HACKATHON

This hackathon is designed for young researchers who work with sensors, materials, devices, data, or biological, chemical, or physical measurement systems, but may not usually build complete sensor products.   You do not need to be an expert in Arduino, AI, embedded systems, or commercial sensors. We provide how-to guides, working code snippets, calibration examples, and team support. ​ You are starting a master’s thesis, PhD, postdoc, or early research role. You work in or around sensor science and sensing technologies. You want practical exposure to real-world sensor systems. You enjoy learning with people from other disciplines. You want to meet peers before the Eurosensors conference begins.

The challenge is built so that nobody needs to arrive as an expert in every tool. Teams will be interdisciplinary, and each team receives practical starting material: sensor connection guides, Arduino snippets, Python scripts, AI and machine learning modules, calibration examples, and clear challenge goals. ​ The idea is simple: reduce the knowledge gap, keep the atmosphere relaxed, and make it easy to start building from the first day.

Your team will design a smart immobilizer concept for shared scooters. The system should detect unsafe use before the ride begins or while risky behavior emerges: alcohol in breath, missing helmet, multiple passengers, wild maneuvers, life presence, or unauthorized use. ​​ Vision & Biometrics Work with camera-based detection for helmet use, single or multiple passengers, authorized users, and different lighting conditions. ​ Breath & Gas Sensing Explore ethanol detection in breath, sensor calibration, and interference from humidity and CO2 using real gas-sensing hardware. ​ Motion & Physical Sensing Use physical sensors to detect behavior, movement, wild maneuvers, and signals that help decide whether a scooter ride is safe.

Connect commercial sensors to embedded hardware. Run provided Arduino and Python examples. Acquire and process real sensor signals. Calibrate sensors and test them under realistic conditions. Use AI and train machine learning modules for smart decision making. Combine sensing, logic, and feedback into a working demo. Present your prototype and explain your design choices.

Sensor Integration Learn how cameras, gas sensors, and physical sensors interface with embedded hardware and software. ​​ Real-Time Data Acquire signals, process quantitative sensor data, and understand how real-time sensing systems behave. ​ AI-Assisted Decisions Apply object detection, face recognition, and simple decision-making algorithms to a practical safety challenge. ​​ Calibration & Robustness Explore sensor calibration, cross-interference, changing conditions, and the messy reality of moving from lab ideas to working systems.

The weekend is designed to be relaxed, collaborative, and social. You will work with researchers from different fields, share meals, solve problems together, and arrive at Eurosensors already knowing a group of peers. ​ For many young researchers, this is a chance to try something different from daily lab research: not developing a sensor from scratch, but using commercial sensors and technologies to build a complete real-world system. ​ What’s Included Food and drinks during the weekend. Mentoring and technical support. Company and technology presentations. A chance to demo your work during Eurosensors 2026. ​​ Guided, Gamified, And Friendly ​​ The hackathon combines open teamwork with structured support. Teams will unlock useful resources, make design choices, test their ideas, and collect points as they progress through the challenge. The goal is not only to compete. It is to learn, experiment, collaborate, and build confidence with technologies that may be outside your usual research routine. ​ ​The Weekend Flow ​​ Saturday ​​ We start around noon with reception, lunch, introductions, technical briefings, team setup, and Q&A. The afternoon and evening are for guided building, testing, iteration, food, drinks, and autonomous team work. ​ Sunday ​​ Sunday picks up where Saturday ended, with the teams continuing their autonomous work towards the goals of the Hackathon. By the afternoon, teams will focus on preparing the demo, and presenting it, which will be followed by evaluation and feedback. The winning team will be announced during the Gala on the second night of the Conference (Tuesday).​​​​

Do I need Arduino or embedded systems experience? No. Some experience is useful, but not required. We provide starter code, how-to guides, and team support so you can get running quickly. Do I need AI or machine learning experience? No. AI and machine learning modules will be provided as starting points. You can use them, adapt them, or focus on another part of the system. Can I join alone? Yes. The hackathon is designed for interdisciplinary team formation, so individual participants are welcome. You will be integrated into a team by the organization. When will I know my team? The teams will be made by the organization, prioritizing interdisciplinary distribution. You will receive an email with your teammates’ contact information a few weeks before the event. Is this only for engineers? No. We welcome young researchers from physics, chemistry, materials science, biology, engineering, and related fields connected to sensors and sensing. What should I bring? Bring your laptop, curiosity, and willingness to work with people from other disciplines. The core sensors, hardware, and starting materials will be provided.   Are food and drinks included? Yes. Food and drinks will be provided during the hackathon weekend.