Discover how a Turkish student team is combining artificial intelligence, emergency reporting, and real-time coordination tools to strengthen disaster response systems across the Mediterranean region.
How can artificial intelligence support faster coordination, improve situational awareness, and strengthen emergency response during disasters? This question guided the AI4Purpose National Hackathons organized under the MEDAIGENCY project.
In this interview, we hear from a student team from Istanbul Atlas University, who share their experience developing an AI-powered disaster-response support platform designed to assist both affected individuals and emergency response authorities during crisis situations.
Our team consists of three members from Istanbul Atlas University, each bringing complementary technical expertise in artificial intelligence, backend engineering, and product design.
• Tuğba Naz Yıldız – AI Development
Second-year student in English Computer Engineering at Istanbul Atlas University. She focuses on artificial intelligence development and data-driven analysis within the project.
• Süleyman Emir Gergin – Backend Development
Second-year student in Turkish Computer Engineering at Istanbul Atlas University. He is responsible for system architecture, backend services, and the operational infrastructure of the platform.
• Emirhan Yeşildağ – UX & Product Design
Second-year student in Computer Programming at Istanbul Atlas University. He leads the user experience and product design process, ensuring the system remains intuitive and accessible in high-stress emergency scenarios.
As a team, we actively participate in innovation and technology competitions and have achieved several notable results:
• 1st Place – AImpact Hackathon
• 2nd Place – MEDAIGENCY AI4Purpose Hackathon
• 3rd Place – The Future of Wallet Hackathon
These competitions brought together participants from various institutions and industry partners, allowing us to work on real-world technological challenges and strengthen our interdisciplinary collaboration.
We learned about the AI4Purpose Hackathon through innovation and technology communities connected to our academic environment.
Our motivation to participate came from the opportunity to apply artificial intelligence to real-world crisis management challenges. Natural disasters and emergencies require rapid coordination, clear information flow, and accessible support for affected individuals. We wanted to explore how digital platforms and AI-driven analysis could help authorities better understand needs in the field and respond more efficiently during disaster situations.
Our team developed a disaster-response support platform designed to assist both affected individuals and emergency response teams.
On the user side, the platform provides symptom-based emergency guidance and psychological first-aid tools that help individuals understand what immediate actions they should take in urgent situations. Users can also submit field reports, such as requests for food, blankets, or medical assistance, or report critical observations such as sounds coming from under debris.
On the authority side, we designed an operational dashboard where AFAD personnel can monitor incoming reports through an interactive map. Requests sent through the application or through external communication channels, such as messaging hotlines, can appear on the same operational interface. This allows emergency teams to quickly visualize where needs are emerging.
Artificial intelligence is used to analyze incoming reports and detect patterns in requests, highlighting increases in categories such as medical support, logistics needs, or psychosocial stress indicators. This helps authorities gain faster situational awareness and prioritize resources more effectively.
Following the hackathon, we aim to further develop the platform by improving its AI-driven analysis capabilities and expanding integration with emergency communication channels.
Future development could include stronger data analysis models, improved real-time monitoring of field needs, and integration with existing emergency management systems. Collaboration with institutions, disaster response organizations, and research initiatives such as the MEDAIGENCY project could support transforming the prototype into a practical digital tool for crisis management.
Participating in a Mediterranean-level competition provided valuable insight into the shared challenges faced by countries across the region.
Many Mediterranean countries experience natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, and humanitarian crises, making effective coordination and rapid information flow essential. Engaging with teams from different countries encouraged us to think about how our solution could scale across different contexts and institutional environments.
The international nature of the competition also created an opportunity to exchange ideas with diverse teams, mentors, and experts, which helped us refine both the technical and societal impact of our project.
Special thanks to Mr. Ayman Rahmeh from the American University of Beirut for facilitating this series.
Last Update
21/05/2026
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