SICK Solutions Hackathon

Overview

I had the amazing opportunity to participate in the SICK Solutions Hackathon in Freiburg, Germany. This event was an intense, tech-driven experience where I had the privilege to work with SICK Sensor Intelligence’s cutting-edge sensors and systems alongside a talented, multidisciplinary team. Over just a few days, we took on a challenging real-world problem and developed a high-impact solution using advanced hardware and software.

Project: Automatic Car Measurement System

Our team, Team Parkiteasy, focused on a pressing issue in urban environments: efficient and automated parking in garages. We created a system that uses real-time car measurement and number plate recognition to streamline the parking process and optimize space allocation.

Solution Highlights

2D Lidar Sensors: Positioned at the garage entrance to accurately measure incoming cars while they are in motion.
Inspector83x & Azure OCR Model: Used for number plate recognition, connecting the vehicle’s details to our system.
Elastic Cloud Database: Stored data in real-time for dashboard visualization and analytics.
React UI: Displayed the assigned parking spot for each car based on its size, providing a seamless user experience.

The end result was a dynamic, user-friendly parking solution that provides optimal parking spots based on car dimensions, a key innovation for high-density garages.

My Role

As part of the team, I was responsible for:

Developing the software interface between Elastic Cloud, the hardware, and our user interface.
Creating the number plate recognition functionality that integrated with SICK’s sensors and Azure OCR.
Designing and implementing the UI with React to display parking guidance in a visually appealing and intuitive manner.

Team Contributions

Each member played a crucial role in bringing the project to life:

Benjamin Vago: Integrated the hardware, including SICK sensors and Bosch Rexroth’s ctrlX AUTOMATION.
Stef De Clercq: Managed the Elastic Cloud database and dashboard while developing the websockets for real-time data transfer.
Artuur Heyvaert: An invaluable all-rounder who provided support across hardware, software, and database tasks.

Hackathon Highlights

Beyond the technical work, the hackathon was an unforgettable experience. Working side-by-side with industry experts, talented peers, and enthusiastic hack coaches, I learned new methodologies, systems, and collaborative strategies. Being in the scenic city of Freiburg added to the experience, making every moment truly enjoyable.

Acknowledgments

I’d like to thank the SICK Solutions team for organizing this incredible event, my teammates for their collaboration and dedication, and all the hack coaches and participants who inspired me throughout the journey.

Looking forward to the next challenge, Team Parkiteasy! 🚗💡