A Blockchain based app wins Hack UPC challenge

Dream it. Hack it. Ship it. With this encouraging claim, started Hack UPC 2018, the fifth edition of the students hackathon hosting over 700 participants among whom were students from universities around the world. One more year, Opentrends commited with technological talent and we were partnering the event again.

During three days, the participants developed technological projects, with all sorts of tech materials and facilites to work. The high level of the participants was demonstrated with such a wide variety of programming languages ​​and frameworks in the different projects. In addition, the choice of challenges was based on learning rather than demonstrating mastery.

In addition, hackers had the opportunity to be in contact with technological companies and receive technical recommendations, as well as training in workshops and talks. Opentrends presented Build your first Google Assistant app workshop, where our Android master explained step by step how to build a voice assistant with Google Assistant.

Opentrends challenged participants to create the best eHealth solution built with free technology. Healthcare services based on eHealth reduce expenses, increase the quality of life and create user experiences. These systems can be applied to a wide variety of fields, from patient care to chronic diseases supervision and physical condition and nutrition control. Thus, we proposed a free-style to not condition hackers. The challenge ended up welcomed, with more than 10 teams registered.

Of all the projects that were presented to the challenge, we value that artificial intelligence was applied. We liked the idea of ​​a chatbot, as proposed some teams that took part, although we did not close the door to other proposals that would provide differential value. Another approach is that it was able of generating behaviors from examples, also known as machine learning. And most importantly, it was a project with a scalable business idea.

The best team was HealthChain, an app-system based on Blockchain technology to simplify the online purchase procedure for medicines without the need for a prescription.

The platform allows to approve using of any medication purchased on the Internet. After making the purchase online, the user scans the medicine with NFC technology (similar to the contactless we have in our credit cards) and through Ethereum, a platform based on a Blockchain model, contrasts if the medication you have purchased is reliable. In summary, HealthChain allows:

- Order medicines online safely

- Follow the order and delivery

- Buy in e-commerce from all over the world

- Validate any medication

The platform not only optimizes the time of purchase, but also allows to obtain medicines much more quickly and efficiently. Apart from being convenient for patients it is also for the pharmaceutical sector and governments as it prevents possible falsifications.