Octoco x InventAfrika Hardware Hackathon

Instead of spending the weekend sleeping in, 40 engineering students from Stellenbosch University and the University of Cape Town chose to spend it building, experimenting, and inventing. They joined Octoco’s first-ever Hardware Hackathon, hosted in collaboration with InventAfrika.

In just 20 hours, the student teams transformed the theme Playful Machines into imaginative and functional prototypes that captured both creativity and technical skill. From early brainstorming to soldering and last-minute adjustments, the energy in the room was electric.

Creating Space to Build and Play

The event’s theme, Playful Machines, encouraged participants to reconnect with what first drew them to engineering: curiosity, fun, and the satisfaction of creating something that works.

For many of the students, this hackathon was a break from the pressure of marks or formal research projects. As one participant said,

“For the last few years, we’ve only been building for marks or for other people. We just wanted a chance to rediscover the joy of building something for ourselves.”

That sentiment summed up exactly what the event was designed to achieve — giving students the freedom to experiment, collaborate, and create for the sheer enjoyment of it.

Innovation in Just 20 Hours

With only 20 hours on the clock, teams had to turn their ideas into working prototypes quickly and creatively. The results were impressive.

The winning team, Ohm Squad, engineered a game called Macaroon Madness — a stack-style sorting game that used ultrasonic sensors for gesture-based control. Beyond being fun to play, the project also showed potential as a tool for occupational therapy, helping with colour recognition and hand coordination.

The runner-up teams also impressed the judges — Lowku Leeuwner, Colby Green, Michael Awe, and Adrian McIntosh — with their technical depth and originality.

• Ground Truth built a desk-style catapult game that used hall effect sensors for precision control.
• Team Ω created an educational PID demonstration machine, a hands-on way to visualise and learn about control systems.

Each prototype reflected the teams’ unique approach to problem-solving and play.

Our Sponsors and Supporters

The hackathon would not have been possible without the support of several generous sponsors:

• Workshack, who provided the ideal venue for students to tinker, test, and build.
• Next Dimension Electronics, who supplied 3D printers that turned ideas into physical reality.
• Switch Energy Drink, who kept participants energised through the long hours.

Together, they helped create an environment where innovation could thrive.

A Weekend of Creativity and Collaboration

Over the course of the weekend, we witnessed a unique kind of magic — the excitement that comes when people build purely for the joy of it. The atmosphere was filled with collaboration, experimentation, and laughter as students shared tools, ideas, and late-night snacks while debugging circuits.

It was a reminder that innovation often starts in small, playful moments — when imagination is given room to grow.

The Octoco x InventAfrika Hardware Hackathon was more than a competition. It was a celebration of curiosity, teamwork, and the creative spirit that drives engineering forward.

We are incredibly proud of every team that took part and can’t wait to see where these bright minds go next.