Minihackathon 2024
Official Rules and
Regulations
SPONSOR
These are the Official Rules ("Rules") that govern how the Mini hackathon 2024 competition operates (the "Competition"). MS Club of SLIIT, Faculty of Computing, Sri Lanka institute of Information technology is the competition sponsor ("Sponsor").
DEFINITIONS
In these rules, "MS Club of SLIIT", "We", "Our" and "Us" refers to the competition sponsor, and "You" and "Yourself" refers to an eligible entrant.
OVERVIEW
The mini hackathon is a skill-based competition open to year 1st year, 2nd year and 3rd year 1st semester, students of the Sri Lanka Institute of Information technology following an undergraduate degree program. Mini hackathon competition seeks to honor the most innovative, accessible, ground-breaking, and appealing software built to change the world and empower youth.
ENTRY PERIOD
The entry period for the competition starts at 00.01 Colombo Local Time(GMT+5.30) on 16th August 2024 and ends on 25th August 2024 ("Entry period"). Following the entry, selected teams will advance to the preceding rounds.
| Round | Mode | Start Date | End Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Round 1 | Virtual | 16th August 2024 | 25th August 2024 |
| Round 2 | Virtual | 13th September 2024 | 16th September 2024 |
| Round 3 | Virtual | 27th September 2024 | 27th September 2024 |
Note: Above dates can be changed based on the situation of the country.
ELIGIBILITY
You are eligible to enter if you meet the following requirements below at the time of entry. For purposes of this Competition, "time of entry" is defined as the most recent date you have submitted an entry into a specific round.
- You are at least 16 years of age as of 16th August 2024 and are actively enrolled as a student following an undergraduate degree program at Srilanka Institute of Information Technology.
- You have not used paid employee's assistance in creating the mini hackathon entry deliverables.
- You are not actively enrolled in any administration role of this competition.
- You have not utilized any other competitors IPOs without their permission.
- You have not used any stolen/unauthorized resources in creating the deliverables for the competition.
If you have previously competed in Minihackathon competition, you are eligible to enter but any preceding entry submitted must be substantially new, unique and different from the previous entry.
TEAM FORMATION
Three(3) members or four(4) members may submit a single entry as a team. It is recommended that each team carries members from diverse disciplines.
- The formation of teams between undergraduates following different degree programs or different faculties is allowed.
- Each competitor may only belong to one team
- Each Team is solely responsible for its own cooperation and teamwork. In no event will the Sponsor officiate in any dispute regarding the conduct or cooperation of any Team or its members.
- Only one member is required to register their team.
HOW TO ENTER
To enter round 1 of the competition, visit http:/minihackathon.msclubsliit.org and register as instructed.
- You may only submit one (1) entry per round and only the first submission is counted while preceding submissions are discarded.
- We will disqualify any incomplete or illegible entries that we receive. We are not responsible for entries that we do not receive for any reason, or for entries that we receive but are not decipherable for any reason.
If at any time during the Competition, you become ineligible after you've submitted an entry, you should proactively remove yourself and your team from any communication media including Whatsapp groups and teams channel.
COMPETITION ROUND DETAILS
Below is the overview of the specifications under each round of the competition.
