The University of Windsor is launching the 2nd annual WinHacks, one of #YQG’s most successful tech events! Building upon the milestones of last year’s inaugural event, WinHacks 2021 will bring together students from all accross Southwestern Ontario and the world.
WinHacks 2020 was Windsor’s first digital hackathon and helped to set the standard for what virtual hackathons can be. This year, we're aiming to once again contribute to unlocking the potential of our future programmers, hackers, and designers so that we can all make a difference.
WinHacks 2021 will be hosted on our public discord server - join up to get in on the action: http://discord.winhacks.ca/
Prizes
$CAD76,460 in prizes
People's Choice
(3)
Vote for your favourite project here on Discord. The first-place team will get $1200 CAD, second place will get $800 CAD, and third place will get $400 CAD!
Most Launchable
The St. Clair College Genesis Entrepreneurship & Innovation Centre will be offering a $1,000 cash prize to the “Most Launchable Hack” that could most easily go right to start-up.
[https://genesis.stclaircollege.ca/]
Totally Not Twitter
(2)
Create a clone of Twitter from scratch using Ruby on Rails. This project should demonstrate your ability to learn to use Ruby on Rails, as well as basic web fundamentals.
Show off your skills with HTML, JavaScript, Ruby on Rails, CSS and more!
Maximum team size of 1. The student will be given the opportunity to work at PepCorp as a full time employee on a 4 month paid internship. The total value for this is $10,000.
In the event that the first place student cannot accept the position, an alternate prize of $1500 will be awarded and another student will receive the paid internship.
[http://www.pepcorp.ca/]
Best Business Idea
(2)
EPICentre will be offering a spot at the RBC EPIC Founders Program, which is an intensive 12-week accelerator program for students and recent graduates aspiring to launch a business. Hackers should include a completed business model canvas with their submission.
The winning team will receive a stipend of up to $6,000 per venture team to discover their entrepreneurial dreams.
Eligibility requirements apply: https://www.epicentreuwindsor.ca/epic-founders-program/
Pattern Completion App
Splice Digital (https://splicedigital.com/) is looking for a person to create an algorithm that can autocomplete row labeling for greenhouses. The algorithm should be able to analyze a small set of inputs, determine if a pattern is being used, and create new inputs based on continuing that pattern.
The first-place team will get $800 CAD, second place will get $400 CAD, and third place will get $200 CAD. A student from Ontario may be selected for an interview with Splice Digital.
[https://splicedigital.com/]
Beach Tally App
Count the number of people at your local beach! Create a webapp that can take crowdsourced photos of beachgoers and count the number of people in the image. This data is part of a Citizen Science project and will be used to help scientists conduct research.
Maximum team size of 2. Student eligible to work in Canada can win a summer research position estimated $2000 (per student on the winning team).
In the event that the first place student cannot accept the position, an alternate prize of $1000 per student will be awarded and another student will receive the summer research position.
[https://www.uwindsor.ca/science/]
Best Unfinished Hack
Don't forget to submit! We'll be giving away a prize to the BEST unfinished hack. All you need to do to be eligible for this prize is submit your work before the deadline and your team could win $400 CAD.
Data Analytics for Health Science
(3)
NUCLEUS is a research network that connects researchers with the tools they need to conduct health research. These resources are spread out among different members and a solution is needed to gather data on their usage. The goal of this challenge is to create an application that collects research metrics from each facility and stores it in a database. Data should be readily accessible to everyone.
The first-place team will get $800 CAD, second place will get $400 CAD, and third place will get $200 CAD! If a team is passionate to continue this project, you will be connected with NUCLEUS for a potential volunteer position.
[https://www.wesparkhealth.com/]
Best UI/UX Design
Win a Sketch License [https://www.sketch.com/] (valued at $125), 1 year of Axure "Teams" [https://www.axure.com/] (valued at $640), and $1,000 in Bubble credits [https://bubble.io/] for each member of the winning team.
VR Design Challenge
(2)
Your challenge is to design and create a new; forward-thinking, innovative “tunnel bus” with the focus on autonomous innovation. Your Autonomous Shuttle should be designed for the future while still blending with the present.
Each member of the team that places first will recieve a $500 Gift Card (to either Steam or Amazon) and a IGDA Membership.
