Dhanalaxmi Gaddam, an Indian student studying in the UAE, along with her teammate Abass Bamidele Abdulsalam were announced as the winner team of the first edition of DP World’s BIG TECH PROJECT, claiming the top prize for a virtual solution that could enhance productivity and efficiency at ports and terminals around the world. DP World, a leading provider of smart logistics with operations across the globe, including a technology hub in India, challenged students from all over India and the UAE to design solutions that answer one question — How would you solve trade challenges through the power of the Metaverse?
Hailing from Hyderabad, Dhanalaxmi is currently studying (Masters) Machine Learning and Abbas Bamidele Abdulsalam, is pursuing his M.Sc. in Computer Vision at Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence in Abu Dhabi, UAE. They overcame stiff competition from three other teams, including Akshat Garg and Agrim Jain from International Institute of Information Technology Bangalore, India (IIITB), who took the runner up spot. Other teams from IIIT, Bangalore and IIT, Kharagpur, India, made up the remaining finalists.
Their winning solution was two ideas in one; using 3D immersive experiences via VR, MR and AR technologies to better improve supply chains.
The first idea is a virtual training simulation using Oculus that gives new employees the opportunity to gain on-ground experience and training without having to physically visit the terminals. Additionally, the team also developed a second virtual solution using Google Glass that enhances efficiency and maintenance at ports and terminals by providing easy to access instructions for work done in real world operations. Together, the solutions will reduce the risk of accidents on site by facilitating virtual inductions and increase efficiency by streamlining training.
The Inaugural Big Tech Project challenged students from the top universities in UAE and India to reimagine global supply chains and create new technology-driven solutions. The event witnessed participation from major universities in India and the UAE, before the final four teams were treated to an all-expenses paid trip to Dubai.
All the finalists will now be offered an exclusive two-month internship and private mentoring with DP World where they will be introduced to staff leading the development of cutting-edge applications in heavy automation, artificial intelligence, machine learning and robotics to change how trade flows. The winner will also receive a top-of-the-line Macbook and a $5,000 cash prize, while the runner up will receive $3,000.
Pradeep Desai, DP World’s Chief Technology Officer, who was part of the judging panel said: “The metaverse is obviously very new and we cannot predict exactly how it could be utilised in our industry in future, but the ideas these inspiring students put forward have the potential to change the face of global trade. We were impressed by what we saw and are really looking forward to the students joining us for their internship.”
