One of my favorite things about the Imagine Cup is the amazing goals many projects carry. The spirit of the competition is in the innovative thinking of each of the competitors. They come together with the common goal of “Solving the world’s toughest problems”.

Team LifeLens exemplifies this theme greatly. They have decided to tackle Malaria, hoping to make detecting the disease a relatively simple and affordable task. They developed a Windows Phone 7 application that takes pictures of different blood samples and sends them up to a cloud service for processing.

The cloud service then uses computer vision image processing to count the blood cells in the sample. It then goes through and searches for infected cells. The algorithm they developed is currently 98% accurate, as opposed to 62% accurate when they started.

Since arriving in New York for the finals, the team has been excited. They feel that they are “one of the stars of the show”, which they really are. They, along with the over a hundred competitors are all winners on their home turf. Whatever happens now, they’ve all succeeded greatly.

Team LifeLens was featured on CNN the day of the 2011 Opening Ceremonies. They, along with some other Imagine Cup competitors, presented their projects to the world. You can take a look at it here:

You can read the full article here.

LifeLens is already in talks with organizations to promote and test the solution they’ve developed. They believe that, after the Imagine Cup, they can change the world.

If you support their cause, please vote for them in the People’s Choice Awards here. I’ll be bringing constant updates about them, and other competitors, as a part of my coverage of the World Wide Imagine Cup Finals with the Student Partner Social Media Team. You can follow our coverage using the #mspsmt hashtag.

Until next time,
Patrick Godwin

I wondered what could possibly be in all of those boxes, especially with the Imagine Cup in New York City approaching quickly. Well, today I got my answer.

Introducing “Imagine a World”, a card game created by student Stuart Burton:

Andrew came up to me and handed me this deck of cards. It turns out each competitor will be receiving a deck of cards to play with throughout the competition. The rules of the game are as follows.:

First Turn:

• No effects can be played.
• Player 1 shuffles and draws 5 cards.
• Player 2 shuffles and draws 6 cards.

Every turn:

1. Draw a card.
2. Buy Tech, Effects, and Team cards.
3. Attack your opponent.

1. Draw a Card
You must draw a card if you have cards remaining in your deck

2. By Tech, Effects & Team cards
You may buy one Tech, one Effect, and one Team card per turn. Play cards you buy on your field.

3. Attack your opponent
Select one of your Tech cards and attack an opponent’s Tech card. If your Impact is greater than their Wow Factor, their card should be removed from play. Otherwise there is no effect.

Extra Rules

• World Event cards must be played immediately.
• You must use Money cards to buy Tech, Effect and Team cards. Other cards in your hand may be used in place of $1 Money cards.
• You may use multiple Effect cards on a single Tech card.
• You must wait a turn to use your Tech to attack your opponent unless it is the only Tech card on your field.

Optional Rule

For longer gameplay, players must choose to play cards OR attack per turn, not both.

Winning the game:

A player wins when their opponent can no longer make a play (draw a card, play a card from their hand, make an attack, etc.)

I think it’s really cool that the East Region Academic Team brought this card game to the Imagine Cup. If you enjoy the game, give a shout-out to the team members on twitter:

• Alfred Thompson
• Bob Familiar
• Erin “Ed” Donahue
• Edwin Guarin
• Lindsay Lindstrom
• Andrew Parsons
• Tara Walker

And remember to read the Microsoft Student Insider and the Microsoft Student Partner coverage of the Imagine Cup finals by using the #MSPSMT and #MicrosoftSI hashtag on Twitter.

Until next time,
Patrick Godwin

In this installment of Spotlight Imagine Cup, we’ll be taking a look of Team Rapture of Bangladesh. Team Rapture is composed of Avishek Ahmed, Mustakim Ali, and Sahidul Islam of American International University in Bangladesh. They are mentored by Ahmed Niaz Morshed.

Team Rapture is building a smart phone application, Third Eye, with the intent of helping the visually impaired with tasks. It hopes to give people with poor vision the ability to read, play games, and problem solve using a smart phone. It allows people to play games, read the news, and connect with others in a way they couldn’t due to a lack of accessibility.

You can connect with Team Rapture via their Facebook page. And you can help support them in the People’s Choice Awards by voting for them here. Be sure to follow this blog, and my Twitter account, to see my coverage of the Worldwide Finals in New York City. For the entire Social Media Team Coverage, you can follow the MSPSMT hashtag here.

