Hacksummer 2026: Democratize Artificial Intelligence and build the future!

Hackestiu 2026 is a summer programming competition organized by the CHIP Chair of the Polytechnic University of Catalonia with the collaboration of Qualcomm .

The theme is free. The creativity is yours.

Calendar

How to participate

1. Form a team Each team must be made up of between 2 and 4 UPC degree students. See the rules for details.
2. Submit your proposal Fill out the application form with the following information:
   • Team compositionDescription of the project you want to developAdditional hardware you need (in addition to the Arduino Uno Q)
   Deadline: Wednesday, July 1, 2026 at 11:59 p.m.
3. Wait for confirmation. The organizers will review all proposals received and select up to 20 participating teams. You will receive confirmation by email.
4. Develop the project Once accepted, you will be given the materials and you will have the entire summer to build your project with the support of Qualcomm, Arduino and Edge Impulse.
5. Publish your project Upload your project to the Arduino Project Hub and send its URL to the organizers by Monday, September 14, 2026. Once submitted, you will not be able to modify the repository . Make sure everything is ready!
6. Present your project A jury will select the 5 best projects, which will have to make a 10-minute public presentation on Wednesday, September 23rd in the Master’s Classroom at the UPC. The audience will vote and decide the champion project.

Participation rules and requirements

Equipment

• Each team must be made up of between 2 and 4 students enrolled in a degree at the UPC in the 2026–2026 academic year.
• Priority will be given to choosing teams with students from more than one degree.

GitHub repository

The repository must be public and must include:

• The complete source code of the project (and also of any other artifacts needed for it such as 3d prints or designed PCBs)
• A presentation video between 4 and 5 minutes long that describes the project (motivation, solution, demonstration)
• A fileREADME.md clear and complete with the names and affiliations of all project members
• Sufficient documentation to understand and reproduce the project

In order to provide maximum visibility to the project, the video and project documentation must be in English.

Code of conduct

Hackestiu is a space for collaboration, learning and mutual respect. All participants commit to:

• Act with integrity. The code, ideas and contents of the project must be the work of the team. The use of external libraries, models or resources is welcome as long as they are properly attributed to the repository.
• Respect people. Respectful treatment is required between participants, organizers, Qualcom staff and jury, both in the competition’s communication channels and in-person events.
• Use the hardware responsibly . The material provided by Qualcomm is for the development of the project. The teams are responsible for it and must return it under the agreed conditions once the competition has ended.
• Accept the decisions of the jury and the organizers.

Hardware

Among other things, Qualcomm will provide each accepted team with:

• An Arduino Uno Q
• Compatible cameras
• Modulino sensors : temperature, humidity, movement, presence, light, …

If your project requires additional hardware, please specify this in your initial proposal. The organizers and Qualcomm will assess the feasibility and try to accommodate each request.

Support and resources (Pending confirmation)

Qualcomm will accompany you throughout the process. As a participant, you will have access to:

• Quickstart Webinar (even before selection)
• Qualcomm Mentors
• Technical documentation for the Arduino Uno Q and its accessories
• Seminars and training sessions
• Video conferences with Qualcomm experts
• Qualcomm Ambassador Program
• Direct communication channel with the organizers

Prizes (pending confirmation)

Pending confirmation, here are the possible ideas:

• Trophies and official recognition for the winners
• Cash prizes
• Internships at Qualcomm for members of the winning team
• Academic recognitions and participation certificates for all teams

Evaluation

Selection of the 5 finalists (Jury)

A panel of specialized judges will evaluate all submitted projects according to criteria such as learning achieved, innovation, technical quality, social impact and contribution to the democratization of AI.

Champion’s Choice (Public)

The 5 finalist teams will present their project in a session open to the entire UPC community. The audience will decide the winning project by voting.

Organizers and contact

• Jordi Petit (email: jordi.petit@upc.edu)
• Jordi Cortadella (email: jordi.cortadella@upc.edu)

Hackestiu 2026 is an initiative of the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC) and Qualcomm, promoted by the CHIP UPC Chair.

The CHIP UPC Chair (project TSI-069100-2023-0015) is funded by the Secretariat of State for Telecommunications and Digital Infrastructures of the Government of Spain and by the European Union – NextGenerationEU.