About the challenge

WallyHacks is the University of Toronto Mississauga’s first hardware hackathon. This event invites UofT students of all levels to collaborate on designing and building sustainable urban solution prototypes. Participants will work in teams to create functional prototypes using microcontrollers, sensors, and other scrap building materials. This hackathon will offer an engaging space for individuals to innovate, develop, and pitch solutions to pressing urban challenges, while also fostering an inclusive, collaborative, and creative environment.

Get started

Visit https://wallyhacks.ca for the event schedule.

Requirements

What to Build

Participants will work in teams to design and build tech-driven prototypes that address urban challenges in society (e.g. urban mobility, environmental sustainability, community engagement, accessibility, or urban infrastructure). Teams will use microcontrollers like Arduino or ESP32, sensors, and recycled materials to create functional prototypes.

What to Submit

Teams must submit the following deliverables on the event’s official platform, Devpost:

  1. Project Submission: A complete upload of the project, including source code and technical documentation.
  2. Video Submission: A 2-3 minute video showcasing the project, including the problem being addressed, videos of the prototype in action, the technologies used, and the team members’ roles. The video should also highlight the impact of the project.
  3. Write-Up: A detailed write-up that includes the problem statement, solution, technical details, urban impact, and next steps/future work.
  4. Code Submission: A GitHub repository with the complete code used to build the prototype.
  5. Optional Documentation: Any additional materials such as circuit diagrams, photos, or schematics that help explain the project.

Teams will submit their work according to the event’s guidelines after the in-person portion on March 15th. The deadline for submission will be clearly communicated at the event.

Hackathon Sponsors

Prizes

$CAD 1,000 in prizes
First Place
$CAD 500 in cash
1 winner

Second Place
$CAD 300 in cash
1 winner

Third Place
$CAD 200 in cash
1 winner

Devpost Achievements

Submitting to this hackathon could earn you:

Judges

Rutwa Engineer

Rutwa Engineer
Assistant Professor, MCS @ UTM

Jasper Gerigk

Jasper Gerigk
PhD Student and Researcher @ Toronto Intelligent Systems Lab

Julian Sequeira

Julian Sequeira
Security Research & Development @ RBC and M.Sc. Candidate at Queen's University School of Computing

Damon Ma

Damon Ma
FPGA Software Engineer Intern @ Microchip

Daksh Malhotra

Daksh Malhotra
Computer Science Teaching Assistant @ UTM

Shiva Mulwani

Shiva Mulwani
Security Consultant @ FirstHx and Computer Science Teaching Assistant @ UTM

Judging Criteria

  • Technical Execution
    How well was the project designed and implemented? Are the hardware, software, and integration of components functional and efficient?
  • Innovation and Creativity
    Does the project introduce new, creative ideas or approaches to solving urban challenges?
  • Impact and Theme
    Does the project address a relevant urban issue, such as mobility, environmental sustainability, or community engagement? How feasible is it?
  • Presentation
    How well do the team members explain and present their project? Is the problem clearly defined, and is the solution presented effectively with clear visuals or demos?

Questions? Email the hackathon manager

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