The Seven Teams of Software Innovation at Best Innovative Minds 2022

When software development needs a boost of innovation, ASSIST Software comes forth with the perfect challenge for any software engineer that wants to create real change in the world: Best Innovative Minds. Each year, this software competition brings together ASSIST Software employees, university students, and brilliant ideas and puts them in service to the community.   

After 30 years of experience in technology and informatics and eight BIM editions, we are proud that our software developers still come up with fresh ideas to present to the world.   

With over 300 specialists working here, it's safe to say that BIM 2022 was the most competitive yet. Not only does this mixture of experience and vision encourage creativity, but it is also great for innovation. The members of the seven competing teams were motivated to work strategically and efficiently and urged to carefully consider the strengths of each team member. As everything happens in somewhat of a time crunch, the best solution sometimes presented itself on the go. Developers learned to readjust and push forward without losing faith in their projects.   

The Best Innovative Minds rules are straightforward for a software engineering competition of this scale. Each year, the contest starts with participants sending in their innovative ideas and briefly describing their objectives.   

A jury must then decide on the seven most exciting and challenging concepts. Once these are picked, all team leaders have the task of finding colleagues who believe in their projects, would be willing to work on this shared dream of innovation, and would like to split the eye-catching cash prizes at the end.  

Additionally, each BIM event opens the doors of innovation to Stefan cel Mare University students. Students can participate in the event alongside one of the teams. While these students could earn prizes for their performance, the real gain is the opportunity to compete in a high-end software contest with an established team of professionals. This experience is invaluable. It inspires confidence and offers a different learning process. BIM is the perfect student experience to end your year with. 

The Best Innovative Minds software development teams competed for these excellent awards:  

1st place: 1,200 €  

2nd place: 900 €  

3rd place: 650 €  

Most Disruptive Technology Award: 500 €   

ASSIST Innovation Lab Award: 500 €  

ASSIST Popularity Award: 350 €  

• Team members: Vadym S., Adrian C., Daniel L., Alexandru D., Iulia T. and student Cosmin T.  

This ASSIST Software team came up with a valuable project for a large section of the global population because it can benefit anybody that uses the internet. To be more specific, the Bit Lords project, which is called CyberGuard, consists of an excellent tool for those who get their daily news from various online outlets or social media platforms.   

In an era when disinformation has become a vicious enemy, CyberGuard is a product designed to help users detect fake news and malicious phishing web pages. Online protection is essential; Users must be able to defend themselves against lies, fraud attempts, and biased opinions presented as facts.  

As a Google Chrome extension fighting against fake news,  CyberGuard can be beneficial to journalists, content creators, copywriters, and educators. Too often have we seen disinformation spreading because the audience wrongly assumes that a high-profile blogger or news outlet must surely have the correct data.  

When asked what is unique about CyberGuard, the Bit Lords team leader replied:" CyberGuard uses AI. It's easy to navigate and can be used in the same browser tab. There is no need to open an app. Furthermore, the results are generated in seconds thanks to the fast-moving machine learning algorithm." Vadym S.  

Technologies used:  

• Front-end: React, Redux, Svelte  
• Back-End: NetJS, PostgreSQL, FastAPI  
• Authentication & Authorization: KeyCloak  
•  Machine Learning: Python, Pytorch, BERT  

Features:  

• Social media news (Jane Bot) and phishing detectors  
• Allows owning an account to view news analysis history and get in touch with the developers  

The Best Innovative Minds contest helped the members of the Bit Lords team develop their skills. Vadym said, "We learned to communicate efficiently and optimize our time, and the result represents a well-deserved reward for our efforts. The thrill, fun, jokes, and sleepless nights came as a bonus."  

• Team members: Silviu M., Adi P., Răzvan P., and student Marian L. 

Mixing parenthood and technology is possible, as the members of the DroidReapers team have demonstrated with their BIM project. The KinderApp is a way for parents to create a safe space for their toddlers by controlling what they can do with their phones.   

This idea is different from other parental control apps, and the team assures us that everything is unique on the market. For security reasons, the app allows parents to lock all buttons and the touch screen. The parent can remotely decide what content the child should view next. The app also creates YouTube playlists based on the child's interests.   

