Save UVa

Pandemic Simulation design panel
Game page

Inspiration

The winner of the project "pandemic simulator" from last year. The prompt in the demonstration video in the education prize track on HooHacks website.

What it does

We designed a game called SaveUVA, a simulation of the real epidemic scenario inside the UVA community, requiring the decider to win over the pandemic while ensuring the students’ well-being, and within the limits of economic capital. The game starts with an initial fund balance and a student satisfaction index. You will have to make decisions and invest your funds, and you are allowed to implement multiple policies as long as it is within the budget limit. The virus will appear on campus days after the game starts, and it will gradually restore to its maximum infection ability, so take some actions at the right timing. However, while all the restriction policies will help control the virus, many policies will lower the student satisfaction and some of them cost huge amounts of money. It’s up to you to decide when and how to implement certain policies at different periods of the game, so that all the basic goals can be completed. Game will be over if you are out of funds or out of student satisfaction, or when you choose to exit. Your final score will be shown upon exit!

How we built it

We first researched existing models on how different factors, like school regulations and different funding actions. We incorporate these factors into our own model, and then built our app using the Django framework. The major languages used are python, html, and javascript. We build statistical model and use data from the official public health website or database.

Challenges we ran into

Our game includes many actions, like investing in local hospital, testing facilities, online education qualities, and regulating student actions like tracking students’ footprint and forced quarantine. It took us a long time to research how each action impacts the number of infected students, and convert the complicated statistical equations to computer language. Also, we are inexperienced in solving problems appeared during attending the hackathon, since we are all first-time participants.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We come up with an innovative idea that concentrates on our school, UVa. Young students could give reflections on COVID-related policies online in a fun and engaging way through the attractive interactive game. Social awareness: provide people with a wider point of view for pandemics and deeper respect to public policies by sitting in a decider’s chair. A chance to for policy reviews: offer students a more nuanced understanding about the effects of covid policies on the community.

What we learned

We became more familiar with the spread process of the virus, and understood how the policies influence them. We developed cooperative abilities in the work division and arrangement, and learnt how to maximize our efficiency and productivity within such a short period of time.

What's next for Save UVa

Non-technical stuff: adaptation to phone apps; add more visuals; better user-friendly interface etc. Multiplayer (online mode) option, allowing remote interactions of different roles. Statistical model: build a complete mathematical model estimation of infection and demonstrate more diversified data representations.

Reference: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3935673/table/tbl1/?report=objectonly https://www.statista.com/statistics/1119412/covid-19-transmission-rate-us-by-state/ https://usafacts.org/visualizations/coronavirus-covid-19-spread-map/state/Virginia