A team of Caleb University students have emerged winners of the Bell’s University of Technology hackathon competition, in demonstration of creativity and technical prowess of Nigerian undergraduates.
The group of students from the university’s Computer Science department developed ‘Valor’, a smart, bold, brainy, savvy, mango master that won the first position fuses AI power with fruity precision using advanced computer vision and deep learning models, thereby detecting ripeness instantly.
The Caleb University ambassadors include Harmony Abayomi, a final year Software and Computer Vision Engineer; Nwachukwu Chibuzor, 400-level Data and AI Engineer; and Efod Freda, a 400-level Data Analyst.
“Overripe fruits lead to wastage and loss of value, while under ripe ones fails to meet the expectations of consumers who want fresh, ready-to-eat and nutritious fruits. The importance of this App becomes expedient when one reasons that traditional methods, like visual inspection or physical feel, are often subjective and unreliable, which often result in good fruits being discarded or left unsold,” they stated.
According to the group, detecting ripeness and spoilage in mangoes remains a significant challenge for farmers, suppliers, and consumers. Accordingly, identifying when a mango is perfectly ripe can be difficult.
Hence, the group developed Valor that was strategically designed to leverage machine learning and image processing, as it classifies ripeness with impressive precision.
“Caleb University has become a colossal hub for innovation and academic excellence,” Sunday Adewale, the acting vice chancellor, Caleb University, stated while hosting the victorious team in his office recently.
The Professor of Mathematics stated that the success of ‘Valor’ at Bell’s University Hackathon is a testament to Caleb University’s commitment to nurturing academic excellence, innovation, and real-world problem solving appliances.
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“As an institution, Caleb University fosters an environment that emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration, hands-on learning, and cutting-edge research, providing students with the tools and resources necessary to succeed in today are rapidly evolving technological landscape,” Adewale stated.
Adeniyi Akanni, head, department of Computer Science and team coordinator, and Ajala, in a joint statement disclosed that the team’s pioneering work represents the intersection of technology and agriculture.
They disclosed that the AI-powered mango ripeness detection app is not only a testament to technical expertise but also a symbol of the power of interdisciplinary collaboration. “The teams winning product is a sophisticated web and mobile application that leverages advanced machine learning and AI algorithms. This app can accurately determine the ripeness of mangoes by analyzing images and data.”
