Development of Mobile Semantic Apps using Punya: ISWC Challenge

Call for Participation

Build mobile semantic apps. Solve problems. Win prizes!

A joint team of researchers from MIT, Dalhousie University, RPI, and Politecnico di Bari are organizing a Semantic Web Challenge at the 20th International Semantic Web Conference, focused on building semantically-enabled mobile apps using the MIT Punya platform<https://punya.mit.edu>.

MIT Punya is a drag-and-drop web-based platform for building mobile apps for Android (iOS forthcoming). In preparation for the Semantic Web Challenge, the team has prepared a number of Punya tutorials:

  *   Rdf Notepad<http://punya.appinventor.mit.edu/?repo=RdfNotepad>
  *   Sleep Apnea<http://punya.appinventor.mit.edu/?repo=SleepApnea>
  *   LDP CoAP<http://punya.appinventor.mit.edu/?repo=LdpCoapTutorial>

Additional material can be found in our ISWC 2020 tutorial<https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CJ-uecwaE5kGDX6QFHuZCIwyVlcWJCQ4Xd6iwEfwxZs/edit>, including an elaboration on the Linked Data components, notes on map visualization and machine learning, and a mobile app for detecting contra-indicated drugs<https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CJ-uecwaE5kGDX6QFHuZCIwyVlcWJCQ4Xd6iwEfwxZs/edit#heading=h.re1b9f7obf18>.

Apps should tackle relevant and challenging real-world scenarios that impact health, the environment, and society. Suggested themes include, but are not limited to: Social Good, Better Resource Allocation (e.g., water scarcity, natural disaster response), Climate Change, Ending Poverty, Health Care (e.g.,COVID-19, mental health), Learning and Working Remotely, Living Together, Active Aging, Social and Racial Justice, and Social Impact of Artificial Intelligence (e.g., biases, opportunities, equitability).

Some concrete examples include mobile patient diaries in healthcare, apps to populate geographical information systems, capture provenance metadata (e.g., ecology, geology), help with disaster management and humanitarian aid, perform experience sampling in psychology, and engage the public (ranging from crowdsourcing of nuisances to direct democracy initiatives).

Participants will build an intelligent mobile app using the Punya framework that connects with online Linked Data sources and services, nearby IoT devices or on-device sensors, and/or implement expert system features, by producing, consuming, and processing Linked Data. The challenge participants will be expected to utilize at least two Punya Linked Data components. Moreover, participants may extend the Punya framework itself with new Linked Data components, or extend existing ones.

Apps are due by July 15, 2021 with a check-in on June 15, 2021. Results will be announced August 15, 2021 and winners will have the opportunity to present their projects at ISWC. Up to US$ 1000 will be split among the top projects as assessed by the judges and determined by the organizers.

For more details about participating, please see https://punya.mit.edu/challenge/.