Round 1 (Virtual)
The MiniHackathon competition gives students a chance to pitch their technology project and provide a project plan to be screened and evaluated by a panel of judges. In round 1 there are following competition categories to compete as,
1. Internet of Things (IoT) Solutions
- Smart home automation
- Environmental monitoring
- Connected healthcare devices
- Industrial IoT applications
- Wearable technology
2. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML)
- Natural language processing applications
- Computer vision and image recognition
- Predictive analytics and data-driven solutions
- Chatbots and virtual assistants
- AI-powered automation
3. Blockchain and Decentralized Applications
- Supply chain transparency and traceability
- Digital identity and authentication systems
- Smart contracts and decentralized finance (DeFi)
- Voting and governance solutions
- Asset tokenization
4. Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR)
- Immersive gaming experience
- Virtual training and simulations
- AR/VR for education and remote collaboration
- Virtual tours and 360-degree experiences
- AR/VR for marketing and advertising
5. Fintech and Payment Solutions
- Peer-to-peer payment platforms
- Budgeting and personal finance management
- Micro-investing and wealth management
- Financial literacy and education tools
- Open banking and financial APIs
6. E-commerce and Retail Innovations
- Personalized shopping experiences
- Augmented reality product visualization
- Inventory management and logistics optimization
- Social commerce and influencer marketing
- Customer engagement and loyalty solutions
7. Health and Wellness Technologies
- Fitness tracking and personalized health apps
- Mental health and well-being support
- Remote patient monitoring and telehealth
- Health data analytics and insights
- AI-assisted diagnostics and disease prevention
8. Urban Planning and Design
- Sustainable city development
- Smart infrastructure solutions
- Public space design and management
- Transportation systems optimization
- Urban regeneration projects
9. Social Entrepreneurship and Impact Investing
- Innovative business models for social good
- Impact measurement and reporting
- Sustainable supply chain solutions
- Access to essential services in underserved areas
- Microfinance and financial inclusion
10. Digital Ethics and Privacy
- Data privacy regulations and frameworks
- Ethical considerations in AI and automation
- Algorithmic transparency and accountability
- Digital rights and user empowerment
- Privacy-preserving technologies
11. Future of Work
- Remote work and digital nomadism
- Gig economy and freelancing platforms
- Upskilling and reskilling initiatives
- Work-life balance and well-being
- Collaboration tools and virtual teams
12. Sustainable Fashion and Textiles
- Circular fashion models
- Ethical sourcing and supply chains
- Textile recycling and upcycling
- Slow fashion and conscious consumerism
- Innovation in sustainable materials
13. Renewable Technologies for Rural Areas
- Off-grid renewable energy solutions
- Clean cooking technologies
- Water purification and sanitation systems
- Agricultural innovations for rural communities
- Digital connectivity and access to information
14. Disaster Preparedness and Resilience
- Early warning systems for natural disasters
- Community-based disaster response initiatives
- Resilient infrastructure and building design
- Climate risk assessment and adaptation strategies
- Disaster recovery and post-disaster rebuilding efforts
15. Applications related to Cyber Security
- Early warning systems for cyber threats
- Community-based cyber security initiatives
- Resilient infrastructure and security design
- Risk assessment and adaptation strategies
- Disaster recovery and post-cyber-attack rebuilding efforts
- Project Proposal: This should be a Microsoft word document or a PDF document no longer than 10 pages(Excluding the report format such as table of content and figure panels) which explains your project and what is the solution that your team is trying to tackle, who your project is for and how you will you bring your project to the market from a technological standpoint.
- Presentation Video: 5 min presentation (a demo video if required) presenting your solution.( PowerPoint or Google Slides can use for presentation slides ).
- Software (optional): Usable software if there is any.
- Software Instructions (optional): Instruction on how to use the software if there is one.
- Prototype (optional): Adobe XD or Figma prototype created demonstrating the software
Round 1 Advancement:
All the submissions will be evaluated by Microsoft gold ambassadors and will be marked according to the criteria provided.
Top 20 teams spanning across all criteria with the highest cumulative mark will be advancing to the next round.
Round 2 (Virtual)
All teams advancing to the second round will be invited to do live presentations. A mentor will be assigned to each team to help with their proceedings and fine tune their solution. The round 2 competitors must have the following material.
- Project Proposal: This should be a Microsoft word document or a PDF document no longer than 10 pages(Excluding the report format such as table of content and figure panels) which explains your project and what is the solution that your team is trying to tackle, who your project is for and how you will you bring your project to the market from a technological standpoint.
- Live Presentation: 10 min presentation of your project to be presented in front of a panel. The team should explain your project and the material required can be prepared prior to the presentation. Following the presentation the teams are required to face a Question round (1 min).
- Prototype: Adobe XD or Figma prototype created demonstrating the software.
- Software (optional): Usable software if there is any.
- Software Instructions (optional): Instruction on how to use the software if there is one.
Round 2 Advancement:
All the submissions will be evaluated by an expert judge panel and will be marked according to the criteria provided.
