13 Interesting Ideas for Hackathons

What is Hackathon?

To answer the question of what a hackathon is, we must first look at the etymological structure of the word. This word is actually a combination of the word "hack", which means to discover or uncover, and the word "marathon", which means long work that requires patience. Hackathon is basically the name given to competitions that focus on a specific point and aim to create functional software in a certain period of time. In these competitions, you are expected to create a piece of hardware by the end of the event. This hardware should be able to solve a problem. While the focus of hackathons can vary, they usually operate in categories such as application, game development and web. Hackathons, where people from various fields come together to develop a project, are events that support new designs and research.

Examples of Hackathons

Hackathons set out in the light of a problem and aim to bring a solution to this problem within a certain period of time without taking a break. Some examples of hackathons you can find in this section may help you understand the topic better.

• Global Game Jam Online 2021: This event, which is an example of a hackathon online, is not actually a competition that aims to compete fiercely. Aiming to create more of a sharing environment, GGJ focuses on game development. In the event, which is carried out through some social media platforms, volunteers from organizations such as the International Gamification Confederation also share their experiences with young talents. Moreover, this hackathon includes not only game development but also competitions and games that provide a pleasant time together.
   
• HackSmarCity Gaziantep Smart City Hackathon: Gaziantep's first Smart City Hackathon, this event is a 3-day marathon. The hackathon project examples focusing on smart urbanism are a very nutritious example in terms of technological development. In addition, thanks to this event, successful competitors have the opportunity to evaluate their ideas on a commercial scale.
   
• Mentorloops Hackathon Event: Mentorloops Hackathon, an event organized by Mentorloops, hosted a number of high-profile projects and participants. The 1st place winners were given a great opportunity to work in the company's incubation acceleration center.

Hackathon Ideas

For those who are interested in developing new projects, hackathon ideas, which are one of the leading searches in their research, are of course the product of a long thinking process. In this section, we will cover hackathon topics that can contribute to your thinking process or inspire your already existing idea. Starting from everyday problems is a good choice for hackathons. By focusing on the common problems of humanity, you can start working on a project that can solve the problem. In addition to problems, you can design some programs, games or applications that can meet people's entertainment needs. Here are 13 interesting ideas for hackathons:

1. Virtual Entertainment Center Game: You can develop a game that allows people who avoid crowded environments due to the pandemic period to have fun at home. With the levels gained by doing various tasks in the game, various tasks such as DJ, barista or valet can be undertaken. In this center, you can design entertainment areas that can appeal to everyone and increase the realism of the environment by supporting it with 8D music.
    
2. The App that Shows You in Alternate Universes: Do you sometimes think that the world is deterministic, that it follows a certain causal chain? Or have you ever wondered what my previous decision could have changed in my life? Imagine that from the smallest change in life to the biggest one, all of them have a butterfly effect. Here, you can design an app where you can enter your past decisions in detail and show various alternative futures because the future is something that most people are definitely curious about. A system that writes alternative scenarios for your next step looks very interesting.
    
3. An App That Suggests Outfits: Choosing clothes, one of the most difficult choices, sometimes becomes a very time-consuming activity. You can develop an app where you can upload photos of the clothes you have and the app can combine them in the style you want. This way you save time and discover new ways to utilize your clothes.
    
4. A Budget-Friendly App: There are applications that show the markets where the products are sold at the most affordable prices, but it can be challenging to search them all one by one. If you enter your shopping list, you can make it possible to reach affordable shopping in a short time with an application design that shows the virtual market where the total amount will be the least. Because many people spend hours to make the most affordable shopping. You can even add a program that suggests alternatives to products.
    
5. An App that gives you the opportunity to chat with yourself: Have you ever wondered how you look from the outside? An application that allows this will attract the attention of many people. It must feel interesting that an artificial intelligence that you can enter how you will react to certain event scenarios, that you can convey your speaking style, that develops with your ideas, gradually turns into you and becomes you. The idea of simply creating a virtual clone could also be interesting for companies.
    
6. Virtual Safari Game: Imagine going on a virtual journey through real wildlife footage. But in this game it is only a matter of time before you are eaten by an animal! A simulation game supported by Google Maps will be of interest to many people. Even the imagination of it will excite adventure enthusiasts. Moreover, you can travel with other players in this game.
    
7. A Game Where You Can Lead a Country with Your Teammates: Leadership is a position that many want to experience. Imagine a country where you can choose the form of government you want and govern it accordingly. And in this game, you can be a citizen in someone else's country, a popular leader, an activist, or an activist and build your own minority!
    
8. A Frame that Captures the Moment: Many people miss the moment for the sake of capturing it. What would it be like if you had a frame in your home that periodically takes shots and you could transfer the frames you want to your phone? Imagine, thanks to this frame, many of your memories accumulate without you even realizing it.
    
9. Flower Watering Device: Another idea that you can use in the hackathon competition is a device that waters flowers. This device, which you can set on your way somewhere and mark the location of the flowers, can water your flowers at the time intervals you enter. So you don't need to find someone to take care of your plants when you are not at home.
    
10. An App that Suggests New Flavors: It can be difficult to discover new dishes from time to time. You can design an app that identifies your palate according to your eating habits and suggests new flavors to enjoy.
     
11. An App for Students to Tutor Each Other: You can prepare an application for many students to register and help each other. For active use, you can earn the right to watch a video for each lecture video uploaded. Thus, students can both share their competencies with others and find the lectures they need. Also, since it does not require professionalism, it is accessible to everyone.
     
12. An App to Organize Speed Dating: Some people want to visit many places, but going alone can be very boring. You can design an application that shows nearby museums, cafes or shopping malls and provides organization for people going there at the same time. For example; You can go with 3 people who will go to X cafe at 15.00 and make new friends.
     
13. Artificial Intelligence that gives ideas for sustainability: You can develop artificial intelligence that gives you suggestions on how to utilize the products you have on hand. At the same time, a program with meals or DIY ideas that you can make with leftover food will be very interesting.