Mission Accomplished: Students Successfully Hack Machine Data

For the third time, the WEISS Technology Foundation has organized the WEISS Hackathon, in which students prove both their programming skills and creativity. This year, from September 19–21, a total of 30 participants developed innovative solutions for using machine data. The team from coding school 42 and the Heilbronn University of Applied Sciences won the challenge this year. They programmed a highly functional mobile app and presented a marketing plan for it.

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This year’s hackathon focused on one of the major topics in manufacturing: how to use machine data. Through WEISS Hackathon Vol. 03, the WEISS Technology Foundation enabled students to tackle the topic with an eye on applications within 48 hours. Thirty students accepted the challenge, working with the intensive support of experts from WEISS and Bosch Rexroth.

The eight teams were not given any specifications on how to capture the condition data of the machines. According to Uwe Weiss, the patron and host of WEISS Hackathon Vol. 03, “a range of solutions that all had specific benefits and convincing aspects emerged.” The jury that evaluated the teams based on their technical solutions, team cohesion and division of labor was also impressed by the students’ creativity and enthusiasm. Some teams were so inspired by the task that, as WEISS reported, they “hacked through the night.”

The team from coding school 42 and the Heilbronn University of Applied Sciences convinced the jury with a live demo on September 21, the last day. The highlight of their mobile app is that when discrepancies are detected, the app sends push notifications in real time with prompts for action. The team also created an impressively well-designed marketing model and strategic approach to expanding the app with a planning preview. For its outstanding performance, the winning team received a prize of €1,000. Both the 2nd-place team from the Technical University of Darmstadt and DHBW Mannheim and the 3rd-place team from the Mannheim University of Applied Sciences and TH Köln were rewarded for their innovative solutions.

Alongside the presented solutions and the “inspiring people” who participated, the organizers were very impressed by the positive atmosphere in and among the teams. “It is remarkable how such close collaboration and a feeling of community can emerge during a competition,” said Uwe Weiss in praise of the participants on the last day.

WEISS Hackathon Vol. 03 was a complete success and demonstrated the potential and innovative power of the students. The next event of this kind will take place in September 2024.