Open source tech recognised for boosting sustainability

An energy trading platform and a machine learning algorithm that helps waste bins classify materials into trash or recycling have been named as winning solutions of the fifth Call for Code Global Challenge.

The annual challenge invited innovators across the globe to help accelerate sustainability and combat climate change with open source-powered technology.

The top prize went to GardenMate for creating an app that uses IBM Watson to connect gardeners with excess produce to people in need.

Open source

GardenMate will receive $200,000, as well as assistance from the Linux Foundation to open source its application and support to deploy their solution from IBM Ecosystem partners.

Among four other additional sustainability solutions honoured were:

• pπ, an AI-powered camera that monitors drainage and sewage canals, was awarded second place and $25,000
• SwachBin, a machine learning algorithm that helps waste bins classify materials into trash or recycling, was awarded fifth place and $10,000
• Nearbuy, a shopping assistant helping point consumers to pre-loved items found locally, was awarded third place and $25,000
• ESSPERA, a machine learning-powered app that can help farmers choose the best seeds for the upcoming growing season, was awarded fourth place and $10,000.

TransXEnergy was named winner of the Call for Code University Edition, a collaboration between IBM and the Clinton Global Initiative University.

“I want to congratulate GardenMate for [its] remarkable innovation, and all the other problem solvers around the world who contributed their time and talent to help make Call for Code such a remarkable success”

A team of student developers from Monash University Malaysia developed TransXEnergy, an auction and blockchain-based peer-to-peer energy trading platform, that pulls available energy data from sources like electric vehicles and smart homes and can connect buyers and sellers through a mobile application. As the university winner, TransXEnergy will receive a $15,000 prize.

The winning solutions demonstrate IBM’s environmental, social, and governance (ESG) strategy that marries collaboration between clients, partners, and governments with the application of technology, such as Hybrid Cloud and AI, to help build a safer and more equitable future.