Hacktivate

Hacktivate is a 24-hour overnight hackathon on the theme of Predictive Systems, hosted by the IEEE Student Branch. Teams of 2 to 4 design and build a working hardware and software system that senses real-world data and predicts an outcome — machine failure, demand shifts, anomalies, or early warnings. Teams move through the full development cycle: ideation, circuit and system design with simulation, hardware assembly and sensor integration, and finally layering in the predictive logic. Teams may bring and use their own components. A PCB Cupid kit is available on site for Track 1 (Seconds Ahead). Mentors are available throughout, including overnight. The event closes with a live demonstration — every system must power on and perform in front of the judges. Meals, overnight refreshments, and a supervised rest area are provided. It is a full product build compressed into a single night, and the kind of end-to-end experience few students get before industry. Final judging is on 15 October 2026, 9:00–11:00 AM. Six judges sit, two per track. Each team gets about five minutes at the table, then questions. The judges shortlist teams, and a combined final is held before all six judges. The rubric is out of 20, and creativity is the tie-breaker. The build window is 14 October 2026, 11:00 AM to 15 October 2026, 11:00 AM, and the code/hardware freeze applies when your team is called.