The event HanseHack Lübeck took place on the 6th and 7th September 2018 and was all about “connecting Lübeck”. The basis for “Smart City” concepts to be developed was a city-wide LoRaWAN (Long Range Wide Area Network) net provided by the company TraveKom. This net allows reception of sensor data over large distances and collection of valuable information. But which data are relevant? And how can they be used in order to improve the quality of life in Lübeck? Answering these questions and developing corresponding concepts was the idea behind the “hackathon”. The participants had 48 hours to come up with innovative concept proposals.
EUROIMMUN not only stands for innovation and technology but is also one of the largest employers in the region. Of course we wanted to participate in the contest and sent an expert team to tackle this challenge! Our colleagues Dr. Peter Rothenpieler, Maick Danckwardt, Fabian Zoske and Christopher Görg were able to convince the jury with their ingenious project.
Please tell us: what exactly is your concept about?
“We thought a lot about where you could place sensors which provide useful data for the city of Lübeck. During a dragon boat training session with our EUROIMMUN team we came up with a suitable idea: water! Sensors can be used to measure temperature, salt content, turbidity, water levels or wave action. The received signals generate corresponding patterns which allow direct recognition, analysis and reaction to changes. In order to record the data true-to-life, the sensors must be placed at suitable positions both on the water and near it. For example, fix receivers can be installed at bridge piers or mobile measuring stations, e.g. at buoys.”
This sounds great already in theory! The practical benefit for Lübeck and its inhabitants was especially important to the jury. What were your arguments to convince the jury?
“Based on pattern changes, you can recognise critical situations at an early stage and initiate preventative measures. Floodings are an important issue in Lübeck every year. Especially the streets at the river Trave are regularly affected. The sensors could serve as an early warning system. For example, the inhabitants could be warned by push notifications to their smartphones. Another example of such an application would be the presence of cyanobacteria. This has happened this summer in the waters in and around Lübeck due to the high temperatures. With respective warnings, health consequences resulting from contact of the skin with contaminated water could be prevented. However, these data could not only improve the safety for the people, but contribute to the protection of our environment. We have to observe the increasing water contamination and minimise it. Only in this way can we make sure that Lübeck can enjoy the water as a valuable part of this city’s quality of life in the future.”
All teams had 48 hours to put their ideas into a concept. What was this like behind the scenes?
“There were more than 60 participants who built ten teams according to their fields of interest. The ‘challengers’ were from different areas, mainly IT, but also electrical engineering or marketing. One team even came over from Poland to participate in the event! Our team was supported by Florian from the company Dräger. He had also been working on the topic of water and could provide very valuable input to the project. Each team received EDU kits and access to WLAN, an active connection to the LoRaWAN and an own office space. Here we were programming until late on the first day, linking components and working on our presentation.
The public services company Stadtwerke Lübeck did a great job in organising the event. We had food and drinks at our disposal at any time, and they even provided showers and sleeping facilities. Since some of the participants worked the whole night, people were very happy about this. On the second day, we installed our sensor on the bank of the Trave and released it ‘into the wild’. The sensor collected data on water levels and wave action which we could retrieve and edit in the meantime. We were able to present the first measurements in the closing pitch. The evening event with many interesting results was a perfect finish to the event. From tracking public transport to the measurement of noise and vibration due to traffic, many new ideas were presented. We had lots of fun and are curious which projects will be found in the city in the future.”
We are glad that we were able to support the HanseHack 2018 and the digital development of with our colleagues’ expertise!
Great work, guys! We are proud of you and congratulate you on this excellent result!
You can find some impressions of the event under the links below:
HanseHack 2018: https://youtu.be/V4dYRmezhzs,
Evening event and awards ceremony: https://youtu.be/dAnPJ86PG7I.