The University of Georgia welcomes students from grades 9-12 who are interested in engineering, technology, and practical problem solving. We invite school teams of 1-5 participants to join the Engineering Hackathon, which will take place on 1-2 August at the University of Georgia.
Engineering Hackathon
Faster ideas. Higher ambition. Stronger engineering. Build, test, and prove what your team can create.
A strong start for future builders.
During the hackathon, participants will work on real engineering challenges, develop technical and creative solutions, and present their ideas to mentors, industry experts, and the jury. The university will provide basic electronics for prototyping, while teams are also allowed to bring their own equipment to implement their ideas. The event will take place at UG School, 77a Merab Kostava St, Tbilisi 0171. Places are limited.
Prize pool
Opportunities for the strongest teams.
A cash prize to support further prototype development and team expenses.
An advanced engineering university program for talented students under the mentorship of Konstantin Kvavadze.
Official certificates for participants and teams selected by the jury.
Application deadline
31
July
Selection starts after applications close.
After the deadline, teams will pass a selection stage for the hackathon. The jury will meet each team in person, discuss the idea and motivation, and then make the final participation decision.
Judges
Organizers
Challenges
Choose an engineering topic.
Water in Hard-to-Reach Places
In many regions, access to drinking water is still a serious problem, and wells are not always applicable. For example, in Kutaisi, about 25% of people do not have access to drinking water. Your task is to build a device that can obtain water by alternative methods. You must produce 100 ml of water as proof that the device works.
Underground Object Scanning
Construction teams often struggle to locate and coordinate underground objects. Because old or inaccurate utility maps are used, underground communications are often damaged. In disasters and building collapses, scanning rubble could also save many lives. Your task is to create a device that can scan cavities up to 10 meters deep and up to 1 m^3 in size, with a theoretical explanation of how the technology could be expanded to 30 meters.
Random Number Generator
Banks and security systems face a serious problem: algorithmic number generators can sometimes be predicted or analyzed. Your task is to create a physical device whose output is impossible to predict in practice. Provide statistical data and a theoretical basis for the device assembly to prove that it works.
Electricity from the Atmosphere
The global energy crisis makes new sources of electricity increasingly important. Your task is to generate electricity using the potential difference between the atmosphere and the surface of the Earth. You must light a lamp as proof that the system works.
Cargo Delivery to Remote Areas
Delivering cargo to distant and hard-to-reach places, such as mountains and gorges, is often difficult, expensive, or impractical by helicopter. Your task is to design a non-flying transport vehicle that can overcome difficult obstacles while carrying cargo and can also determine cargo characteristics remotely.
Water Leak Detection
In Tbilisi and Kutaisi, up to 40% of drinking water is lost because of leaks in underground pipes. Random excavation is expensive and slow. Your task is to create a device that detects the location of a leak in an underground pipe. As proof of functionality, it must find a simulated leak at a test site. The method must be theoretically justified, using acoustics, ground-penetrating radar, vibration analysis, or another approach, and you must explain how it can be adapted for plastic pipes.
Schedule
Two-day event plan.
01.08.2026
8:00-9:00
Participation confirmation and team registration
9:00-9:30
Welcome speech, rules overview, topic announcement
9:30-9:45
Participant questions
9:45-10:00
Teams move to assigned rooms
10:00
Hackathon starts
11:00-15:00
Working session
15:00-15:30
Lunch
17:00-22:00
Working session
22:00-8:00
Break, participants leave the working space
02.08.2026
8:00-15:00
Working session
15:00
Final deadline to send project videos for evaluation
15:00-19:00
Free time to finish the work
19:00-19:30
Evaluation
19:30-20:00
Final awards ceremony