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Hackathon Insider, Part III: Inside PennApps Winter 2015 Hardware
A couple years ago, hardware at PennApps wasn’t a thing.
The Penn Architechs, a dedicated team of students from Penn’s computer engineering program, ran their own inaugural hackathon — PennHacks — in 2013. Working independently of the then fledgling, software-focused PennApps, the team brought the devices, soldering, and wires of hardware into the hackathon spotlight. Over 50 students participated and the winning hacks, ranging from a virtual window to a new, technologically-enhanced Nerf gun wars, are all pretty neat.
After 2013, the Architechs team decided to make some changes. “Last fall we realized we couldn’t operate as an independent entity,” Chris, head of the hardware team, told me. “At the end of the year we combined forces. It allows us to hand logistics over to PennApps and focus more on hardware.” A lot of the big challenges comes down to awareness and access to equipment. Being able to host hardware is a bit like running a mini-hackathon, often coming with a new set of sponsors to woo, mentors to organize, and logistical hurdles.
PennApps 2015 is right around the corner (it’s literally like 24 hours away), and the team has been working toward a couple big goals: more beginner tutorials and securing the latest hardware and cool gadgets.
“It’s all about improving the quality of the hacks,” Chris told me. And new products, ranging from the Myo armband to Oculus Rift, are blurring the line between popular software development and hardware, raising awareness for tech that’s been pretty absent from the growing hackathon scene.
Some of their new beginner initiatives include an introduction to Arduino tech talk and a focus on teaching smaller, back-to-basics hacks. “Myo/Oculus hacks has definitely made hardware a lot more approachable,” Chris said. But there’s still a lot to be learned from devices that don’t come bundled with a prepackaged API. The PennApps hardware page features everything from Parrot AR Drones to Intel Edisons to a variety of microcontrollers, platforms, and sensors.
Other hardware resources are coordinated with PennApps sponsors. Last fall’s PennApps X saw the arrival of the Atmel truck, brand-new Intel boards, and company mentors from Leap Motion, Pebble, and more. “Sponsors definitely play a bigger part in hardware than software,” Chris told me. “It’s a whole new device as opposed to an API and, looking forward, it’s good to have mentors to show off their products.”
Over the past year, the PennApps team has seen some incredible growth. “Last PennApps was our first foray into hardware, and it was a little new to people throughout the hackathon season,” Chris said. “This time it will be really cool to see what people come up with.”
The Architech’s inclusion into PennApps has been a huge success so far, with PennApps X boasting more winning hardware projects than the team has seen by far, including hack that merges Boosted Boards with Myo Armbands, a smart pin that helps you break bad habits, and a Pebble app that alerts caregivers after someone experiences a dangerous fall.
And the rest of the PennApps team agrees. “Working with the Architechs on hardware has been an absolute pleasure,” said Pranav, another PennApps exec board member.
In the end, it comes down to collaboration and finding that balance between traditional software development and new, intricate, and sometimes surprising hardware platforms. “The best hardware hacks are in between, bridging low-level hardware to create a unique product in the middle,” Chris told me and, looking forward, the team is excited to see what’s coming next.
It’s bound to be pretty amazing.
Article by Tony Mei. Hackathon Insider takes you behind the scenes of PennApps Winter 2015 and explores the innter workings of hackathon organization. Interested in more? Check out part one (Design) and part two (Mentorship)!
