Winning projects at GAR sponsored student-run hackathons

In effort to advance STEM and robotics through the youth, GAR is busy supporting student-run Hackathons across the country. Here are some of the winning projects...

Before we begin a quick word from our Arduino Kit sponsor-bots...Earths three biggest Arduino Starter kits at your service!

Micro Bot

Monster Bot

 Colossus Bot

Back to our talented Hackathon creators and their projects!

LeetBot: Turn Your LeetCode Score Into a Battle Bot and Challenge Friends

First Place  - IgnitionHacks 2024

Creators: Isaac Martin, Jennifer Lay, Shadman Sohel, Zainab Muj

LeetBot transforms solving LeetCode problems into a multiplayer fighting game where you can compete against friends. If you enjoy both gaming and coding, this project uses your LeetCode scores to generate custom robots with unique abilities.

The better you are at coding, the stronger your robot becomes!

How It Works:

• Players enter their LeetCode usernames, and their performance determines their robot's stats—like Punch, Kick, and Smash.
• Like classic Pokemon games, the game is turn-based, meaning players take turns attacking until one robot wins.
• Players can boost their robot's skills as they improve their LeetCode scores.
• The game integrates advanced tech, such as js for the interface, Flask for backend real-time updates, and Mistral AI to generate LeetCode questions.

Using real-time technologies like Socket.IO, the team managed to create a smooth and seamless experience for both players. They hope to continue improving the game by adding features like:

• Multiplayer: Potentially adding different multiplayer modes besides 1v1 battles, such as tournaments or group fights.
• AI integration: Improving the AI opponents with more advanced algorithms that adapt to the player’s skill level, providing a more personalized and challenging experience.

LeetBot’s creators used a variety of frameworks and programming languages to make this game a reality, including:

• CSS
• Flask
• GitHub
• HTML
• LeetCode
• Mistral
• Python
• React
• io

Clarinet Posture Checker: Perfect Your Posture and Play Pain-Free

Solo Prize - PeddieHacks 2024

Creators: Abdd Sharma

The Clarinet Posture Checker provides real-time feedback to help clarinet players maintain proper posture during practice, reducing discomfort and preventing injury. Designed for musicians of all skill levels, this tool ensures that practice sessions are both productive and safe.

 How It Works:

• The tool analyzes three key posture areas: finger placement, horn angle, and back posture.
• Musicians select which aspect they want to focus on, and the tool provides real-time video feedback to monitor their form.
• The image model captures video via your webcam and displays it on the screen while analyzing your posture.
• If the system detects a mistake, it gives instant corrective advice, with suggestions like “rotate up,” “rotate down,” and “all good.”

The Clarinet Posture Checker is especially useful for independent practice. It acts like a personal coach who keeps bad habits in check even when no instructor is around. It’s built using machine learning models, trained to recognize ideal posture and offer suggestions when needed.

Abdd Sharma still has some future updates in mind:

• Expand to other instruments: Applying the same posture-checking techniques to instruments like the flute or saxophone.
• Sound feedback: Adding audio notifications so musicians can focus on playing without checking the screen for corrections.

The Clarinet Posture Checker was built using a combination of tools and frameworks, including: 

• CSS
• HTML
• JavaScript
• js

Tech Meets Creativity: What We’ve Learned

Both LeetBot and the Clarinet Posture Checker are excellent examples of how technology can enhance learning experiences in coding and music.

Whether you’re sharpening your coding skills in a fun game or improving your clarinet technique with real-time feedback, projects like these show how innovation can make even the toughest challenges exciting.

The winners each received a GAR Monster Kit. We hope the kits are used to upgrade their skills and advance robotics for the good of the universe.