A team from the Illinois Institute of Technology has won the top prize at the SAS Institute’s annual SAS Hackathon. The team, known as StaSASticians, developed a heat-stroke early detection and warning system aimed at construction workers. This project was awarded first place in the Americas regional competition and in both the Insurance and Internet of Things categories.
The team consists of alumni and a current student: Brandon Sharp, Narges Hosseinzadeh, Irina Klein, and their mentor Sou-Cheng Choi. They collaborated with Irina Ivanova, a business analyst, and BeeInventor Ltd., represented by Jeffrey Li. The hackathon included 145 teams with 1,731 participants from over 70 countries.
StaSASticians used artificial intelligence along with tools such as SAS Viya Workbench and Python to create their system. This involved collecting data via smart helmets equipped with sensors that measure physiological factors like heart rate and core body temperature. These were then analyzed to predict heat-stress illnesses using AI models.
“Unlike academic projects, which often focus primarily on model building, this experience highlighted that in real-world scenarios most of the effort is dedicated to ensuring data accuracy, preprocessing, and structuring,” said Brandon Sharp.
The innovative solution addresses growing concerns related to rising temperatures due to climate change. By implementing this system, construction companies can potentially save lives while also reducing costs associated with insurance and healthcare.
“The lack of heat stroke prediction in the current construction industry poses a significant threat to both the health and lives of workers,” said Jeffrey Li. “During the SAS Hackathon we tested several models...and developed accurate predictions toward heat stroke risk five to ten minutes in advance.”
Mentor Sou-Cheng Choi emphasized that such experiences enhance technical knowledge while fostering personal development in communication and collaboration.
BeeInventor's CEO Harry Chan stated plans for a field study next year using this analysis as a basis for further development.
The overall winner of the SAS Hackathon will be announced at SAS Innovate conference scheduled for May 6-9, 2025 in Orlando Florida where StaSASticians are invited along with other winners to share their projects.