[https://www.wavin.ca/vr-cave.html]
Agriculture Business Directory
(3)
As WaveDirect continues to grow and expand on its mission to provide internet for everyone, we need to obtain a better understanding of the potential customers in our own backyard, particularly members of our agricultural communities. The geographic area which covers a vast terrain from Chatham-Kent down to Windsor-Essex and including Leamington is home to many agriculture-based businesses and greenhouses. We seek to better understand them through a convenient web-based dashboard which aggregates information regarding the agriculture and greenhouse businesses in the region (Chatham-Kent to Windsor-Essex inclusive) and provides key information.
The first-place team will get $1200 CAD, second place will get $800 CAD, and third place will get $400 CAD. Sponsored by WaveDirect [https://www.wavedirect.net/]
Local Vendor Search Engine
(3)
To create an application that summarizes the local vendors (by distance) that are providing take out or curbside pickup.
This application will provide operating hours, contact info, menu/specials available, prices.
- Ability to search within a specific postal code and distance.
- This app will not include chain restaurants/stores.
- Ability to filter based on different categories
- Web App that is mobile friendly
The first place team will win $1000 cash and Rocket Innovation swag bundles. Sponsored by Rocket Innovation [https://rocketinnovationstudio.ca/]
Best Domain Registered with Domain.com
Register a .tech, .space, or .online domain name using Domain.com during the weekend. Each team may submit one entry per person on the team. Each winning team member will receive a PowerSquare Qi Wireless Phone Charger & Domain.com Backpack.
Winner receives a PowerSquare Qi Wireless Phone Charger & Domain.com Backpack. Sponsored by MLH [https://mlh.io/]
Best use of Google Cloud
Build your hackathon project with a suite of secure storage, powerful compute, and integrated data analytics products provided by Google Cloud. See full list of products here: g.co/cloud. Each winning team member located in the US will receive a Google Cloud Swag Bag complete with a beanie, pillow, journal, socks and lanyards. International winners will receive a Google branded Parkland backpack.
The winner receives a Google Cloud Swag Bag or Backpack. Sponsored by MLH [https://mlh.io/]
Best Hardware Hack Sponsored by Digi-Key
(2)
Using your preferred hardware or hardware emulator, build a hack for your chance to win a Grove Beginner Kit, with an embedded Arduino compatible board. 1 prize for each winning team member with 2 winning teams per event!
The winner will receive a Grove Beginner Kit. Sponsored by MLH [https://mlh.io/]
Best Use of CockroachDB
Build your hackathon project on CockroachDB's open source and indestructible SQL database. Utilize CockroachDB in your hack for a chance to win a 3D printing pen for each team member. What's more, ALL projects submitted that use CockroachDB will receive a free t-shirt!
The winner receives a 3D printing pen.Sponsored by MLH [https://mlh.io/]
St. Clair Exclusive - Most Launchable Hack Award
Each member of the winning team will receive a prize of $1000 in tuition to St. Clair college! Open to current St. Clair College Students, or those that will be entering St. Clair in Fall of 2021. [https://genesis.stclaircollege.ca/]
Virtual Society for Mental Health
An essential component of the post-secondary experience is the ability to interact with your peers. With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the isolation due to recent lockdowns is taking its toll on students’ mental health. In this challenge, we like to create a virtual society – a virtual reality experience as close to the real experience as possible. Focusing on student life, we like to re-create the after-class experience. Creativity, engagement, and interaction, as well as familiar campus places and activities, are desirable.
Design a platform that students could leverage to engage with these activities. You can either design the platform using conventional program design processes or more desirably, using the resources available to you such as free Google Cloud Credits and a free domain from Domain.com, create a prototype of this virtual society.
The winning team or individual will receive Amazon Gift Card(s) totalling a value of $1000. Sponsored by Computer Science at the University of Windsor [https://www.uwindsor.ca/science/computerscience/]
Devpost Achievements
Submitting to this hackathon could earn you:
Judges

Justin Bornais
Head Judge - WinHacks
Judging Criteria
-
Meets Challenge Requirements
Did this project meet the requirements listed in the challenge description? -
Originality
Is the project new or unique? Have you not seen this idea elsewhere? -
Design
Is the project easy to use? Does it look nice? Clean projects show the team's commitment.
Questions? Email the hackathon manager
Tell your friends
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