Hackathon Summary
JAMHacks 8, held at the University of Waterloo, brought together high school developers who crafted 40 projects during the 36-hour event from June 7 to June 9. The hackathon aimed to make the tech community more accessible for high school students, offering various in-person workshops and activities at the E7 building. It showcased innovative projects across categories such as Best Beginner Hack, Best Hardware Hack, and Best Blockchain Hack, promoting technical creativity and skill development.
Notable awards included Instax Mini Film Cameras and Mini Speakers for first-place winners, while others received prizes like Arduino Kits and Keychron Keyboards. Specialized tracks, such as the Adobe Express challenge, spurred creative extensions, while workshops on tools like MATLAB and TinyMCE facilitated learning. Recognizing both creative and technical excellence, the event included awards for innovations in areas like blockchain with Starknet. The hackathon effectively fostered new skills, ideas, and connections, culminating in diverse technological advances across different interests.
Hackathon Winners
Overall Top Prize Winners
- TouchUp: Converts standard devices to touch-screen using Holo-Touch technology and AI models for hand gesture control. It leverages MediaPipe, OpenCV, and Pynput.
- Signematic: Provides real-time sign language translation for media, enhancing accessibility through machine learning and gesture models, using Beautiful Soup, Three.js, and Node.js.
- FITRIS: Integrates fitness with gaming, using OpenCV to convert exercise movements into Tetris controls, built with a Flask backend and React JS frontend.
Hardware Track Prize Winner
- BioTron: An automated plant-watering system utilizing AI and TCP/IP protocols for efficient plant maintenance, designed with self-watering planters and hot-swappable modules.
Beginner Track Prize Winner
- gnome biome: A wellness site aiding stress management with AI gnome advice, incorporating TinyMCE for note-taking and emotional tracking with a mood calendar.
Solo Developer Track Prize Winner
- Dreamweaver: A game that explores dream intervention where players influence dream events using foresight functionality.
Marketing Track Prize Winner
- Geese S.H.E.E.T.: Detects geese droppings via a shirt-attached IP camera, employing Python scripts using Roboflow and Fusion for model training.
Game Development Track Prize Winner
- Mind-Mart: An educative game enhancing mental health awareness, utilizing engaging game mechanics to portray condition-related scenarios.
Blockchain Track Prize Winner
- Doctors On Dial: A blockchain-based platform for secure, efficient medical data transfer, using MatLabs, NEAR, and JavaScript, including AI analysis for cancer detection.
Best Use of Near Protocol Prize Winner
- YapChain: A decentralized social media platform on NEAR designed for secure, anonymous data management, offering unique user experiences with blockchain integration.
Best Warp/Dev Tool Prize Winner
- GripGuardian: An ergonomic mouse that provides hand health analytics through sensors, offering real-time posture feedback via a comprehensive web application.
Best Use of TinyMCE Prize Winner
- MemorEase: Enhances social connections for those with dementia through digital visualization of memory journals, utilizing the OpenAI API and vis.js for visual graphing.
Best Use of Adobe API Prize Winner
Best Use of Starknet Prize Winner
- UNiDLoan: A blockchain application connecting students with investors for research loans, using Next.js, MongoDB, and NEAR tokens for secure transactions.
Best Use of MATLAB Prize Winner
- AnyJAMS: Karaoke with real-time instrument performance evaluation using Flask and MATLAB, providing performance feedback through advanced algorithms like xcorr.
To view all the innovative projects from JAMHacks 8, visit the official page.
About the Organizer
JAMHacks
JAMHacks is a proactive organization focused on fostering innovation among high school students through hands-on technology projects. With a commitment to inclusivity and skill-building, JAMHacks hosts events where over 200 students collaborate on creative technological solutions. By offering workshops and mentorship, the organization empowers participants to concentrate on project development, emphasizing learning, connection, and innovation. JAMHacks continues to nurture young talent, preparing them for future success in technology. For more information, visit their website at jamhacks.ca.