Two computer science students from Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar (CMU-Q), a Qatar Foundation partner university, were on the team winning second place at the Invent for the Planet competition hosted by Texas A&M University at Qatar (TAMUQ).

Deep Chandra and Faisal Mashhadi joined students from TAMUQ and Hamad Bin Khalifa University to form Team Aquatex. Teams were given the task of designing, building, and presenting ideas and technologies that would benefit the world.

Team Aquatex tackled challenges that prevent small-scale fish farmers from using digital tools to optimize their operations. 

Chandra said, “We were given 11 need statements from different industries. We chose to address how small-scale fish farmers can incorporate simple digital metrics into their farming.”

The team recognized that most software for fish farming is built for large-scale factories, and managed by employees with a high level of technical expertise. The team wanted to make digital tools available and accessible to smaller operations using sensors and equipment they already have.

To gain insight into the challenges that face the industry, the team found fish farmers and industry experts through LinkedIn and Instagram who were willing to discuss their experiences. Based on this information, the team prepared a presentation and built a prototype, and ultimately came in second place.

“This was my first competition like this,” said Mashhadi. “I learned so much about the dynamics of a team, and how to work together with people that have different skill sets.”

Chandra and Mashhadi are second-year students in computer science. Invent for the Planet was originally created at the home campus of Texas A&M University, and individual competitions take place around the world, including in Education City.