#1 Olive
Eco Navigator
The challenge consisted on designing a teleoperated mobile robot that is capable of identifying, collecting, and sorting trash bins within an office building environment.
robo.innovate hackathon 2023
MUNICHs robotics challenge
#CircularHackfest 2023
Setting the pace in the transformation towards a circular economy
The #CircularHackfest was the second robotics challenge, a flagship event organized by robo.innovate. The hackathon was an intersection of Robotics, AI, and circular economy principles. Over 100 enthusiastic students took on sustainability-focused tasks. Running from November 10 to 17 2023, the hackathon took place at the Munich Urban Colab in Munich. The event culminated at the Circular Republic Festival during the Hack 'N' Talk showcase, where teams presented their ideas, designs, and prototypes to a wider audience.
Gallery
time schedule
The #CircularHackfest kicked off with registrations closing on 1 October 2023. Around 100 participants were then assigned to teams and given specific challenges to tackle. On 18 October, the official launch event was held, where participants met their challenge hosts and began planning their solutions. Over the following weeks, teams met three times to track and refine their concepts. The grand finale took place during Hackfest Week, where teams pitched their solutions to a jury. The top five teams were invited to present their ideas again at the main event of the Circular Economy Festival on 15 November.
#1 Olive
# von Keyserlingk & Company, TUM Venture Labs and ease
Robot beer garden
The challenge was to develop a hygienic, functional, and automated system for high-quality food preparation and service, leveraging automation and robotics technologies.
#3 Circular Republic
Waste-to-value: 3D printing meets circular thinking
This challenge enabled participants to identify plastic waste streams and transform them into valuable 3D-printed products using fused filament fabrication (FFF). Participants gained hands-on experience with the entire FFF production chain—from sourcing and producing filament to 3D printing new items. Through this process, they explored the potential of additive manufacturing (AM) as a key driver of the circular economy, turning waste into value.
#4 Rewe Digital
Building a unified ordering platform for autonomous delivery
The challenge involved designing and implementing a minimum viable product (MVP) of an open API that could connect both to a frontend interface and to potential partners. The API was to handle data such as GPS location, live tracking, load, refrigerated and non-refrigerated storage capacities, range, priority, and other essential parameters.
#5 Siemens
Robo breakdown quest: unleashing automation in disassembly
The goal was to generate disassembly and repair instructions from product data and integrate them into an augmented reality (AR) application designed to support repair workers. Participants explored technologies such as large language models and AR, while also developing a viable business model around their solution.
#6 SICK Sensor Intelligence
How can we use current technlogy in order to track items, reduce waste and develop intelligent return or reuse systems?
Identifying and separating items in return material streams is challenging, as these streams are typically less organized than supply streams. This challenge encouraged participants to help close the circularity loop by leveraging current technologies to support intelligent return and reuse systems.
#7 velo|konzept
Sustainawheel analysis: Decoding non-recyclable waste in bike components
The challenge focused on finding ways to return bicycle parts into circulation. Participants were tasked with inspecting materials to determine which components could be recycled, repaired, or reused.
#8 BMW Group
Think the circular dashboard of the future
In this challenge, participants explored the circular economy through a real-world use case from the automotive industry. It offered an opportunity to deepen their understanding of circular principles by reimagining the automotive dashboard of the future.
#10 Oriens
A new area for doner-kebab
In this challenge, participants explored the circular economy through a real-world use case from the food industry. They were tasked with envisioning an innovative vertical grill that sets new standards in sustainability and functionality.
#11 Panasonic
Panasonic Industries: Be safe and sustainable
Participants were challenged to imagine healthcare devices that enhance users' well-being while conserving valuable resources. The task was to develop a sustainable wearable device powered by amorphous solar cells, capable of monitoring key health parameters such as heart rate, blood sugar, and body temperature. The device needed to be energy-independent, eliminating concerns about battery life, and designed to be fashionable, comfortable, reliable, and compact.
#12 Siemens
Play smart - Craft with heart! - A serious sustainability game
In this challenge, participants had the opportunity to expand and enhance a tangible, flexible, and scalable sustainability game based on an existing digital concept. In a multiplayer setting, they created their own economic and sustainable systems, managing natural resources wisely, trading with other players, and making conscious choices about energy sources and production facilities. Every decision had consequences, with players needing to consider the impact on nature and the environment.
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