Welcome to the IoT4Ag Undergraduate Hackathon 2025!
April 12th, 5pm - April 13th, 7pm
COB2 170
Here you'll find all the information you need to know about this year's competition.
This year we're focusing on a hackathon that emulates what it will be like working in the real world! Our judges, with 50+ years of experience will assess how well your team is able to balance technical achievement with complex system design.
You must use your UC Merced email to sign up below and be an undergraduate enrolled at UCM.
CLICK TO SIGN UP
Problem to Hack:
Problem Previews
The problems for this year's competition are as follows (problem links will be unlocked the day of the competition):
- Working with a KINOVA KORTEX Gen3 robot arm with computer-vision bracelet
- Dealing with corn satellite imagery with feature sets to predict corn yield
- Working with remote sensing hardware (thermal camera, pressure sensor, ambient temperature sensor, CO2 chamber)
Rules:
Contestants will form teams of 4. However, each contestant may only sign up with 1 other person maximum. Students may sign up alone and be placed on a team. The remaining two students will be from another group, selected at random. There may be a 5th student added to teams should all teams have 4 coders.
You may select one problem to solve, but can switch at any time. However, this is not recommended.
Ask for help! There will be grad students floating around during the competition that are available to help. While they may not have the exact answer you're looking for, they understand what the competition is judged on. They will assist and want to help!
Food will be provided through out the competition. We really encourage you to stay up hacking through the night. We will have COB2 170 for the entire time of the event. However, going home and resting up can also improve your focus.
Hardware:
Some of the problems may contain hardware. In the event you select a problem with hardware, you will first work in simulation. It's easier this way to start.
After your team has prepared something functional to test and want to see it done with hardware, let a helper know. You will be allowed 10 minute sessions on hardware at any time as long as no one else is using it. There will be a signup sheet if teams start to stack up. Start early! The longer you wait, the more people will be on hardware. I can't tell you how much like real life development this is like...
Judgement:
You will be judged mostly from your presentation. In industry development, you're often faced with presenting your work to a subset of people who are non-technical. While this doesn't mean they know nothing about the specifics of your work, they often have other interests. You must convey your message seamlessly.
The criteria for this year's competition is in three parts:
- Novelty or difficulty of technical implementation
- The simplicity of user interface
- Understanding customer needs
Prizes:
This year will feature a first place prize of $120 in Amazon gift cards to the winning team.
Second place will be $80 in Amazon gift cards.
More Info:
If you're confused about any rules or want to know more, please contact mzuzuarregui at ucmerced.edu.