troublesome procedures. Additionally, it allows you to complete duty free procedures in countries where they're even more complicated in Japan by simply swiping your smartphone. The issue of security management was solved by using block chains (distributed networks).
[Comments]

• Satoshi Kaji
  I think we may have created a product that will change the world, and that is not suitable for hackathon. We cannot be the "next generation" of creators, because we are already "creators". We will aim to win a monetary prize at a business contest.
• Yuta Sakaguchi
  I was late entry into the qualifier and although I was able to grasp the work process of my team, I wasn't much help to my team. I would like to contribute more next time.

* SPAJAM: "Hackathon," a portmanteau of "hack" and "marathon", is an event where participants who are interested in the same theme work on software development together. UoA student team won the SPAJAM2014 Grand Prize.