Hactivate (24 Hour Predictive Systems Hackathon)

Guidelines:

• Eligibility: Open to students interested in electronics, embedded systems, IoT, hardware development, software development, AI/ML, data science, automation, and related engineering disciplines.
• Team Size: Each team must consist of 2–4 members.
• Inter-College Teams: Inter-college teams are allowed, subject to registration and organizer approval.
• Inter-Specialization Teams: Inter-specialization/branch teams are allowed and encouraged. Students from Electronics, Electrical, Computer Science, Mechanical, AI/ML, and other relevant disciplines may participate together.
• Event Type: 24-hour overnight Predictive Systems Hackathon.
• Number of Problem Statements: Teams will work on one primary predictive-system challenge, developing a complete hardware and software solution around a real-world prediction problem.
• Theme: Predictive Systems — solutions should sense real-world data and use it to predict an outcome, anomaly, failure, demand shift, early warning, or similar event.
• Duration: 24 hours.
• Development Process: Teams will progress through ideation, system/circuit design, simulation, component procurement, hardware assembly, sensor integration, and development of predictive logic.
• Components: Components will be sourced through the designated on-site component stall/partner.
• Hardware Requirement: The solution must include a functional hardware component capable of sensing relevant real-world data.
• Software Requirement: Teams must develop the software/predictive layer required to process the collected data and generate meaningful predictions.
• Mentorship: Mentors will be available throughout the event, including during the overnight development period.
• Final Demonstration: Every team must present a working system live before the judges. The system must power on and demonstrate its intended functionality.
• Evaluation: Teams may be evaluated on problem understanding, system design, hardware implementation, sensor integration, predictive capability, functionality, innovation, reliability, and quality of the live demonstration.
• Registration: Registration requires organizer approval. The registration fee is ₹200 per team, paid online by the team lead.
• Venue: Ramaiah Technology Campus, Bengaluru.
• Event Dates: 14–16 October 2026. Hacktivate runs as an overnight event according to the official Pravrutti schedule.
• Prizes: 1st – ₹20,000; 2nd – ₹15,000; 3rd – ₹10,000.

Rules:

• Each team must consist of 2–4 registered members.
• Teams must develop a working system related to the Predictive Systems theme.
• The proposed system should collect or sense relevant real-world data and use that data to generate a prediction, anomaly detection, early warning, or other meaningful predictive output.
• Teams must develop their solution during the official 24-hour hackathon period.
• Teams must complete the complete development cycle, including system design, hardware integration, software development, and predictive logic, within the allotted time.
• Teams must use only components and resources permitted by the organizers.
• Components required for the hardware build must be sourced through the designated on-site procurement facility/partner where applicable.
• Teams may use appropriate programming languages, development platforms, libraries, frameworks, simulation tools, and AI/ML techniques unless restricted by the official rulebook.
• Any third-party libraries, datasets, APIs, models, or other resources used must comply with their applicable licenses and usage conditions.
• The submitted system must contain a functional hardware and software component relevant to the proposed predictive application.
• Teams must ensure that sensors are properly integrated and that collected data is meaningfully used by the predictive system.
• The final system must be capable of powering on and performing its intended function during the live demonstration.
• A presentation or concept without a functioning system will not be considered a complete submission.
• Teams must submit and demonstrate their working system within the official deadline.
• Late submissions may be subject to penalties or rejection at the discretion of the organizers.
• Teams must not receive unauthorized technical assistance from other participating teams.
• Teams must not copy another team's project, code, circuit design, or implementation.
• Plagiarism, fabrication of results, manipulation of demonstration data, or any other unfair practice may result in disqualification.
• Participants must not intentionally interfere with another team's hardware, software, components, workspace, or development environment.
• Participants must follow all electrical, hardware, laboratory, and venue safety instructions throughout the event.
• Any unsafe use of electrical components, power supplies, tools, soldering equipment, or other hardware may result in removal from the activity.
• Teams are responsible for maintaining backups of their source code, design files, simulation files, and other project data.
• Any intentional damage to event equipment, venue property, or supplied components may result in penalties and/or recovery of the associated cost.
• Participants must maintain proper conduct toward organizers, mentors, judges, volunteers, sponsors, and other teams.
• Teams must be prepared to explain their problem statement, system architecture, sensor selection, predictive methodology, implementation, and results during judging.
• Judges may evaluate the project based on functionality, technical implementation, predictive performance, innovation, reliability, system integration, and live demonstration.
• In case of a tie, the organizers may use additional technical evaluation, predictive performance, system reliability, or a tie-breaker demonstration.
• The judges' decision regarding evaluation, penalties, qualification, and final results will be final and binding.
• The organizers reserve the right to modify the event procedure when required for safety, technical, or operational reasons.

Event Format:

Team Size: 2–4 members Duration: 24 hours

Event Type: Predictive Systems Hardware + Software Hackathon

Challenge Flow:

Ideation: Teams identify a real-world problem where sensing and prediction can provide a useful solution.

System & Circuit Design: Teams design the hardware architecture, select sensors and components, and simulate the proposed system where required.

Component Procurement: Required components are sourced through the designated on-site component stall/partner.

Hardware Development: Teams assemble the hardware, integrate sensors, and establish reliable data acquisition.

Predictive System Development: Teams build the software and predictive logic that processes the sensed data and produces a useful prediction, anomaly detection, failure warning, or similar output.

Integration & Testing: The hardware and software components are integrated into one functional system and tested.

Live Demonstration: At the end of the 24-hour challenge, every team must demonstrate its working system live. The system must power on and perform in front of the judges.

Evaluation Areas:

• Problem relevance
• Hardware design
• Sensor integration
• Software implementation
• Predictive capability
• System reliability
• Innovation
• End-to-end functionality
• Live demonstration

Venue: Ramaiah Technology Campus, Bengaluru

Registration Fee: ₹200 per team Prizes: ₹20,000 (1st) | ₹15,000 (2nd) | ₹10,000 (3rd)