Until next time,
Patrick Godwin

Before we get started, you need to make sure you have some pre-requisites installed:

• The previous sample
• Kinect for Windows Runtime Language Pack
• Microsoft Speech Platform – Software Development Kit
• Microsoft Speech Platform – Server Runtime

(Note: The SDK and Runtime are x86, as the Kinect Language Pack is only x86 for now)

Now let’s dive into it. First thing we need to do is add a few more using statements to the project:

using Microsoft.Research.Kinect.Audio;
using Microsoft.Speech.AudioFormat;
using Microsoft.Speech.Recognition;
using System.IO;

Next, add these variables under the variables we created last time:

KinectAudioSource kinectSource;
SpeechRecognitionEngine speechEngine;
Stream stream;
string RecognizerId = "SR_MS_en-US_Kinect_10.0";
bool speechNotRecognized;

These variables go with the rest of the fields we declared in the last tutorial. I’ll explain what each one of these does later. Next, take the Kinect code from our LoadContent function:

nui = new Runtime();
nui.Initialize(RuntimeOptions.UseSkeletalTracking);
nui.SkeletonFrameReady += new EventHandler<SkeletonFrameReadyEventArgs>(nui_SkeletonFrameReady);
nui.NuiCamera.ElevationAngle = 0;

And move it to a new function called InitalizeKinect. Your LoadContent function should look like this now:

protected override void LoadContent()
{
    spriteBatch = new SpriteBatch(GraphicsDevice);
    spriteFont = Content.Load<SpriteFont>("hudfont");

    primitives.Add(new CubePrimitive(GraphicsDevice));
    primitives.Add(new SpherePrimitive(GraphicsDevice));
    primitives.Add(new CylinderPrimitive(GraphicsDevice));
    primitives.Add(new TorusPrimitive(GraphicsDevice));
    primitives.Add(new TeapotPrimitive(GraphicsDevice));

    wireFrameState = new RasterizerState()
    {
        FillMode = FillMode.WireFrame,
        CullMode = CullMode.None,
    };

    InitalizeKinect();

}

Let’s dive into that new InitalizeKinect function:

private void InitalizeKinect()
{

    nui = new Runtime();
    nui.Initialize(RuntimeOptions.UseSkeletalTracking);
    nui.SkeletonFrameReady += new EventHandler<SkeletonFrameReadyEventArgs>(nui_SkeletonFrameReady);
    nui.NuiCamera.ElevationAngle = 0;

    kinectSource = new KinectAudioSource();

    kinectSource.FeatureMode = true;
    kinectSource.AutomaticGainControl = false;
    kinectSource.SystemMode = SystemMode.OptibeamArrayOnly;

    var rec = (from r in SpeechRecognitionEngine.InstalledRecognizers() where r.Id == RecognizerId select r).FirstOrDefault();

    speechEngine = new SpeechRecognitionEngine(rec.Id);

    var choices = new Choices();
    choices.Add("color");
    choices.Add("shape");
    choices.Add("wireframe");
    choices.Add("exit");

    GrammarBuilder gb = new GrammarBuilder();
    gb.Culture = rec.Culture;
    gb.Append(choices);

    var g = new Grammar(gb);

    speechEngine.LoadGrammar(g);
    speechEngine.SpeechHypothesized += new EventHandler<SpeechHypothesizedEventArgs>(sre_SpeechHypothesized);
    speechEngine.SpeechRecognized += new EventHandler<SpeechRecognizedEventArgs>(sre_SpeechRecognized);
    speechEngine.SpeechRecognitionRejected += new EventHandler<SpeechRecognitionRejectedEventArgs>(sre_SpeechRecognitionRejected);

    Console.WriteLine("Recognizing Speech");

    stream = kinectSource.Start();

    speechEngine.SetInputToAudioStream(stream,
                  new SpeechAudioFormatInfo(
                      EncodingFormat.Pcm, 16000, 16, 1,
                      32000, 2, null));

    speechEngine.RecognizeAsync(RecognizeMode.Multiple);

}

This is a lengthy function, but each part is important. Notice at the top, we initialize our Runtime and Skeletal Tracking features like last time.

The next thing to notice is the KinectAudioSource, kinectSource. This is how we access the four microphone array on the Kinect Sensor in code. Right here we create a new instance of KinectAudioSource. We also turn off Automatic Gain and Echo Cancellation, so the speech recognition capabilities can work properly.

Now we need to grab our Kinect Language Recognizer. We do that by checking what speech recognizers exist on the machine, and grab the Kinect Language Recognizer.

We then use the recognizer information we grabbed to create a new instance of SpeechRecognitionEngine. We then create a new Choices object, and add all of the words we want the speech recognition engine to recognize.

Next, we need to create a GrammarBuilder that will help us build the Grammar object used by the SpeechRecognitionEngine object. We set the GrammarBuilder’s Culture using the Speech Recognizer we got earlier, and add our words to the GrammarBuilder.

