Education BLog

A smart new computer program designed by a South African local PC boffin could be used to predict crowd behavior at stadiums during next year's World Cup, the Cape Argus newspaper reported on Wednesday.

The innovative program, designed by Johannesburg computer programming student Kieran Ekron, 22, has won him a place in the finals of a global technology competition in Poland next year.

The program is set to provide stadium managers and designers with critical information about potential problems in and around stadiums.

Ekron competed against more than 2,400 computer programming students from across the country to win the South African leg of the Imagine Cup 2009, a Microsoft-sponsored technology competition which pits the world's best student programmers against each other.

Ekron's Sim Stadium application was judged the best entry in the final of the competition at the Silverstar Casino in Krugersdorp this week.

Sim Stadium is a research project aimed at simulating the dynamics of a football stadium before, during and after matches.

The focus of the project is on modelling the behavior of the spectators at a football stadium.

Spectator behavior -- such as finding the right seat, buying refreshments and going to the bathroom -- can all be modelled, Ekron said on Tuesday.

While the program was a long way from being ready for the industry, it could possibly be used for the World Cup, he said.

"The program, for instance, would be able to simulate what happens during a riot at the stadium, and how long it will take security personnel to get there."

Ekron said he was very happy that his project came out tops.

"I didn't expect this to happen, because the first day of judging didn't go too well."

Of the potential for Ekron's program to be used by stadium management and the police during the World Cup, 2010 organizing committee spokesperson Rich Mkhondo said it was a possibility.

"Security for the World Cup is a national issue, but if we are approached by him, we will consult our partners - the police, Interpol, the government and other agencies - to consider the viability of such a project," Mkhondo said.

"We applaud his findings and creative innovation, and won't turn down any initiative that could help us make the World Cup safe."

Other big winners at the Imagine Cup came from the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in the Eastern Cape.

Team Abantu Developaz won the development category with their project EASy (Education Assist System), a website that helps pupils and teachers prepare their daily academic activities up until the final exams.

Team Solo won the Game Design and Development category with Engage, a multiplayer arcade space shooter game that supports up to four players. Engage can be played on both a Windows PC and XBox platforms across a Local Area Network (LAN) or the Internet.

Ekron will represent South Africa at the global Imagine Cup finals in Warsaw next year. Now in its eighth year, the Imagine Cup challenges the world's best student programmers to create applications to solve real-world problems. More than 200 000 students from 100 countries entered the competition this year.

The head of Microsoft's developer and platform team, Clifford de Wit, said the judges had been "blown away" by the high calibre of the projects, and the levels of innovation displayed.

"These represent the next generation of technology and business leaders in South Africa. Their creativity and innovation demonstrates how technology can make a difference in people's lives in the way we think, work and communicate," he said.

"Students are the ones who get to engage with technology and make it real for us. Those aspiring to become technology leaders need to continue getting their hands dirty playing with technology and pushing the boundaries of innovation," he said.