Many imaginative audio features were proposed at last month’s Future of the Commute: TrafficCast Design Challenge. The goal of the event: to improve the commuter driving experience, which can be about as fun and convenient as a root canal.

TrafficCast — a national leader in traffic data and technology that’s based in Wilmington, Del. — created the design challenge in search of “fresh designs and innovative ideas to power a better mobility solution” for daily travelers. writes Abby Lee Mosconi at technical.ly.

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Participants were asked to pitch creative ideas for new app features that would improve the daily commute, based on market information and traffic data provided by TrafficCast.

Competition winner, and recipient of a $5,000 prize, Raghav Hardas wowed the crowd with his “Rise and Drive” app. The app, tied to a smart speaker, is designed to function like a personal assistant, delivering information such as what to wear, when to leave, what’s coming up on your calendar and even some productivity hacks while traveling.

Despite Hardas’s competition-winning pitch, it was 15-year-old finalist, Dorcas Olatunji, who stole the show. The third-place winner, who isn’t even old enough to drive yet, presented her idea for a student-focused carpool app with the poise and execution of a professional TED Talk speaker.

To read the full story, click here.

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