Alumnus Dharmit A. Patel, (M.S CS ’14), applications administrator at IIT, won the IEEE Hack Chicago Challenge 2014 in the Professional category. The challenge is hosted by IEEE Computer Society STC on eGovernment and the IEEE Chicago Section. More information about the challenge is available on the Challenge website.

Patel’s app, Rack Chicago, will help bikers in Chicago easily and quickly locate available bike racks in their vicinity. This app provides a simple solution for an existing problem: bikers in Chicago, most of the time, unaware of the location of bike racks and their availability, unless they bike that route frequently. Rack Chicago computes current location and fetches bike rack information from City Of Chicago data portal. It then shows the user a map with not just location but the number of bike racks in each location.

The app has a user-friendly interface with a simple design for optimum user experience. It is intuitive and can be used by anyone, anywhere as long as Internet connection is available.

This initial version uses GPS location for Chicago. Rack Chicago also uses gyroscopic sensor, compass and camera for augmented reality. Future features will entail live provision for racking and un-racking to see racks’ availability.

This app is currently available at the Windows Store.

More information about the app is available here.

The app is currently in development for IOS and Android. It will be available shortly.