Bangkok: CDG Group, in collaboration with 18 partner universities nationwide, organized the 'CDG Hackathon 2026' under the theme 'AI for a Better Society Platform'. This competition provided an opportunity for students to develop artificial intelligence (AI) and data management solutions to address three key challenges: improving the quality of life for citizens, developing government services, and managing natural resources.
According to Thai News Agency, the results showed that Team LUMOS from King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL) won first prize with their 'Night Watch' system, a technology for screening highway lighting malfunctions using satellite imagery. This innovative system aims to solve the streetlight outage problem by integrating AI with GIS data, significantly reducing inspection costs.
The concept for developing the Night Watch project originated from recognizing the limitations of the current streetlight inspection and repair system, which relies heavily on personnel and significant budget. This makes it difficult to comprehensively assess damage at all locations, impacting the safety of nighttime travel for the public. The LUMOS team has developed a system that combines AI processing with satellite imagery and Geographic Information System (GIS) technology to analyze and compare lighting conditions on highways nationwide with historical data. This system can automatically identify the locations of malfunctioning or out-of-tune streetlights, enabling government officials to take more precise and timely corrective action. It is estimated that this process could reduce the budget for traditional surveying by up to 90%.
Dr. Thanaporn Thitisawas, President of GIS Co., Ltd., representing the CDG Group, emphasized that this technological development challenge is not solely focused on competition but also aims to create a nurturing environment for a new generation of digital professionals. The goal is for them to understand how to apply AI and data to solve real-world infrastructure and public service problems in society. The judging criteria for this project emphasize understanding of the problem, creativity, and the potential to further develop the work for practical application, in order to connect knowledge from the academic sector with solving problems in the social and technological industries.