Cornell Systems Engineering · 2026
SYSEN
Hackathon
MARCH 6–7, 2026
Choose your theme and build something real.
1
Industrial Logistics
AI-Augmented Delivery System

A global logistics company is struggling to track shipments in real time, predict delivery delays, and optimize warehouse routing across multiple distribution centers.

Your team's job is to build an AI-augmented delivery database system that ingests shipment records or synthetic logistics data to create live tracking profiles and generate actionable predictions for operations managers.

You pick the domain — everyday packages, semiconductor supply chains… or even beanie babies. If it ships, you can track it.

2
Digital Health
Patient Digital Twins

A regional hospital network is struggling to allocate ICU beds, predict readmissions, and manage appointment no-shows.

Your team's job is to build a data-driven platform that ingests structured health records or synthetic patient data to create ‘digital twin’ profiles and generate actionable predictions for clinical decision-makers.

3
NYC Urban Risk
Urban Early Warning System

The NYC Department of Emergency Management needs to act before small signals turn into citywide crises. Weather, hospital capacity, and transit data all exist — but they are disconnected and difficult to analyze together.

Your team's job is to build a cloud-based AI decision-support system that continuously pulls data from public APIs and stores it in a structured database organized by neighborhood and time.

How to Build It

We recommend structuring your project around four components — but build it however works for your team.

1

Data Ingestion

Get data into your system. Some approaches:

  • Synthetic data generator
  • CSV uploads
  • Scheduled API pulls
  • Webhook events
2

Database

Store your data in a structured way. A good schema usually covers:

  • Entities — shipments, patients, neighborhoods
  • Events / signals — time-series updates
  • Predictions — risk scores, capacity forecasts
3

Backend API

Wire up ingestion, predictions, and query results. Common options: FastAPI, Next.js API routes, Express, or Supabase Edge Functions.

4

Dashboard

A simple interface to query your system and display results. Streamlit, Next.js, and Retool are all great starting points.

Recommended Tech Stacks

Pick whatever you're comfortable with — these are starting points, not rules.

Option 1 — Fastest
Frontend
Next.js
Backend
Supabase Edge Functions or Next.js API
Database
Supabase PostgreSQL
Option 2
Frontend
Streamlit
Backend
FastAPI
Database
PostgreSQL (Supabase / Neon / DigitalOcean)
Option 3
Frontend
React / Next.js
Backend
Firebase Functions
Database
Firestore

What We'll Evaluate

Architecture

Is the system well structured?

Data Pipeline

Does the ingestion pipeline work?

Predictive Insight

Does the system generate useful predictions?

Queries

Can the system answer operational questions?

Demo Quality

Is the system understandable and usable?