Next we’re going to wire up a few event handlers. I’m not going to dive into each event handler here, as the only one that’s really important is the SpeechRecognized handler. I’ll explain that in a bit.

Finally, we want to set our stream variable equal to the Kinect’s audio stream. We then tell to use the speech engine to use this stream for audio recognition. The last thing this function does is call the RecognizeAsync function, which tells the SpeechRecognitionEngine object to start looking for recognized words.

Let’s dive into our SpeechRecognized event handler:

void sre_SpeechRecognized(object sender, SpeechRecognizedEventArgs e)
{
    speechNotRecognized = false;
    if (e.Result.Text == "color")
    {
        currentColorIndex = (currentColorIndex + 1) % colors.Count;
    }
    else if (e.Result.Text == "wireframe")
    {
        isWireframe = !isWireframe;
    }
    else if (e.Result.Text == "shape")
    {
        currentPrimitiveIndex = (currentPrimitiveIndex + 1) % primitives.Count;
    }
    else if (e.Result.Text == "exit")
    {
        Exit();
    }
    Console.Write("\rSpeech Recognized: \t{0} \n", e.Result.Text);
}

This function is where the processing work of the recognized audio happens. The SpeechRecognizedEventArgs contains the result of the recognized speech. In the Result property, there is a Text property which you can use to compare against your choices. The code in here is pretty self explanatory. We simply change our rendering properties, currentPrimitiveIndex, isWireframe, and currentColorIndex, to be used later in the Draw function.

Those are most of the important changes. Take a look at the attached sample to see the rest of the minor changes to the Draw function and the other Event Handlers. You can download the entire sample here.

Let me know if you have any feedback on these samples, or if there is anything you can add. I’m always looking for advice, so I’m happy to hear from my readers.

Until next time,

Patrick Godwin

The first thing students did, upon arriving, was register at Microsoft’s Company Store in Building 92. From there they made their way off to the Mixer in The Commons, a casual hangout for Microsoft employees. Students mingled with staff, getting ready to know each other before the event.

After a few minutes, Mark Hindsbo, Microsoft’s Vice President of Developer and Platform Evangelism for the United States, took center stage and welcomed everyone to the event. He talked about the weekend coming up, and how hard all the students worked to get to this point. He talked about shared passion, and how the competitors at the Imagine Cup will use these passions to shape the world of tomorrow.

We then moved on to The Spitfire Grill, a restaurant in The Commons. There was a nice welcome, and before students could move onto dinner they had to introduce themselves to other students. They were encouraged to be creative in the way they interacted, and a clever group of students came up with the event’s “official” greeting, which was the Foot Five.

After the ice breaker and the dinner, we moved onto the night’s keynote address. Mark Hindsbo took the stage once again, not only to introduce the keynote speaker, but to announce that all of the students competing were going to receive Windows Phone 7 devices, courtesy of AT&T.

The keynote speaker for the night was Alex Kipman, General Manager of Incubation for Xbox. He was one of the people behind the Kinect project, and believes heavily in the power of software and innovation. His keynote was very inspiring, as he talked about the keys to taking an idea no one believes in, a vision, and making it a reality. He really spoke to something all of the student understood, and I could feel his passion for the subject matter. It’s worth noting that Mr. Kipman had a fever of 102 degrees and still gave the keynote, which I think speaks wonders about his passion for the subject material.\

Finally, students took the stage to determine their time slots for the competition. After finding out when they were set to present, students moved to the Lincoln Square building and received a tour of their presentation rooms and were allowed to test their hardware.

During this time I met up with XozGaming, a game design team from Lick-Wilmerding high school in San Francisco,  consisting of Xander Masatto, a programmer, and Julius Lee, an artist. The two of them are developing a real-time strategy game called Strain, in which players combat infectious diseases as a world leader. I asked the two of them what they thought of being a part of the national competition at such a young level. All they could really come up with was “Amazing…”.

I sat down with XozGaming and their mentor, Mr. Tim Erickson, who shared their impressions of the event with me. They were really surprised with how well Microsoft engaged students for an event like this, compared to a lack of initiative on other company’s parts. Like the other teams, they were worried about the presentation coming up.

I want to show my support for XozGaming, and hope you will too by voting for them in the Imagine Cup People’s Choice Voting:

Remember you can vote until Midnight tonight, so get out there and make your voice heard. Also remember to follow #ICUS, @imaginecup, and read up on the Microsoft Tech Student Facebook and Twitter feeds for the most current news about the event. The Imagine Cup blog has also done a nice write up of the day one event, take a look here. Also look out for the #MicrosoftSI tag on Twitter to find the most up to date info from the Microsoft Student Insider team.

