14 JANUARY 2024, Bangkok – Research & Innovation for Sustainability Center (RISC) under MQDC supported the Brain Hackathon to continue developing neuroscience knowledge to build a strong network of experts to help Thailand develop artificial intelligence (AI).

RISC will turn winning ideas from the contest into innovations at MQDC projects, starting with The Aspen Tree, a healthy living community for 50+ adults at The Forestias.

Brain Hackathon developed ideas and projects through coding and AI skills and neuroscience insights. The contest involved secondary school and university students as well as working people interested in computational neuroscience.

Contestants learned about neuroscience and brain processes to develop coding and AI skills to create brain decoding models and propose ideas for future innovations.

The project was supported primarily by the Program Management Unit for Human Resources & Institutional Development, Research and Innovation (PMU-B) with King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT), Chulalongkorn University, Mahidol University, National Nanotechnology Center, and business partners. RISC, IDYLLIAS, and MQDC also contributed as key partners at this year's event.

The Winner of the Winner of Brain Hackathon is “Team Wiggling Ganglion” from the applied category with a project EREM to measure human stress and emotions in workplaces from facial expression and sound to study the effects on work productivity.

Two youth teams shared first place in the applied category: “Team LIMITLESS” with a project using scents to reduce stress and “Team We Who Remain” with “They Who Speak”, a project using technology to help people with speech impairments to communicate.

Two teams also took first place in the academic category: “Team Placeholder” with “NeuroDev” on the relationship between the brain and attention span at different ages and “Team 1” with “DrugDisco” on NMDA Receptor-Targeted Drug Screening for Neurological Disease.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Singh Intrachooto, Chief Sustainnovation Officer of RISC by MQDC, said: “Artificial intelligence, or AI, is the future of humanity. But there are still very few people in Thailand who know about it. We must urgently strengthen Thailand in this area before rushing to develop AI. Without understanding intelligence from natural brain processes, we’ll never create perfect AI. Today we often say that AI will replace people and be more creative and intelligent. But if we don't start building knowledge today and have many people who truly understand how the brain works, how can we develop creative AI? And how can we cultivate a new generation of humans who are smart with AI?

“MQDC applies Happiness Science to create buildings, cities, and environments that boost well-being. This requires an understanding of the brain's working processes because the brain tells us whether we’re happy or not. We’re helping develop knowledge and an ecosystem that supports neuroscience insights such as this Brain Hackathon. Pioneering innovation is in MQDC’s DNA. The company has focused on well-being since 20 years ago, when society was just beginning to become aware of the issue. MQDC dedicates 2% of its revenue to research and innovation including helping society. The company is committed to laying a strong foundation for Thai society throughout the process from knowledge creation and development to actual application in various projects,” Dr. Singh said.

Brain Hackathon began in November 2023. About 300 high school and university students from all over the country took part. The first round selected 100 contestants in 15 teams. The project’s public- and private-sector partners presented the participants with academic and applied challenges.

The teams learned about brain processes and how to decode the brain and analyze brain signals and behavior to create models for innovations for sustainable quality of life. Examples included self-learning technology to boost the mood of residents or control the environment to reduce physical and mental illness or help treat patients with limited physical movement through BCI-based assistive tools.

MQDC will apply Happiness Science to further develop technology for real estate projects that ensures sustainable happiness for residents under MQDC’s principle of “For All Well-Being”. Brain Hackathon insights will be developed for their first application at The Aspen Tree, whose principles align with their use. The healthy living community for older adults will be completed and ready for occupancy this year.

The Aspen Tree is being developed under the concept of Holistic Lifetime Care. Systems and innovations have been developed with expert partners in various fields to look after residents through design and healthcare services including preventive brain care.

Brain Hackathon lasted for 10 weeks from November to mid-January. One hundred talented high-school and university students in 15 teams were selected from over 300 applicants from across the country. The contestants tackled academic and applied challenges from the event’s public- and private-sector partners.

Contestants learned about brain processes to decode and analyze brain signals and behavior. They created models to develop as innovations for sustainable well-being. They developed self-learning innovations that enhance the mood of residents for good mental health or control the environment to reduce physical and mental illness or help treat patients with physical limitations using BCI-based assistive tools for disabilities.

During the 10 weeks of the contest, participants learned from national and international experts such as Professor Dr. Konrad Kording, from the Department of Neuroscience and Bioengineering at Pennsylvania University, who is a co-founder of the Neuromatch Academy.

Academic advisors included 2 RISC staff: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yodschanan Wongsawat, who spoke on “BCI and Society”, and Asst. Prof. Dr. Sirawat Itthipuripat, who spoke on “Decoding Brain Signals Using Machine Learning”.

RISC researchers led by Dr. Sarigga Pongsuwan, Vice President and Head of its Happiness Science Hub, presented research on “Using Neurotechnology to Study the Environmental Effect on Stress and Mental Well-Being”. Mr. Nattapat Tanjariyaporn, Senior Researcher, RISC, presented research on brain-computer interface in “Computational Neuroscience and BCI Applications”.

RISC also held a workshop on brain perception and how to measure brain signals with VR and AI to create neuroscience innovations for medical, educational, and business needs. The Happiness Science lab at DTGO CampUs and RISC researchers hosted "Neuroworkshop: Eye-Tracking Workshop with VR and Illusion Experiment” and "Neuroworkshop: AI Influencer by the IDYLLIAS team, MQDC”.

Participants conducted experiments on perception including with an eye-tracking system. The illusion workshop tested perception and brain processing and used VR to test how changes in the environment affect perception.

Asst. Prof. Dr. Sirawat Itthiphuripat, Head of the Neuroscience Research and Innovation Center at KMUTT, as head of Brain Hackathon, said: “This first year of Brain Hackathon achieved its goals of developing the research potential of students to join international academic conferences. In the applied section, they had vision and interesting ideas.

“This project is the start of establishing the basic element for gaining new knowledge: informed people with a broad vision and practical knowledge of the brain to study it in more depth and manage projects and their own work well. The event is also creating a wide network of knowledgeable people, leading to knowledge exchange, cooperation, and innovation in the future.”

RISC mentored 2 teams. “Ngu Pan Ling Khee Kra-Bue” studied how forest areas absorb and reduce urban air pollution, a major cause of vascular dementia, which is increasing. Green spaces and forests can help people live better lives and reduce the risk of dementia from cerebrovascular disease.

The "LIMITLESS" team applied knowledge about brain perception to create scents inside buildings to reduce stress and boost happiness. Sensors and IoT technology measure stress before instructing the system to release a scent that reduces stress, helps people sleep, and increases well-being.

“In Brain Hackathon, we learned the entire process from learning about the brain – and using that for health and well-being – as well as technical skills. We combined this knowledge to create a tangible project and learned from talented people who work in this field. It was very useful,” said the team Ngu Pan Ling Khee Kra-Bue.

The winning team will receive a prize of 25,000 baht and can intern with RISC to learn about conducting research and turning innovations into real-world applications.

The project aligns with MQDC's principles for sustainably developing residences and smart cities for quality of life. Further development could create innovations with actual applications in MQDC projects that enhance well-being for society at large.

Details of the winners and finalist projects can be found at https://sites.google.com/view/brainhackathon/winner