Seated from left: Dr Izabeth Conradie, Manager: Idea Generator, Dr Thabang Thinda, Head of Department: Community Services at Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality, Ms Sarah Rashid, Consular Officer: U.S. Consulate General Johannesburg and Ms Precious Lesupi, Queers Code. Other colleagues from the National ICT Youth Council, American Corner Mangaung, and USAID-Wits RHI are seen here with them.

The Central University of Technology recently partnered with Queers Code, Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality and the U.S. Consulate Johannesburg to host an AI for Accessibility Hackathon challenge—the event aimed at fostering creativity, collaboration, and learning within artificial intelligence and related technologies. Participants engaged in five challenges focused on developing innovative AI-powered solutions to assist people with disabilities. The challenges included improving assistive technologies, enhancing accessibility in public spaces, bridging the digital divide, personalising tools for empowerment, and ensuring ethical AI practices in accessibility solutions.

The competition's judging criteria encompassed impact and innovation, feasibility and execution, user-centered design, accessibility adherence, and ethical considerations. The SAM-Cane group from CUT emerged as the winners of the 2024 AI Hackathon challenge. The group presented the SAM-Cane project, an AI-powered Smart Mobility Cane designed to help blind or visually impaired people navigate their surroundings safely. The project will enhance users' mobility, independence, and confidence when travelling.

The SAM-Cane group comprised CUT senior students Hein Hattingh (IT), Gift Lebitsa (Marketing), and first-year Engineering student Sekgweleo Morati. They were awarded the top prize of R8000, continued mentorship post-hackathon, and a chance to pitch at the Hult Prize Foundation's international Summits in 2024.

The 2024 winners of the AI Hackathon challenge are the SAM-Cane group from CUT. The group presented the SAM-Cane project, an AI-powered Smart Mobility Cane designed to assist blind or visually impaired people navigate their surroundings safely. The project will enhance users' mobility, independence, and confidence during travel.