Technologies used:  

• Python, OpenCV (face recognition), Flask, Selenium (web search)   

• Kotlin, YouTube video player, Bluetooth Low Energy

Features:  

• Preference-based YouTube access  

• Built-in basic games for children (such as a color game)  

• Adjustable screen backlighting and volume  

• Responsive light filters  

• Button and apps blocking  

Even if your BIM project doesn’t end up as a real product on app stores, Silviu M., DroidReapers' team leader, thinks Best Innovative Minds "is advantageous for all developers since you can work on your own idea while using company resources. Furthermore, a jury of specialists looks at what you've done, and you can figure out what the end-user reaction to your product could be."  

• Team members: Andrei C., Răzvan A., Valentin B., Lăcrămioara C., Sebastian M., and student Nadia G.  

One does not need to know much about technology to understand the basic concept of phishing. Phishing happens when an attacker sends an email to a victim. The email looks genuine. Therefore, the victim clicks on the link provided and is prompted to enter their credentials or credit card information. The attacker collects this data and later uses it to access an account or make purchases in the victim's name.   

If you haven’t received a phishing email before, chances are that you, in fact have. You just didn‘t know it. Phishing is so common on the internet these days that all users might be just one click away from suffering an attack whenever they are doing something as casual as checking emails.   

However, our Hero team of innovators has created an extension that can notify users if an email has been identified as being a phishing attempt. By taking note of accessibility issues, the extension can even be used by medically impaired groups.  

"Our extension is based on a machine learning model that can be continuously improved as the app gathers more data," says team leader Andrei C.  

Technologies used:   

• Backend: Java Spring  
• Frontend: React Native  
• AI: Tensorflow, Keras  

When asked what the main takeaway from this BIM experience was, Andrei C. referenced more than just developing an app. "Innovation is important. Ideas as well, but the ideas discussed within our team have made our connection more profound. Now, I can say I understand how complex managing a project is."   

• Team members: Sergiu L., Petru C., Anastasia U., and student Alexandru C.  

A software competition such as Best innovative Minds provides the perfect opportunity to present a project that addresses prominent issues, such as the climate crisis and the environment. Therefore, Sburătorii 2.0 decided to tackle such issues and put Romania on the "environmentally aware" map by building an app that can calculate carbon footprints and compare them at local and national levels.  

"Our great advantage is that a similar platform does not exist in Romania, only abroad. Therefore, we can align ourselves with international tendencies. What we do differently is defined by the calculations we use and our methodology, by the fact that we use machine learning for prediction and extrapolation and that we have a donations page," says team leader, Sergiu L.  

The Sburătorii 2.0 platform brings awareness,  thus making people realize how their actions and lifestyle might impact the environment. In this way, the developers hope that people will work to actively reduce their carbon footprints.  

Technologies used:  

• Backend: Ruby on Rails  
• React & React Native.  

Features:

• An individual carbon calculator  
• Allows data to be viewed in interactive charts  
• Personal carbon footprint history section   
• Donations section where people can donate to NGOs  

Sburătorii 2.0 is the literal 2.0 version of a team that has been a part of Best Innovative Minds in previous editions. This is also not the first Ruby on Rails project the judges have had the pleasure to witness, but the possibilities and inspiration have not gone cold for the team.   

"I work with Ruby on Rails daily, and I can still say I learned new things through BIM. I know even more now,  and I am truly thankful that I got to work with colleagues I hadn’t had the chance to work with in the past. I made new friends. However, what's really important is that our small team came up with this concept that has the potential to help our society." Sergiu L. 

• Team members: Andrei H., Raluca C., Ionuț C., Iulian P., Alexandru-Lazăr S., and student Cătălin C.  

How many times have you needed to start calling friends or relatives to get a recommendation for a good mechanic, salon, or cleaning company? Everybody has been in a situation where they were looking for a particular service, and Google wasn't really helping.   

Business by recommendation and word of mouth is common in smaller cities and is undoubtedly beneficial, yet the significant disadvantage is that it restricts one's client pool.  Many people prefer to work with smaller local businesses rather than larger well-known ones but finding such an establishment around town could prove to be a challenge worthy of detective novels.    

Our software developers imagined the Service Finder app as a place where users could find businesses and filter them by reviews, ratings, and prices. These would typically be small local businesses that may need a webpage or might not wish to spend a lot of money on social media brand awareness campaigns.   

