Hack-O-Relay 6.0 - This Time It's Latent

Overview Hack-O-Relay 6.0 — This Time It’s Latent Organized by GDG DCE at Dronacharya College of Engineering, Hack-O-Relay 6.0 brings together student innovators to build solutions, showcase their projects, and face a panel in a Latent-style final round. Offline event dates: 23–24 October 2026Venue: Dronacharya College of EngineeringFormat: Online idea submission followed by offline prototype and final project showcases. IMPORTANT: Participants are not allowed to opt for two major events. If any student participates in two major events, the entire team will be disqualified. Eligibility and Team Formation Each team must have 3–4 members. Participants from outside the host college are welcome. Mixed teams are not allowed. Each participant may join only one team and submit one project. Every team must nominate a team leader for official communication. All members must register and complete identity verification at check-in. External participants follow the same rules and judging criteria as host-college participants. Team changes are permitted until check-in closes. Later changes require organizer approval. Hackathon Tracks Open Innovation: Healthcare, Finance, Sustainable Development, Women Tech and any other domain. Web3: Blockchain and decentralized applications. Artificial Intelligence: Agentic AI Orchestration, Generative AI and AI/ML. Choose one primary track. AI may also be used within another track. Competition Rounds Round 1 — Online Idea Submission Submit your idea and a presentation in PPT format. Both are mandatory; a supporting video is optional. Explain the problem, proposed solution, selected track, and intended impact. Submission deadline: 21 October 2026 at 12:00 AM IST—midnight at the start of 21 October. 50 teams will be shortlisted for Round 2. Round 2 — Offline Prototype Showcase | 23 October 2026 The 50 shortlisted teams will present their working prototypes at Dronacharya College of Engineering. Teams must demonstrate progress, explain their implementation, and answer the judges’ questions. 25 teams will advance to the final round. Round 3 — Final Project Showcase | 24 October 2026 The 25 finalists will showcase their complete projects. The final round will feature a Latent-style event with panelists, live interaction, and cross-questioning. Teams must explain their technical choices, project impact, limitations, and individual contributions. All panel interactions must follow the event code of conduct. Originality and Development Rules Project-specific coding, design, and implementation must begin after the official hacking start. Prior research, brainstorming, and development-tool setup are allowed. Existing libraries, frameworks, APIs, datasets, and general-purpose starter templates may be used with proper attribution. Previously completed projects, copied submissions, and projects submitted at earlier competitions are not eligible. Clearly distinguish work built during the hackathon from reused components. Maintain a Git repository or equivalent development history for verification. Technology and AI Guidelines Any suitable programming language, platform, or technology may be used. Google technologies are welcome but not mandatory. AI coding assistants and generative AI tools are allowed. Disclose significant AI assistance and third-party components in the README. Team members must understand and explain their implementation. Mentors may advise and troubleshoot but must not build the submission for a team. Do not expose API keys, passwords, or other credentials. Web3 demonstrations must use local blockchains or testnets with test assets. Do not handle real funds or request private keys or seed phrases. AI teams must disclose models, datasets, evaluation methods, and limitations. Keep agent actions within permitted demonstration environments. Respect software licences, dataset permissions, privacy, and consent. Final Submission Requirements Each finalist team must submit: Project title, primary track, and team details. Problem statement and intended users. Source repository accessible to the judges, including the final commit ID. README covering setup, features, technologies, reused components, AI use, team contributions, and known limitations. A working prototype or demonstrable implementation. Local applications are acceptable; public deployment is not mandatory. A presentation of approximately 5–7 slides. A 2–3 minute backup demo video. Check all submission links. Changes made after the deadline will not be considered unless organizers announce an equal extension for affected teams. Exact final submission and presentation times will be announced. Presentation and Judging The recommended presentation format is 5 minutes for the pitch and demonstration, followed by 3 minutes of cross-questioning. Any team member may be asked to explain their contribution. The base evaluation carries 100 marks: Problem understanding and relevance: 20 marks Originality and innovation: 20 marks Technical implementation and functionality: 30 marks Usability and accessibility: 15 marks Potential impact and feasibility: 10 marks Presentation and demonstration: 5 marks Extra marks for prompting will be announced. Teams claiming the bonus should demonstrate representative prompts, refinements, and improved outputs. The bonus cap and assessment criteria will be announced before hacking begins and applied equally across tracks. Ties will prioritize technical implementation, followed by problem relevance and panel review. Participation and Code of Conduct Bring laptops, chargers, required hardware, and valid identification. Attend scheduled briefings, mentoring checkpoints, and evaluations. Follow campus access and equipment-use instructions. Keep workspaces clean and avoid disturbing other teams. Do not access another team’s devices, accounts, repositories, or data without permission. Treat participants, volunteers, mentors, and judges respectfully. Harassment, discrimination, threats, offensive conduct, and deliberate disruption are prohibited, including in event chat groups. Plagiarism, fabricated results, impersonation, concealed prebuilt projects, sabotage, or serious misconduct may result in disqualification or removal. Report concerns privately to the faculty coordinators. Teams retain ownership of their original work, subject to applicable third-party licences. Prizes will be announced soon.