Third prize at Ocean Hackathon 2020 in Cádiz
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This past weekend, our team at UCA Datalab participated in the Ocean Hackathon 2020 hosted in Cádiz. We joined the challenge “Route optimization for vessels in the ocean”, aiming to reduce fuel consumption and travel time by designing ship routes that follow ocean currents.
With less than 48 hours to work, we rolled up our sleeves and built an end-to-end solution: we processed raw marine current data, trained a genetic algorithm to optimize vessel paths, and developed a simple web interface to display the results in real time. The outcome? A functional demo that blended machine learning, ocean data, and a solid amount of determination (and caffeine).
Our efforts were rewarded with third place, just two points behind the runner-up. Not bad for a weekend sprint!
It wasn’t our first experience pushing through sleepless nights. Some of you might remember our ICU forecasting model from earlier this year during the first COVID-19 wave. But this time, the challenge was maritime, the setting was the port of Cádiz, and the energy was pure collaboration.
For us, this hackathon was more than just a competition. It was a chance to apply AI to real-world sustainability challenges, connect with an inspiring community, and reaffirm that great things can emerge under pressure. Especially with the right team.
All the best,
Daniel Precioso
