For the first time, Vancouver is hosting the Imagine Cup Canadian Finals

Vancouver is getting ready to host the Microsoft Imagine Cup Canadian finals for the first time ever this weekend.

On Saturday, May 26 the Canadian finals will bring together student developer groups from across Canada who have been selected as finalists to participate in a live pitch competition.

Like many great ideas, Microsoft’s Imagine Cup was a concept that came out of quick conversation. Sixteen years later, it has grown into a global phenomenon – a sort of student Olympics for technology.

Imagine Cup enables the next generation of computer science students to team up and use their creativity, passion and knowledge of technology to create applications that shape how we live, work and play. Every year, tens of thousands of students from across the globe compete for cash, travel and prizes and for the honor of taking home the Imagine Cup.

Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more, and through Microsoft Imagine, they have been supporting student innovators to think big, explore possibilities, and put their ideas to life. Students have access to Azure and Microsoft development technologies, giving them the tools, resources, and experiences they need to elevate their skills for today’s world – whether that’s building a game, designing an app, or launching a project.

The top three teams from this year’s Canadian finals  in Vancouver will earn a spot to represent Canada at the global finals at Microsoft headquaters in Redmond and their prize includes airfare and accommodation to compete for $100K USD and a Microsoft Azure grant, as well as a mentorship with Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella.

Last year, the Imagine Cup World Champions, X.Glu, invented a patented, cloud-connected glucose meter designed for children with diabetes. NeuroGate was one of the three Imagine Cup Canadian finals winners who went on to represent Canada at the Imagine Cup global finals where they came in a remarkable fourth place.

NeuroGate uses Microsoft Azure’s machine learning capabilities and utilizes various sensors which can track 25 data points on the human body at 30 times a second. This allows the technology to analyze gait in ways the human eye cannot. By leveraging machine learning algorithms it compares each patient’s data with thousands of disease-specific patterns, discovering hidden symptoms in seconds.

So, with that in mind, let’s take a look at the six game-changing projects that have been chosen as finalists to participate in this year’s Imagine Cup Canadian live pitch competition, on location at Microsoft Vancouver.

Abata Lyrics Extractor, University of Toronto

This group’s product has the ability to extract lyrics from (amateur and professional) cover songs on YouTube in order to match them to the original work.

CheaprEats, University of Toronto

This mobile app service with payment integration allows students at post-secondary institutions to preorder and pickup their food. The idea is that customers receive high discounts on leftover food while earning loyalty points per order or delivery.

Hachy, University of Waterloo

Hachy enables easy and efficient smart egg candling for farmers and consumers.

See also

• These SFU students are working with Microsoft to create a life-changing tech solution for anxiety management
• Exclusive: Get inside Microsoft Vancouver's maker space, The Garage

Muma, Music Matching AI, University of Toronto

Muma is a music matching service that can help identify music usage online to capture more revenue for its customers. It aims to improve the music industry for music makers and music listeners alike.

SeeMe, University of Waterloo

SeeMe is an affordable, intelligent system to track elderly individuals in their home and report/analyze possible issues.

smartARM, University of Ontario Institute of Technology

This project is a robotic hand prosthetic for amputees which uses computer vision to identify objects and trigger the most appropriate grip.

This year’s event will have three Canadian finalists who will win the following prizes:

• First place – Each team member wins a Surface Laptop (Intel Core i&, 16GB RAM, 1 TB SSD) worth $3,499.
• Second place – Each team member wins a Samsung HMD Odysseys Windows Mixed  Reality Headset worth $649.
• Third place – Each team member wins a Samsung HMD Odyssey Windows Mixed Reality Headset worth $649.

Visit Microsoft Canada to find out more about the latest in digital innovation and how you can get involved.

Stay tuned to imaginecup.com to follow the competition, track the progress of your favorite teams, and find out who the ultimate grand prize winner will be.