Hackathon teams win competition with water solutions Two teams have taken the top prizes when computer IT specialists and coders combined with f...

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Hackathon teams win competition with water solutions Two teams have taken the top prizes when computer IT specialists and coders combined with farmers to dream up better ways to improve water use and quality. Computer experts were tasked with finding solutions to farming issues and develop concepts into working equipment during a Hackathon competition at Palmerston North. This year they put their minds to fresh water, one of the nation's biggest environmental issues. The Mayor's Innovation Award and $1500 cash to further develop their idea went to InfoFarm. The company's idea was to build a platform for data storage and transmission, using blockchain technology. The Horizons Regional Council Environmental Award of $1000 went to Droplet which built a working prototype with sensors that alerted farmers when there was a fault in water flows to reduce water wastage. IT people were shut away for two days, at Palmerston North's The Factory, to come up with the solutions. "It was great to see what teams could do when under the pump. To go from the idea stage to working prototypes in 16 hours is incredible," said Hackathon organiser Johnelle Hosking. The competition has been run by the Manawatū  business development group Building Clever Companies which deals with business ideas from throughout New Zealand. Both winning teams will continue their work through its accelerator programme in Palmerston North. Read more: Stuff 

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