Students Launch Hackathon to Cross Disciplines and Engage Non-Techies

“We’re inviting people from different fields to come and do problem solving together,” says Hampshire student Nirman Dave.

Tech students will be key participants, but the event welcomes others interested in art, design, and fabrication. Technophiles and technophobes alike will attempt to create beautiful tech together. Student teams of up to four from Hampshire, the Five Colleges and beyond will tackle problems related to environmental sustainability, the brain and development, life hacks, artificial intelligence, and other themes determined in part by sponsoring companies. Dave says the approach embodies the spirit of Hampshire.

“We’ll have all the resources students will need to create with,” he says. The bulk of the activities will be based in Franklin Patterson Hall, but students will also have access to the Center for Design’s machine shop and design lab. Faculty and staff will serve as mentors.

Hamp Hack is registered as an official Major League Hacking event, which ensures that resources such as Oculus virtual-reality devices, Pebble Smart Watches, Leap Motion computer controllers, and Mindwave Neurosky brainwave-reading headsets will be available for participants. The event has also received support from Hampshire’s Office of the President, and event organizers are now contacting sponsors.

“We hope some of the student teams will be able to develop their product further using funding from prizes,” says Dave. “It’s a great way for students to push themselves, learn new ideas, and form bonds with people they might not otherwise have met.”

Learn more and register for Hamp Hack.