Kunal Patel has been leading hackathons in Central Florida for years.
As an organizer of the independent video game collective known as Indienomicon, he thrives on putting together events that connect developers to industry.
But one event that focuses specifically on the health industry has taken on new meaning.
The Mega Health Jam this past weekend was the first event in the series since Patel’s mother passed away.
“When you’re younger, you just think that well, of course, we just want to do cool things,” said Patel, 41. “But when something personal happens in your life, you realize the full impact of it.”
PHOTO GALLERY: CHECK OUT THE IMAGES OF OPENING NIGHT FOR MEGA HEALTH JAM!
The effects of Mega Health Jam
Mega Health Jam is a part of a series of industry-specific game jams that the group hosts periodically.
While each event has a different area of focus, the structure is essentially identical.
Tech professionals and enthusiasts gather to take a business idea to full-blown product in one weekend.
Along the way, they connect with industry experts, fellow tech pros and others.
The events help them build products, network and show off their talents to potential collaborators, employers or partners.
In the end, teams built 10 games during the weekend, including a handful that incorporated virtual reality.
Dr. Dexter Hadley, the founding chief of the AI division at UCF’s College of Medicine, said he had not ever seen group projects as a coding strategy.
“The concept of social programming is very new to me,” he said. “I’m here to learn about that but it makes sense. I’m here to learn how these hackathons work. We have a vested interest.”
The event starts with those in attendance joining a parade of people who get up in front of their peers and pitch ideas for a game or program to build during the weekend.
Hadley had pitched a closed Snapchat-like social network that, to an extent, gamifies a process for reading and interpreting X-rays or mammograms.
The idea was to be certain that correct information was being spread.
While it wasn’t chosen as one of the efforts this weekend, Hadley said before the event that the idea would help those who worry about their health in a real way.
“It would reduce anxiety,” he said.
Although ultimately, the idea did not have a team, it illustrates the serious nature of the ideas, even if most hide behind video game elements.
The big winners are …
Among the winners this year were games that taught people how to cook for people with health-related dietary restrictions and a game that demonstrated nursing procedures.
In the end, a game called “Wheels of Fate” won the event. The game uses custom hardware to turn a wheelchair into a controller and help patients in physical therapy.
The variety of projects is what keeps Patel coming back.
“I don’t think you can get bored,” the Winter Park resident said. “With healthcare, it’s the concern of all 8 billion people on Earth in some way. A lot of things are happening in my life and healthcare is at the center of them all.”
In the leadup to his mother’s death, Kunal spent much of his time in hospitals.
The experience gave him a new appreciation for the work doctors put in and emotions they go through repeatedly.
“You can’t help but see people shedding tears of joy and grief,” he said.
Patel’s time at the hospital showed him how much of an impact Indienomicon could have with Mega Health Jam.
Add in that Central Florida unofficially specializes in medical innovation, considering the presence of Lake Nona’s Medical City, along with the depth of the military and space industries, it made for a perfect place to host a health jam, Patel said.
“All of those, in a way, need healthcare,” he said.
“Entrepreneurs, they just feel like they can problem-solve a lot of things,” he said. “I think there’s an opportunity to really put a mark in healthcare. If we solve something here, it’s just as useful in Seattle, New York, Detroit or LA.”