Until Next Time,
Patrick Godwin

Full Disclosure:
My trip to Seattle and all transportation and board was paid for by Microsoft as a part of the Student Insider program.

What do you think the focus will be? Personally, I think we’ll be seeing a lot of good information on Windows Phone 7 and Azure, but that’s just me.

Let me know what your predictions are down in the comments!

After all of the presentations, I made my way up to the Community Showcase. This is where the competitors get to show off their projects to important individuals visiting the event. There were people from Microsoft, Government, and the Media all present at the event. One notable journalist in attendance was Brennan LaBrie, 10 year old reporter for Time For Kids magazine. I highly recommend you check out his blog, as he has covered some great events and has done an excellent job bringing back the stories.

Next thing I knew, the special guest had arrived. That’s right, James Cameron, director of Avatar and Titanic, visited the Community Showcase. He was ushered from team to team by his staff, but I was lucky enough to snag two minutes of his time:

(Please forgive the horrible quality of the video. We were in very tight quarters.)

Next, we made our way back down to the presentation rooms to hear the keynote speaker, Craig Mundie, Microsoft’s Chief Research and Strategy Officer. He spoke for a while about innovation and the future of technology. James Cameron also took the podium for a while, talking about what kind of technological innovation went into Avatar, and how Microsoft helped him create the movie.

And then it was time to find out who had won the competition. Mark Hindsbo, General Manger of Microsoft’s Developer and Platform Evangelism, took the stage once again to announce the winners of the GDI and SDI competition. The rankings were:

Software Design Teams

• Grand Prize:     Mobilife, University of California, Davis
• First Prize:        MangoBunnies, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, DePauw University
• Second Prize:   Extraplaid, Utah State University
• Third Prize:      Team Blob, South Dakota School of Mines & Technology

Game Teams

• Grand Prize:   To Be Announced, Central Piedmont Community College & U North Carolina
• First Prize:      Coffee Powered Altruism, Yale University
• Second Prize:  Ifrit Salsa, University of Houston
• Third Prize:     LeveL 13, University of Houston

It was truly an incredible accomplishment for each of these teams, and they each did a fantastic job. Everyone quickly cleared the stage so the teams could have their photo op. I returned to the Community Showcase, where I caught up with Anthony Salcito for a quick follow up question:

After that, it was time for me to head home. I said my goodbyes to all of the awesome people I had met, and made my way to the airport with MangoBunnies, Diane Curtis, and a few other Microsoft developers. Next thing I knew, I was on my plane and returning to Port Huron.

I just wanted to conclude by giving a special thanks to Austin Stewart, Jessica Anderson, Hilary Pike, Diane Curtis, and Alfred Thompson. Thank you all so much for making my time in D.C. so fantastic.

Until next time,
Patrick Godwin

The day consisted of the competitors going around the D.C. Office attending sessions about new Microsoft technologies. They had sessions about the KIN, NUI, .Net, Windows Phone, and plenty more. I was able to sit in on the NUI/Natal session, which was very informative and interesting.

Between sessions, I was able to catch up with Team AwesomeSauce, a game design team, and talk with them about their project:

After that, I sat in on the Microsoft Recruiting session, to learn a bit about what it’s like to interview for a technical position at Microsoft. I’m not going to go into details about that session now, but I will cover the important notes in a later blog post.

Before long, 4:20PM rolled around. I made my way to the room where the finalists would be announced, and got ready to tweet the results. During the time before the announcement, I chatted with Mark Hindsbo, General Manager of Microsoft’s Developer and Platform Evangelism for Microsoft USA, about the event. He was excited to see so many young people passionate about computer science and innovation. He felt proud to be a part of the event. Before I knew it, the time was 4:30 and the announcement had to begin.

The announcement started of with Jessica Anderson, the business manager for Microsoft Student Insiders, talking about the trip to the Newseum for the finals. Once that was done, the announced that special guest James Cameron, director of Avatar and Titanic, would be joining us for the finals at the Newseum.

Once the logistics was out of the way, it was time to announce who was going to be competing on Monday. Mark Hindsbo took center stage, announcing the top 4 SDI and GDI teams:

Software Design Teams

• Extraplaid, Utah State University
• MangoBunnies, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, DePauw University
• Mobilife, University of California, Davis
• Team Blob, South Dakota School of Mines & Technology

Game Teams

• Coffee Powered Altruism, Yale University
• Ifrit Salsa, University of Houston
• LeveL 13, University of Houston
• To Be Announced, Central Piedmont Community College

After this, each team was debriefed, and the rest of us made our way back to the hotel for some rest before another busy day.