Top 10 teams spanning across all criteria with the highest cumulative mark will be advancing to the next round.
Round 3 (Physical)
All teams advancing to round 3 will be invited to take part in the physical event at Srilanka Institute of Information Technology Campus , Malabe. The teams advancing will be presenting in front of an expert panel of judges. The criterions will be different in the final round.
The contestants cannot prepare any prior material and are required to provide the solution for a topic that is given at the day of the competition. The categories will be chosen randomly and the solutions must be innovative. After the topics are selected, the contestants will be given 5h to come up with an innovative solution and create the material required to present in front of an expert panel of judges.
- Live Presentation: 10 min presentation of your solutions for the provided problem to be presented in front of the panel. The team should explain their solution, the commercialization aspect and how important the solution is and how it differs from the existing solutions. Following the presentation the teams are required to face a Question round (1 min).
- Prototype: Adobe XD or Figma prototype created demonstrating the software.
Winners will be selected based on the cumulative score provided by the expert panel of judges.
PRIZES
All teams that advance to the final round will be provided with, Printed Certificates and Swags!
3rd place:The team that is placed 3rd at the Minihackathon 2024 competition will be provided with, Cash Prize: 15,000 LKR
2nd place:The team that is placed 2nd at the Minihackathon 2024 competition will be provided with, Cash Prize: 20,000 LKR
1st place:The team that is placed 1st at the Minihackathon 2024 competition will be provided with, Cash Prize: 30,000 LKR
Content and technical requirements
Presentation Video
The Presentation Video is a video recording of your Live Presentation and must abide by the same requirements as the Live Presentation except that there will be no questions from the judges. In addition:
- The video should be no longer than 3 minutes.
- You can use MS Powerpoint or Google Slides for presentation purposes.
- If you are utilizing a webcam for any demonstrations, make sure to do it under proper lighting conditions.
- The video should be uploaded to Microsoft streams using the SLIIT email address and the publicly accessible URL should be provided (Any submission that does not meet this criteria has the risk of being not considered).
- The video must be your own creation. You may utilize the assistance of an expert for only the video editing and exporting part. But the content of the video must be original including the voices.
Project Proposal
This is a Microsoft Word or PDF document no longer than ten pages which explains your project and your team: Who your team is; what your project does; who your project is for; what platform features your project uses; and how you will bring your project to market. It is the written equivalent of the Live Presentation in terms of the material it covers. Your Project Proposal must meet the following criteria:
- Document must be your own work.
- Document must be in the English language.
- Document must not be larger than 100MB.
- The provided format must be DOC, DOCX or PDF.
Live Presentation
The Live Presentation is a three-minute PowerPoint overview of your team and project accompanied by a live demonstration of the prototype. This presentation should explain your project and your team: Who your team is; what your project does; who your project is for; and how you will bring your project to market. The Live Presentation must meet the following criteria:
- In a semi virtual setting you are required to be present 10 minutes prior to the allocated time slot in the waiting room. Organizing team will brief you about the proceedings. Make sure to check the link provided is correct with the organizing team.
- In a physical setting, the organizing team will try their best to provide the necessary hardware for the demonstrations, but you are responsible for checking the compatibility prior to the presentation. Therefore be at the premises early and utilize the assistance provided by the organizers.
- Presentation must clearly address the judging criteria outlined.
- The accompanying PowerPoint or Google Slides must be in the English language and you must.
- Conduct your presentation in English. If a translator is needed, you are responsible for procuring one.
- Any or all of your team members may participate in the presentation, but all are not required to participate. It's permissible for a single team member to deliver the entire presentation.
Other Conditions
By entering the competition you hereby agree:
- To abide the official rules.
- That the decision of the organizing committee and the panel of judges is final.(We try to be as transparent as possible with the results).
- To not engage in any form of harassment towards the fellow participants or the organizing committee.
Marking Criteria ( Round 2 and Final Round )
The marking criteria for the competition is as follows.
| Criteria | Description |
|---|---|
| Technology |
|
| Innovation |
|
| Concept |
|
| Feasibility |
|
| Presentation |
|
| Prototyping |
|