10th MTSU Computer Science HackMT produces games, apps, more in ‘very educational experience’ [+VIDEO]

The 11-member “FaceOff” team earned first-place honors Sunday, Feb. 2, during the 10th annual Middle Tennessee State University Computer Science Department HackMT in the MTSU Science Building on campus in Murfreesboro, Tenn., wrapping up 36 nonstop hours of students teaming up to collaborate on apps and other projects. (MTSU photo by Cat Curtis Murphy)

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — While most of the teams in the 10^th annual Middle Tennessee State University Computer Science Department HackMT experienced successful completions of their app and web-related projects after working 36 hours nonstop, U.S. Army veteran Nathaniel Frost and teammate Rhama Seid admitted they literally ran out of time.

They were among 15 teams and 130 students competing in the event from Friday, Jan. 31 until Sunday, Feb. 2, working with industry professionals serving as mentors — some of whom are alumni — to invent new web and computer applications, games and more. Coffee and other beverages and snacks kept them going, plus most caught bits of sleep.

Nick Stephens, right, repositions the laptop as an industry partner and mentor helps explain the process behind the “AudiPy” team’s project during the 10th annual Middle Tennessee State University Computer Science Department’s HackMT wrap-up on Sunday, Feb. 2, in the MTSU Science Building on campus in Murfreesboro, Tenn. The team collaborated on a successful way to establish a Python library to download music. (MTSU photo by Cat Curtis Murphy) — Nick Stephens, right, repositions the laptop as teammate Jake Salter explain the process behind the “AudiPy” team’s project during the 10th annual Middle Tennessee State University Computer Science Department’s HackMT wrap-up on Sunday, Feb. 2, in the MTSU Science Building on campus in Murfreesboro, Tenn. The team collaborated on a successful way to establish a Python library to download music. (MTSU photo by Cat Curtis Murphy)

Dr. Joshua “Josh” Phillips, assistant professor, Department of Computer Science — Dr. Josh Phillips

Computer science, mathematics, mechatronics engineering and computer information systems students participated.

“This was our largest HackMT since 2020,” said Joshua Phillips, computer science professor and event director. “All 15 teams stuck it out. We had great support again from our industry partners and sponsors.”

Sponsors included Asurion, CAT Financial, Bondware and CGI.

Judges awarded juniors Gavin Liles and Noah Smith scholarships.

A short video recap can be viewed below:

A learning experience

Rahma Seid, 21, of Nashville, MTSU computer science senior — Rahma Seid

Nathaniel Frost of Murfreesboro, computer science senior — Nathaniel Frost

Frost, 40, a Murfreesboro resident who served in the Army and Tennessee National Guard, and Seid, 21, teamed up for a project titled “Food4U” that Seid said she hopes to continue exploring.

“We ran out of time,” said Frost, a senior computer science major who anticipates graduating in December. “It turned into a research project on Saturday. We were going down rabbit holes. It was a very educational experience. You learn from your failures.”

It was “a pretty different experience” for Seid, also a senior computer science major planning to graduate in December. “I learned a lot of new (computer) languages and frameworks.”

Kane Richardson, left, a software engineer with Nashville, Tenn.-based LRQ and a mentor for the “FaceOff” team competing in the 10th annual Middle Tennessee State University Computer Science Department HackMT, explains the web app process that tracks facial emotions and displays them on a laptop screen to MTSU computer science assistant professor Xin Yang in the Science Building on campus in Murfreesboro, Tenn., on Sunday, Feb. 2. Judges awarded Richardson’s team first place. (MTSU photo by Cat Curtis Murphy)

Providing data analysis for audio

One of several mechatronics engineering students participating in the event, Bereket Tagistesillassie of Murfreesboro was among 14 students and mentors with the “AudiPy” team on a successful math-oriented project providing data analysis for audio.

“It was a fully functional Python library for people to download,” said Tagistesillassie, 21, a senior graduating in May, who added he was “able to get some sleep and making sure things were running properly.”

Middle Tennessee State University students Maximous Khalil, left, and freshman mechatronics engineering major Thomas Abdelmaseh, 17, of Smyrna, Tenn., watch as Rafaiel Abdelmaseh, 15, a Stewarts Creek High School freshman and Thomas Abdelmaseh’s brother, connects the key components on their MTSU Computer Science HackMT “Robotic Hand Assistant” project so it can perform the commands it was taught during the 10th annual event wrapping up Sunday, Feb. 2, in the Science Building on campus in Murfreesboro, Tenn. (MTSU photo by Cat Curtis Murphy)

Teammate brothers

Brothers Thomas, 17, and Rafaiel Abdelmaseh, 15, of Smyrna are both freshmen — Thomas at MTSU, majoring in mechatronics engineering, and Rafaiel at Stewarts Creek High School in Smyrna.

Their project, titled “Robotic Hand Assistant,” created a model device “to help elderly and disabled people in their day-to-day lives or their chores,” Thomas Abdelmaseh said. “We plan to improve on the device later.

“The robot will have multiple sets of hands or accessories that are interchangeable for different tasks, and the robot will change it by itself. The person will instruct the robotic arm where to go. The robot will also have sensors that will be used for obstacle avoidance, but it will also use AI (artificial intelligence) to map out the house and the robot will remember where different rooms are.”

A facial recognition project

Mentors from Nashville-based LKQ led one team in its facial recognition project titled “FaceOff.” The team earned first place in the judges’ voting.

“We overcame a lot of challenges,” said Andrew Walker, 22, a senior computer science major from Murfreesboro.

LKQ’s Fred Nelson said it was “a web app that tracks your facial emotions and displays them.” As the team formed on the opening night with each member having a specific job, he gave each of them nicknames “as a way of just having fun.”

— Randy Weiler (Randy.Weiler@mtsu.edu)