The EPSRC AgriFoRwArdS CDT have teamed up with others from The University of Lincoln, including, Lincoln Agri-Robotics and the EPSRC Internet of Food Things to hold a Holiday Hackathon Challenge between 10 December 2021 and 10 January 2022.

The hackathon brings together students from all over the UK, and further afield, to work on machine learning challenges to define the Best Poinsettia.

Bridge Farm Group, the leading UK producer of ornamental plants, flowers and herbs allowed us to visit their state-of-the-art facility in Spalding where they are growing over 1 million poinsettias to collect the images and data required to run this event.

Hackathon participants will be given access to our virtual ‘poinsettia nursery’ which combines images of Bridge Farm Groups’ poinsettias with images submitted by the public throughout December.

Participants are asked to use state-of-the-art computer vision and machine learning (ML) methodologies to develop methods for autonomous labelling of these images. They then use the data supplied in our ‘poinsettia nursery’ to train and test their models to accurately determine the Best Poinsettia.

Hackathon participants will work on 3 different challenges;

  • Find the height of the plant (height above the pot)
  • Find the colours (balance of red and green)
  • Find the bract clusters

The Holiday Hackathon challenge will be open from 10 December 2021 to 10 January 2022 and members of the public can submit poinsettia images throughout December until 5 January 2022.

Register to take part in this event and find out more in the Terms and Conditions document on Eventbrite.

Upon registering you will be sent the relevant link to join us on Friday 10th December (12:00 GMT) to launch the hackathon. The hackathon rules will also be sent to you via email following the Opening Ceremony.

Winners of the Hackathon Challenge categories will each receive a high street gift voucher.

For all poinsettia image submissions received from the general public, a donation will be made to Mint Lane Café, a charitable food initiative supporting the local community in Lincolnshire.

Winners of the Hackathon Challenge categories will each receive a high street gift voucher.

Holiday Hackathon submissions – click here

General public poinsettia image submission – click here

Happy festive period!