"Service Finder helps businesses as much as it does customers. The service provides access to a booking system built into the platform, allowing businesses to better manage their schedules. All companies listed on Service Finder can create their own landing pages with their best photographs and copy." Andrei H. 

Technologies used:  

• Python   
• Django, Django Rest Framework   
• Wagtail   
• FastApi   
• Microservices   
• iOS  

Customer features:  

• Categories for available services  
• Filtering by reviews, ratings, prices   
• Fast booking through the platform  

Service provider features:  

• Website builder  
• Booking system  
• Buyer's review system  

Andrei H., the Service Finder team leader, is confident that a contest such as Best Innovative Minds is "a professional development opportunity that no ASSIST Software employee should miss".  

• Team members: Alexandru S., Ovidiu N., Andrei R. and student Vlad H.  

 How can technology and innovation be used to help basketball players improve their game performance? At Best Innovative Minds, the possibilities for innovation are endless,  and this year, the Slamdunk team came up with a new and exciting way to help basketball players train and develop their skills.  

The app uses data from a basketball which it converts into performance graphs and improvement tips, resulting in an unbiased analysis of the methods, throws, and angles used. Slamdunk would become a handy tool for trainers and for amateurs who wish to get into basketball but do not have a coach. The app's developers can see it gaining popularity, especially in junior teams or sports classes focusing on basketball.   

Technologies used:  

• UIKit  
• SwiftyBluetooth  
• Swinject  
• Snapkit  

Features:  

•  Analyzes and increases performance  
• Records player evolution  

• Team members: Mădălina A., Valentin S., Sergiu G.  

From a smaller BIM team came an accessibility app bound to help visually impaired people. Visual Aid helps users find objects in their vicinity, such as a water bottle, a group of people,  or a shop, to provide more independence and autonomy. The app then vibrates or tells the user where the object is located.  

This app is great because it can also be paired with a user's watch and, therefore, could become the most convenient way of navigating everyday tasks.   

"We wanted to make locating an object as easy as possible for the users. However, it was also important for us that the application be as precise as possible even when calculating the hand-to-object distance," said Madalina A., the Visual Aid team leader.  

Technologies used:  

• Swift  
• CoreML, Vision  
• YOLOv7  

"We based everything on Swift. The app is designed to run in real-time straight on the user's device without an internet connection or external resources. To integrate machine learning into our project, we used strong frameworks such as CoreML and Vision. We felt that by choosing these frameworks, we could integrate machine learning models that now provide a smart and personalized user experience," Mădălina adds.  

Features:  

• Find object  
• Hand position detection  
• Vibration guidance  
• Sound alerts  
• No internet connection required  

Giving back to the community and developing ground-breaking software solutions start with small steps. "Being a part of BIM can be advantageous in several ways. One's ability to innovate can be put to the test while feedback is provided by specialists. This contest can be a perfect place to showcase ideas and projects in a competitive scenario. Networking and talking to specialists are also crucial for self-development." Mădălina A.  

Demo Day and the Grand Final of Best Innovative Minds happened on the 9th of December 2022 at ASSIST Software headquarters. The teams presented their work in the presence of experienced software engineers and professors, and the winners could enjoy receiving feedback, questions, and suggestions.   

The team that took home the top prize was Bit Lords as their Chrome extension worked fabulously, and they had the most compelling presentation. Second place was awarded to Sburătorii 2.0 for their much-needed carbon footprint calculator, while 3rd place went to Fishing the net – the extension that identified phishing emails.   

The Visual Aid team went home with the Most Disruptive Technology award as their courage to tackle less-used technologies impressed the judges. The Slamdunk team also received a special ASSIST Software Innovation Lab award as their project followed a particular path in which the company would be interested in investing more attention in the future. With an app that caters to day-to-day issues, the Service Finder team won the Popularity Award.  

The best conclusion to this competition for software developers came from Gabriel Tironeac, VP of Innovation at ASSIST Software.  

"Interestingly, this year, the focus of the projects changed. Sadly, we sometimes forget that we develop these software solutions for other people, and I was happy to see that this year we centered our efforts with the end-user in mind. You want to be good and awe everybody, but the natural way to do this is by creating a real solution to an issue people face every day. Whatever we want to do and grow, the first step to success is empathy."  

See you at Best Innovative Minds 2023!