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Digital PiOEneers in action at first Oerlikon Digital Hub Hackathon in Munich

What a fantastic time at the very first Oerlikon Digital Hub Hackathon! Creators, innovators, makers, PIONEERS and partners gathered in the Digital Hub in Munich, between Nov 8-10, to design digital tools for the industrial world. During 24 hours, the #digitalpiOEneers worked on finding innovative concepts and new ways of working, to address real life issues from our own Oerlikon business units.

Digital PiOEneers in action at first Oerlikon Digital Hub Hackathon in Munich
Digital PiOEneers in action at first Oerlikon Digital Hub Hackathon in Munich
Digital PiOEneers in action at first Oerlikon Digital Hub Hackathon in Munich
Digital PiOEneers in action at first Oerlikon Digital Hub Hackathon in Munich
Digital PiOEneers in action at first Oerlikon Digital Hub Hackathon in Munich
Digital PiOEneers in action at first Oerlikon Digital Hub Hackathon in Munich

We kicked-off the event on Friday evening, with two special guests that sparked inspiration:  Prof. Dr. Falk Ubernickel and Dr. Roberto Balmer. Our Solutions Partners (PTC, Zeiss, Zyfra, doubleSlash) also took the stage, each giving a quick introduction into their company and how they are driving digital transformation. In this way, our participants could already get familiar with them and have a more productive collaboration during the weekend.

On Saturday morning, Oliver Wachsmut, the Global Head of Oerlikon Digital Hub, introduced the participants into the Oerlikon and the Digital Hub World. His session was followed by the Challenge masters describing the challenges, rules of the game and available items, as well as the partners present on site, talking about the support they provide to participants, during the weekend.

Check out the event pictures and video here

The challenges

The challenges were focused on four main categories: IoT, Computer Vision, Data Science and Waste Reduction.  The goal was to find innovations in the areas of measuring, transmitting, storing and visualizing machine data; in automating the identification of parts; data processing and modeling on machine data; and calculating waste reduction potential at customer’s site. 

The challenges

The pitches

After 24 hours of working time, the teams got to pitch in front of the hackathon jury, consisting of Oerlikon experts and partners. The teams had some of the most inspiring, innovative ideas, demonstrating not only immense creativity, but also a deep understanding of the challenges we are facing and how to bring value to the customers. We would like to extend a big CONGRATULATIONS to all the teams that joined the hackathon. As we mentioned during the closing, you are all winners!

The pitches

The winners

But we had to choose the top three ideas, and the jury decided to award the following three teams:

1st Prize Winners - weekend c0d3Rs

The team tackled the predictive maintenance challenge by using Python libraries from the Data ecosystem provided and time series analysis (pandas, sklearn, tsfresh, pyts) to predict manufacturing machine failures in advance. Their solution is transparent, making it easy for data scientists to interpret the results and understand the model decisions, thus increasing acceptance among subject matter experts. Additionally, they emphasized meaningful data visualizations and incorporated feedback from onsite experts to reduce complexity.

2nd  Prize Winners - Additive Manufacturing 5.0

To overcome the predictive maintenance challenge, the team developed a solution that helps technicians in avoiding failures, increasing efficiency and reducing costs. They used two weeks of sensor data from a fabric spinning production line to develop a model predicting failures five minutes in advance. By choosing Python for data pipelines, Azure for hosting, and XGBoost for modeling, they addressed data consolidation, skewed distributions, and optimal time windows. The solution included manually engineered features, cloud deployment, and an analytics interface.

3rd Prize Winners - Screw this

The team selected the Computer Vision challenge and used classical computer vision algorithms implemented with OpenCV to identify and measure drill bit parts in real-time. They created a user-friendly setup with a customizable box and stand for easy scanning and quick removal of parts. The combination of their custom hardware and real-time measurement capabilities provided an effective solution.

The winners

The prizes

The prizes consist of a luxurious weekend in Switzerland, complete with a trip to Matterhorn mountain and a night in an igloo, for the 1st place winning team, and many cool gadgets for the 2nd place winners (like Apple Watch, 3D Printer, GoPro...) and the 3rd place winners (like Lenovo Smart Clock, Powerbeats In-Ear Headphones, DJI Spark Drone...).

The prizes

But it’s not only about the prizes. A hackathon is a great opportunity to test and learn new methods, grow your network with new friends, mentors, experts, solve actual real life challenges, while working together in a team to also build the project around it, and, most importantly, have fun.

This was our first ever Oerlikon Hackathon and we had the time of our lives. And for that we have to thank our partners: PTC, Zeiss, Zyfra, doubleSlash, Microsoft, Infineon, Secunet, circ, and our friends at It takes a City to Raise a Startup, Munich Datageeks, The Munich Network, The Royal Jungle, for making this event possible. We also want to thank the volunteers who worked relentlessly to make sure all is as best as it can be for our participants.

And last, but not least: we want to thank our participants and the community. You all have inspired us and humbled us with your passion, dedication and courage. You made this event a success - we take our hats of to you!

More to come, so we are looking forward to seeing everybody at our next event.

Thank you all!

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