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, a 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.
“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 (ultra-Orthodox) women.
The technology, called TrekTag, is a wearable device meant to aid travelers in remote locations where cellular service is scarce, making it difficult for rescue services to locate someone if 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 cell 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.”
A total of 120 students from JCT’s three women’s campuses (Tal, Tvuna and Lustig) took part in the 26-hour hackathon, including students pursuing degrees in software engineering, computer science, business administration, and industrial engineering and management. They tackled technological challenges presented by leading tech companies such as Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, Elbit Systems, Beit Halochem, BonData and more. On an annual basis, the event casts a spotlight on the importance of empowering religious women to become innovators in the workforce.
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 to be accessible in areas that are sparsely populated with 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 Israel Defense Forces 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 10 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 literally 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.”
Schreiber LevTech also operates pre-accelerator and accelerator programs to help students, graduates and faculty members turn their technologies into products ready for market.
The hackathon was sponsored by Cross River, Maydaleh, the Women’s Amutot Initiative of Miami and the Jewish Women’s Fund of Atlanta. Judges included Yoni Colb, general manager of Cross River; Pnina Ben Ami, vice president of marketing at Jerusalem Venture Partners; Talia Berkowitz, director of R&D production programs at Mobileye; Ruthie Amaru, former vice president of product at Freightos; Tami Kfir, head of the Israel office at the Chengdu-Israel Incubator; and Yefim Yeshuvaev of Q.ai.
Reflecting on the experience, Shifra Wexler shared that “it’s been amazing trying to come up with innovative solutions to a real-life problem in just a few days. To see so much innovation in a short period of time is inspiring, and it’s great to be a part of such a robust learning environment.”
Wexler and Rachel Adler, another hackathon participant, are from families who made aliyah from New York. Adler’s father is a graduate of JCT.
“My dad studied computer science at JCT when he made aliyah from Brooklyn,” Adler said. “I was also inspired to do the same and have always been passionate about computers.”
Adler and Wexler were part of a team that proposed software in cameras that immediately call the authorities when detecting violence. The group was inspired by the events of Oct. 7, when surveillance cameras managed to capture much of Hamas’s atrocities on film but didn’t have the ability to alert the proper municipal authorities to spring into action.
International students who attend JCT have access to an array of programs, which set them up for success in Israel or their native countries. This includes degrees in computer science and business administration through JCT’s International Program in English, as well as degrees in nursing, premedical studies, engineering and applied physics, and bioinformatics whose curricula are adapted to allow for the integration of English speakers.
