Shape the future of Audiovisual Technology at the Huawei Munich Tech Arena 2024

The objective of Spatial Audio is to create a realistic and immersive sound experience for listeners. A crucial element in this is the Individual HRTFs associated with the listener’s anthropometric data.

Topics

• Individual Head-related transfer functions (HRTFs) are one key element for achieving natural spatial audio rendering via headphone. It is possible to obtain individual HRTF from the shape of a person’s head and ears

Phases

• Challenge Phases. The Challenge consists of two Phases:
  • Phase 1: Online Challenge
    • Register on the platform to participate in Phase 1 for a chance to be selected to attend the final during Phase 2!
  • How to Submit Your Solution:
    • Prepare Your Codebase: Ensure your code is written in one of the allowed languages (C, C++, Python, or Java) and follows the expected guidelines.
    • Format and Documentation: Upload your codebase in the specific format mentioned in the program FAQ and participation form.
      Additionally, prepare a technical document (maximum 2 pages, excluding references) explaining your methodology, any extra data used, and any pre-existing tools, software, or models involved in your solution.
    • Create a Zip File: Collect all required files, including your codebase and technical document, and compress them into a single zip folder for submission.
    • Submit on Agorize: Log in to the Agorize platform, go to the Phase 1 submission section, and upload your zip file.
  • Phase 2: The On-site Award Event
    • The Final Event will be a 1-day on-site event in Munich, Germany, held between December 12 and 18, 2024, with the exact date confirmed by November 30 via email. Selected participants must confirm their attendance or face disqualification. Travel assistance may be available. Teams will collaborate in person, with mentors present, and food and drinks provided. The top 6 teams will present their projects in a 20-minute session, focusing on solution design, results, and business impact.

Prize Information

• Once confirmed by Sponsor, the winner(s) will receive the following:
  • A total of EUR 18,000 is in the prize pool:
    • Grand Prize: A cash reward of EUR 6,000 will be awarded to the first-place team (one team will be selected).
    • Second Place Prize: A cash reward of EUR 3,000 will be awarded to each of the two second-place teams (two teams will be selected).
    • Third Place Prize: A cash reward of EUR 2,000 will be awarded to each of the three third-place teams (three teams will be selected).

Expected Output

• A model which takes a set of 2D pinna images as input and reproduces the HRTFs (same format as the HRTF in the dataset provided) of the person as output.
• The source code of the algorithm as well as a report describing the used acquisition method and results.

Eligibility Criteria

• To be eligible for this Hackathon, you are :
  • 18 years or older
  • student (Bachelor, Master, or PhD) enrolled in a university course in the field of IT, computer science, mathematics, engineering, physics or similar areas, or fresh graduates (up to 3 years)
  • Not Huawei employees
  • Not Sponsor’s representatives

Selection Criteria

• Submissions will be judged according to the Brief. The source codes in your submissions (where applicable) may be uploaded to third-party platforms to be assessed by the Sponsor. You agree and acknowledge that the Challenge relies on your creativity, capacity, ability, and ingenuity to solve difficult problems. The Challenge does not depend, even partially, on chance or luck, and therefore should not be considered as a lottery. Under no circumstances are factors such as appearance, religion, membership in a trade union, political opinions, sexual orientation, etc. are considered.
• The Teams that present a solution that responds best to the Challenge Brief, in the required format and within the stated timelines, will be selected by the panel of experts nominated by the Sponsor. Team submissions are ranked automatically by score. If two submissions have the same score, the earlier submission will be ranked first.
• The ranking at the end of Round 1 and Round 2 remains preliminary. The panel of experts will review code submissions to produce the final ranking and will disqualify submissions that try to cheat or otherwise break the rules.
• The maximum number of Participants selected during Phase 1 is 30.

Application Requirements

• A submission shall satisfy the following requirements:
  • The submission shall only consist of and incorporate original work contributions from a Team;
  • Where necessary, if content from a third party has been used in the development of the submission, all rights, authorizations and agreements necessary to submit the submission, and any grants licenses in respect thereof, have been obtained. A submission in breach of the foregoing will result in the disqualification of the submission and the related Participants;
  • No other individual and or entity is entitled to claim any rights from the use of the submission;
  • The content of the submission does not and will not infringe or violate any rights of any third party or entity, including, without limitation, intellectual property rights, privacy, competition law, confidentiality, any contractual right, or any other right under applicable laws. All submissions suspected of the foregoing infringements or violations will be ineligible.

For more information, visit Huawei.