The hackathon involved 46 participants, including specialized professionals, students, and individuals with disabilities aged 17 to 52 (67% men, 33% women). This intergenerational interaction facilitated effective knowledge transfer: students brought competencies in modern microcontrollers and programming, while older specialists provided engineering expertise, and beneficiaries contributed their life experiences and the challenges faced by persons with special needs in daily life.
A fundamental feature of the event was the 100% involvement of beneficiaries. Each project team included participants with visual impairments who acted as co-developers and experts on usability and ease of use.
The project implementation followed a co-design methodology and comprised two stages. The first day of the hackathon focused on idea discussion, planning, and prototype design, as well as practical project implementation within teams. Engineers, alongside beneficiaries, analyzed urban environment barriers before proceeding to create physical devices using 3D printing and microelectronics. The second day was dedicated to final software debugging, testing device ergonomics, and public project defense before an expert panel.
At the hackathon's conclusion and during the official event, students and young professionals were addressed with welcoming remarks from:
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Mirland Chinibaev, Rector of KSTU, who highlighted the university's transformation into a center for social innovation. He guaranteed the provision of the university's laboratory facilities, particularly the "Cezery Lab," for further project acceleration and bringing prototypes to mass production.
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Baktiybek Kainazarov, Head of the UNFPA Country Office in Kyrgyzstan, who emphasized human rights and stated that access to technology is the foundation of an independent life. He underscored the event's contribution to reducing inequality and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
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Daria Kursa, Program Administrator at the ITU Regional Office, who presented the global context of digital inclusion and noted that the solutions developed during the hackathon align with international accessibility standards and contribute to overcoming the digital divide in the region.
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Mehmet Bodur, TİKA Program Coordinator, who expressed the Turkish side's readiness to provide further technical and resource support for educational initiatives aimed at strengthening international humanitarian cooperation.
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Iskender Sultanaliev, President of the "Phenomenon" Public Foundation, who specifically noted the unique methodology of the event. He emphasized that for the first time, individuals with visual impairments were not passive beneficiaries but equal experts and co-creators of technology.
During the hackathon, five unique technical solutions were developed. Each device underwent validation by end-users and demonstrated its effectiveness in addressing specific accessibility barriers.
The
"Kenji" project, which secured first place, is an innovative wearable device based on computer vision technology. The system uses a camera to scan the surrounding environment and artificial intelligence algorithms for object recognition. The user receives audio prompts through an earpiece, enabling them to identify obstacles, stairs, and doorways, ensuring a high level of autonomy while navigating.
The
"Listen Bus" team, which secured second place, proposed a comprehensive solution to the issue of public transport accessibility. The developed ecosystem consists of a mobile application for passengers and a terminal for the driver. A visually impaired user selects a route in advance, and the bus driver receives a notification that a passenger with disabilities is waiting at a specific stop, eliminating the risk of missing the stop.
The
"Akyluu Mesh" (Smart Oven) initiative, awarded third place, aims to enhance home safety. The device is an external voice guidance module integrated with household ovens. The system announces the current operating mode, temperature, and timer settings, addressing the problem of inaccessibility of touch panels on modern home appliances.
The
"Smart Cane" project, featuring tactile feedback, modernizes a traditional rehabilitation tool. A vibration motor is embedded in the cane's handle, with its vibration intensity changing based on the distance to an obstacle detected by an ultrasonic sensor. This allows the user to feel objects at a distance without physical contact.
The
"Crossroad Guide" project focuses on improving urban infrastructure safety. The team created a prototype device for installation on traffic light poles. The system provides voice instructions about the direction of travel, the names of intersecting streets, and the traffic light status, helping visually impaired pedestrians navigate complex intersections.
The "ICT4ALL" project confirmed the high effectiveness of the inclusive co-design model, where persons with disabilities actively participate in developing solutions aimed at accessibility and inclusivity. The successful implementation of prototypes proves that genuine barrier removal is only possible through the direct involvement of persons with disabilities in the process of developing solutions and driving digital transformation. The established community of developers, engineers, and experts with disabilities is ready for the further systematic scaling of these solutions to create a truly accessible, inclusive, and barrier-free environment in the Kyrgyz Republic.
You can explore event pictures at this
link.