During the Computing Conference 2023 held last June 22–23 at the Clayton Hotel Chiswick in London, UK, Daniel Pete Aguilar, together with his research adviser, Professor Reginald Neil Recario, presented their research entitled “HINAY: A mobile application for real-time traffic sign detection”.

The primary aim of their research is to improve road safety by developing HINAY, which is a mobile application that utilizes deep neural networks to detect and recognize traffic signs. In addition, HINAY is equipped with a real-time voice alert feature to enhance the user experience and safety as it allows drivers to focus on the road while staying informed about road signs.

Their approach specifically uses Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) to improve the accuracy and efficiency of detection algorithms, making the system more robust in handling various traffic sign variations and conditions. Although their research focuses on traffic sign detection and recognition, its use of HINAY in action, scanning the road ahead for traffic signs transfer learning, data augmentation, and re-training of pre-trained models can be valuable for other applications beyond its current scope.

Mr. Aguilar and Prof. Recario had submitted their paper on September 15, 2022, and received an invitation to participate in the Computing Conference 2023 a month later. The Computing Conference, formerly known as the Science and Information (SAI) Conference, has been hosted in London, UK since 2013. Each year, the conference series highlights a new set of keynote speeches, special sessions, poster presentations, tutorials, workshops, and contributed papers.

Regarding his experience participating in the said conference, Mr. Aguilar shared that he discovered there is so much to learn and appreciate in the field of computing. He was able to listen to several keynote speakers who “passionately discussed the current state and the exciting future of computing”. He also enjoyed socializing with people from different parts of the world, finding their unique perspectives on various matters fascinating.

“The opportunity to travel to the UK and present in front of such intellectual individuals was beyond anything I had ever imagined. This remarkable experience is one I will cherish for a lifetime,” said Mr. Aguilar.

Aside from attending the 2-day conference, he shared that he and Prof. Recario also had the chance to explore some of London’s tourist attractions as well as meet up with Mr. Jonathan Simbahan and Mrs. Maria Gelyn Lopez during their stay.

Mr. Aguilar obtained his bachelor’s degree in computer science and graduated with honors from the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) in 2022. Mr. Aguilar, Prof. Recario, Mr. Simbahan, and Mrs. Lopez are all alumni members of the Young Software Engineers’ Society of UPLB.