HACK.COMS is a 24-hour hackathon hosted by the Computer Organization for Multicultural Students (COMS).
COMS is committed to building a supportive community that celebrates the talent of underrepresented students in computing.
A hackathon is a collaborative event where developers, designers, and tech enthusiasts come together to create a project within a limited time frame, typically ranging from a few hours to a few days. The focus is on creativity, innovation, and teamwork, and the end result is a functional project that is often shared and utilized in the community.
This year, alongside our traditional hackathon, we're excited to introduce a new category designed to engage non-tech students! In this track, teams will present a business proposal, and at least one member must be a business major or studying in a related field. This category is a collaboration between HACK.COMS and the Multicultural Business Association @ RIT.
Get ready for a fun-filled experience that welcomes everyone! Whether you're a seasoned developer or just starting out, our hackathon is the perfect opportunity to showcase your skills, collaborate with like-minded individuals, and have a great time!
You must REGISTER to participate in this Hackathon.
Click on this link to register.
Requirements
Participant(s) may work in teams of up to 4 members and can only submit projects that were started on Saturday, November 2nd, 2024 at 12 pm and finished on Sunday, November 3rd, 2024 at 12 pm.
The participant(s) MUST submit a Devpost for their project to be considered for judging. The final Devpost submission must be completed by 12:00 p.m. on November 3rd, 2024. Participant(s) will present their projects in front of a panel of judges in the SHED, starting at 12:30 p.m. on November 3rd, 2024. Participant(s) will have 3 minutes to present and answer questions about their project.
SOFT DEADLINE:
To be considered for any category, participant(s) must submit a Devpost submission with the project name, the categories they will be competing for, and the table number they are at by 9:00 a.m. on November 3rd, 2024.
HARD DEADLINE:
All participant(s) MUST stop working on their projects on 11/3 at 12:00 pm. Participant(s) must submit their Devpost submissions by then. The submission should include a filled out Devpost, all the team participants, the table number, the categories the team is competing for, and link(s) to the code/artifacts.
Prizes
Goostavo's Favorite
Best Game for QuackBox
This award showcases the most unique and fun game designed to run on Goosetavo Quillson Swanson II—a gaming console shaped like a duck, powered by a Raspberry Pi, created by COMS.
PRIZE: CanaKit Raspberry Pi 3 B+ with Clear Case and 2.5A Power Supply (MAX 4 prizes)
No Ducks Left Behind
Best Design for Accessibility
This award honors developers who prioritize accessibility in their work. It is presented to the project that exemplifies a strong commitment to inclusive design, whether by improving an existing application or crafting a brand-new solution.
*You can also submit to this prize category if you have a prototype idea or have a partially completed project.
PRIZE: Wacom Graphics Drawing Tablet (MAX 4 prizes)
First Flight
Best Beginner Hack
This award celebrates first-time hackathon participants! It is presented to the most unique, impressive, or well-developed project that showcases your creativity, talent, and willingness to learn.
PRIZE: Acer Nitro 23.8" HD Gaming Monitor (MAX 4 prizes)
Flying Solo
Best Solo Hack
This award honors a single hackathon participant who is working independently. It is presented to the most unique or impressive project that showcases your individual creativity and ingenuity.
PRIZE: Fujifilm Instax Mini 12 Instant Camera + Fuji Film (MAX 1 prize)
United We Quack
Best Underrepresented in Technology Hack
This award is presented to a project that focuses on creating a project that benefits the ALANA (African, Latin, Asian, and Native American) community. Showcase your creativity and commitment to making a positive difference!
PRIZE: JBL Clip 4 (MAX 4 prizes)
Quack for a Cause
Best Social Impact Hack
This award celebrates a project that actively seeks to create a positive change in a community. Demonstrate how your work inspires and uplifts those around you.
PRIZE: Mini Projector (MAX 4 prizes)
Corporate Code: An Entrepreneurial Challenge
This category is made in collaboration with the Multicultural Business Association club @ RIT.
This award challenges hackers to collaborate with business students to solve real-world problems. Identify a key issue, propose an original innovative solution that highlights the power of technology in driving success, and develop it. Demonstrate how your venture can adapt, innovate, and make waves in the world.
PRIZE: Sony WH-CH720N Noise Canceling Wireless Headphones (MAX 4 prizes)
[MLH] Most Creative Adobe Express Add-On
Adobe Express is an AI-first, all-in-one content creation app that makes it fast, easy and fun to design and share videos, images, PDFs, flyers, TikToks, logos and more. Best of all, it’s free to get started.
Add-ons in Adobe Express are simply extensions and integrations that are built upon very powerful APIs. These APIs provide access to the user’s document, connections to third-party tools, and so much more. You can extend the functionality of Adobe Express using add-ons to unlock new capabilities and workflows. Check out add-ons at https://hackp.ac/adobe-xp-inspo to see what other cool ideas developers have implemented!
For this hackathon, we want you to build a creative add-on for Adobe Express. Users are looking for add-ons that involve assets like stickers or icons, work with presentations and data visualization, and work in roles like marketing and e-commerce. Build an Adobe Express add-on with this tutorial https://hackp.ac/adobe-xp-tutorial this weekend for a chance to win a Wacom Wireless Drawing Tablet and JBL Go3 Speaker for you and each member of your team!
*You can also submit to this prize category if you have a prototype idea for an add-on or have a partially completed add-on. As long as you’ve built with Adobe Express, we want to see your hack!
PRIZE: Wacom Wireless Drawing Tablet & JBL Go3 Speaker (MAX 4 prizes)
[MLH] Best AI Project with Databricks Open Source
Databricks is an open analytics platform that helps you build, deploy, and maintain large scale data & AI solutions! Whether you’re working with large language models using Mosaic AI at https://docs.mosaicml.com/en/latest/, storing data with Databricks Data Lakes at https://www.databricks.com/discover/data-lakes, or deploying GenAI powered applications using MLflow at https://mlflow.org/, Databricks Open Source software has the tools you need to make your hackathon project state of the art. Build an AI powered project utilizing Databricks Open Source projects like the ones mentioned, or Databricks friendly Open Source projects like LanceDB and Llama Index, for a chance to win some amazing prizes for you and your teammates!
PRIZE: Assorted Lego Sets (MAX 4 prizes)
[MLH] Best DEI Hack sponsored by Fidelity
At Fidelity, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are viewed as major keys to the success of their business, which is why they are challenging you to come up with innovative ways to create forward-thinking financial tech that promotes equality for all people! We want you to use your hacking skills to find and build solutions that put financial opportunities and resources within reach for all communities, creating accessible, sustainable, and/or inclusive solutions.
PRIZE: Fidelity Branded Wireless Charger (MAX 4 prizes)
[MLH] Best Domain Name from GoDaddy Registry
GoDaddy Registry is giving you everything you need to be the best hacker no matter where you are. Register your domain name with GoDaddy Registry for a chance to win a Hack from Home Kit!
PRIZE: Hack from Home Kit: Each Kit contains wireless earbuds, blue light glasses, selfie ring light and a pouch for easy transport. (MAX 4 prizes)
Devpost Achievements
Submitting to this hackathon could earn you:
Judges
A qualified panel of judges
Judging Criteria
-
Judges make the final decision.
This will be updated with a rubric closer to the hackathon.
Questions? Email the hackathon manager
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