THE team of Raven Duran, Geoff Diaz and Edmund Salcedo Jr., graduating students of Mindanao University of Science and Technology, won the grand prize of P50,000 ($1,150) in the first Google Cardboard Hackathon organized by Globe Labs.
The three, who also founded web development start-up called Webnified.com, won the contest for their application called “3DU.”
The app allows users to talk to each other in real time, as well as learn, explore and challenge themselves in a virtual ever-growing university, Duran explained.
It is designed for students and teachers who would like an immersive real-world experience without leaving the comforts of the classroom, he added.
“We want to help increase the learning engagement of students and teachers without making them spend a lot. This desire gave us the drive to fly to Manila and join the hackathon.”
Globe Labs Developer Relations Manager Anne Michelle Santos said they look forward to support app developers of this nature.
Santos explained that once the 3DU app is fully developed, Globe Labs will provide an additional P80,000 ($1,840) to the team, help them publish the app in Google Play and assist in its promotion.
The second prize of P30,000 was awarded to developers of “MonstAR,” a three-dimensional virtual pet on an “augmented reality.” The third spot went to “Dayo-rama,” which gives users a chance to watch history as it unfolds.
“Through the support of Globe Labs, we hope to create more virtual reality scenarios to help them with the lessons – from history, to science, to practically anything,” Duran said.