From Game-Day Analytics to Rideshares, Student Coders Strengthen Campus
For students, by students: Two computer science-based clubs at the University of California, Davis, have developed ways to use their software skills to better their campus community.
Aggie Sports Analytics and AggieWorks are not solely about giving their members hands-on experience creating a product from the ground up; the products they solve problems and impact people at UC Davis now, whether it's a sports team that needs new tech or a fellow student who needs a rideshare.
Aggie Sports Analytics
With its focus on pioneering the future of sports technology, Aggie Sports Analytics, or ASA, is helping UC Davis Athletics stay on the cutting edge of sports analytics while providing students the opportunity to create real impact for their university’s sports teams.
Data and analytics are integral to collegiate and professional sports. Technology like wearables, video and sensors can allow players, managers and coaches to improve on-field techniques, track player biometrics and adjust tactics in real time.
Currently, the club is collaborating with the UC Davis women’s soccer team and the men’s water polo team. For the women’s soccer team, dual-detection and analysis software will use AI and computer vision to identify two targets, signals or conditions simultaneously. In this case, the software could detect and track a player and the ball in real time to generate tactical data and highlights. For men’s water polo, a new dashboard will provide a holistic view of player performance and statistical insights.
“It is incredibly rewarding to see teams actually use our software and have real conversations with coaches and fellow data scientists to improve our work and make it usable in the real sports world,” said Ben Busche, ASA president and fourth-year mechanical engineering major.
AggieWorks
AggieWorks aims to be the solution builder for UC Davis students. As students themselves, they see the direct, tangible needs of their classmates and create software products to make their lives easier.
Cattlelog, for example, is a comprehensive course tool, where students can view and search for classes, research professors, leave reviews and even compare courses. On Clubly, students can take a quiz to determine their interests, what they want out of a club, and how much time they can commit, and a curated list of UC Davis clubs is presented to them.
Moober, meanwhile, is a platform that helps UC Davis students find carpools and rideshares to and from Davis or split an Uber to Sacramento International Airport. And the recently launched RoomU allows students to find their ideal match for a roommate, with preference filters like noise level and smoking habits.
“By building software products for UC Davis students, we are able to directly impact student life on campus,” said Aaron Hu, a fourth-year computer science major and marketing director for AggieWorks. “We care about our students, and we love talking to users to get useful feedback and find ways to continually improve our products.”
Student-Driven Solutions
Whether it’s helping athletes refine their game or connecting students who need a new roomie, Aggie Sports Analytics and AggieWorks prove that some of the best campus solutions come from students. By identifying real needs and engaging directly with their community, these student developers are strengthening the campus community and showing that the best innovations often start close to home.