An app designed to help locate lost travelers without cellular service won first place at The Jerusalem College of Technology’s (JCT) 2024 women’s hackathon (technology marathon) earlier this month. The technology was developed by a group of students who took part in the 7th annual “Hack.Her.It” competition organized by JCT’s Schreiber LevTech Entrepreneurship Center.
The 26-hour hackathon drew 120 female students from JCT’s Tal, Tvuna, and Lustig campuses. Participants included those studying software engineering, computer science, business administration, and industrial engineering and management. They addressed technological challenges posed by prominent companies like Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, Elbit Systems, Beit Halochem, and BonData. This yearly event highlights the significance of empowering religious women to become workplace innovators.
“According to the World Health Organization, one of the main causes of death of travelers is when they get lost when exploring unmarked routes or encounter inclement weather,” said team member Michal Miller, a software engineering student at JCT’s Tvuna Campus for Haredi women.
The technology, called TrekTag, is a wearable device meant to aid travelers in remote locations where cellular service is scarce, which makes it difficult for rescue services to locate them when they get lost or injured. TrekTag relies on a sensor that communicates via radio waves installed in specialized bracelets. These radio waves are not dependent on cellular service and can locate travelers wearing the bracelets, potentially saving countless lives.
Elbit Systems, which provided the challenge and mentored several teams including those that won first and third place, were thrilled to participate. “We congratulate the winners of the competition, whom we had the honor to personally accompany and be impressed by their skills and abilities that they demonstrated in the face of real-life challenges that were placed before them during the hackathon. We are happy and proud to take part in a project that promotes the future tech generation in Israel.”
Other finalists included ModernNet, a team that devised a communication app that relies on an open source, off-grid, decentralized, mesh network built to run on affordable, low-power devices for rescue personnel. Elbit presented the team with this challenge in the hopes that their solution would find a way for location-responsive sensors like AirTags would be accessible in areas that are sparsely populated and have limited connectivity.
Another finalist, Safe Zone, developed secure communication for local emergency teams to enhance their communication network. These civil defense units often lack the sophisticated equipment accessible to the IDF and most of their communication is based on WhatsApp text messages. The group’s app aims to provide safe and secure communication that also provides real-time movement tracking for members of these local security forces. Knowing the location of each member of these security forces can help combat instances of friendly fire as they would receive a notification if a fellow member of their team is less than ten meters away.
Meanwhile, responding to the needs of the increased number of war amputees, the SelfShower team provided a solution for amputees to regain their independence related to day-to-day tasks, such as showering. Since the outbreak of the Iron Swords War, many Israelis have been critically injured, including loss of limbs. Adjusting to a lack of mobility has been a challenge for many soldiers.
Another finalist, WatchOut, worked on a challenge presented by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, and designed technology that uses image processing and motion detection technology to detect falls in the elderly.
“It’s been so inspiring to witness these young women, some of them juggling young babies in their hands, come up with cutting-edge solutions to very real problems,” said Orlee Guttman, co-founder of the Schreiber Levtech Entrepreneurship Center, noting the balancing act that faces many of the College’s students. “We’re proud of the accomplishments of everyone who participated in this event.”
