UPDATE: Teams are racing against the clock at the Gemini 3 Hackathon in Singapore, where participants have just seven hours to build innovative AI applications. With only hours left, teams face intense pressure to present their projects by the 5:30 p.m. deadline today.
Four Malaysian friends, aged 30 to 40, have pivoted their initial idea into creating a unique feng shui app named “Feng Shui Banana.” The app aims to analyze users’ outfits and workspaces in real-time, tapping into Singapore’s obsession with property and well-being. This hackathon, organized by Google DeepMind and 65labs, features a prize pool of 100,000 credits for the best projects, with top honors earning 30,000 credits.
As the clock ticks down, the team, composed of accountant Chan Wei Khjan, AI lecturer Chan Ler-Kuan, IT professional Loh Wah Kiang, and startup CTO Lee How Siem, is feeling the heat. They began work just after sunrise, setting ambitious goals to leverage AI for their app. By 10:30 a.m., they had pivoted their project, realizing the need for real-time analysis to meet their tight schedule.
By 12:00 p.m., the app was functional but plagued with bugs. The team struggled to ensure accurate feng shui assessments, requiring manual tweaks to the AI-generated code. “One prompt matters,” Wei Khjan explained, highlighting their iterative approach to refining the AI’s output.
As the day progressed, the team remained dedicated, forgoing lunch to ensure their app met the deadline. By 1:00 p.m., the app was capable of correctly identifying clothing items and offering suggestions to enhance their feng shui, but technical issues persisted.
With just hours remaining, they focused on polishing their video presentation and finalizing the app’s features. “Innovation starts with curiosity and a little bit of spontaneity,” Ler-Kuan noted, capturing the spirit of the event.
By 5:30 p.m., the team submitted their project with mere minutes to spare, showcasing their resilience and creativity under pressure. Although they did not win a prize, the experience proved invaluable, demonstrating the power of collaboration and rapid prototyping in the world of AI.
As participants reflect on their journey, this hackathon serves as a testament to the thriving tech scene in Singapore and the potential of AI to revolutionize everyday applications. With the event still ongoing, the excitement in the air is palpable, and all eyes are on the judges to see who will take home the coveted prizes.
