Welcome to Hack the Planet, where innovation meets impact!
This hackathon challenges you to reimagine what a data center can be.
Design a visionary data center that achieves a truly net positive impact on both our environment and cultural well-being. You'll leverage Google's cutting-edge Gemini multimodal AI capabilities to develop groundbreaking solutions.
This is your chance to demonstrate how essential data infrastructure can become a powerful force for good within its community and for the planet.
Junior and senior university students, plus new graduates.
3-5 members per team.
Bright minds from any discipline—computer science, engineering, design, environmental science, humanities—eager to make a tangible impact.
Architect a Net Positive Data Center for Technology Environmental & Cultural Impact. Projects can focus on one specific area or develop comprehensive innovations that span multiple domains.
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Design sites that maintain local ecosystems or enhance biodiversity.
Net Positive Land Impact:
Achieving net positive impact for land involves more than just minimizing the data center's physical footprint. It means actively enhancing the surrounding ecology. This could include designing green roofs and walls that create new habitats, protecting native planting on site to increase biodiversity, or implementing smart water runoff management systems that benefit local soil health and reduce erosion. For example, a data center might establish a pollinator garden larger than its construction area, actively protecting the biodiversity of the surrounding land by using AI-driven drones for monitoring.
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Improving air quality and reducing emissions.
Net Positive Air Quality Impact:
A net positive impact on air quality means the data center contributes to cleaner air than it possibly consumes or impacts. This could involve developing active air purification systems that clean ambient air in the surrounding community, implementing innovative CO2 capture technologies, or integrating smart monitoring networks that provide real-time hyper-local air quality data to empower emission control strategies for the wider area.
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Innovate for extreme energy efficiency and renewable integration.
Net Positive Energy Impact:
Net positive energy means a data center generates more clean, renewable energy effectively 'giving back' electricity to the grid or local community. This goes beyond carbon neutrality. Examples include building large-scale on-site renewable energy farms (solar, wind, geothermal), implementing AI-optimized energy management systems, or pioneering waste heat repurposing projects that provide sustainability energy for nearby homes, community centers, or agricultural greenhouses, offsetting fossil fuel use.
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Design systems for net positive water usage and pollution prevention.
Net Positive Water Impact:
Achieving net positive water usage involves replenishing local water sources more than the data center consumes. This can be done by implementing advanced closed-loop cooling systems that minimize evaporation, collecting and treating rainwater or greywater for non-potable uses (e.g., landscaping, toilet flushing), or investing in local water conservation projects like aquifer recharge or wetland restoration.
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Create models that celebrate local Taiwanese culture and support heritage.
Net Positive Cultural Impact:
Net positive cultural impact means the data center actively contributes to the vibrancy and preservation of local Taiwanese culture and heritage. This could involve designing facilities that incorporate local architectural aesthetics or materials, creating interactive digital archives of traditional crafts or historical narratives using the data center's processing power, or developing AI-powered platforms that promote local languages and arts. For example, a data center might support the local non-profit organization, utilizing its infrastructure to power virtual reality reconstructions of historical sites or provide digital literacy training to the locals.
All proposed solutions must fundamentally leverage Google Gemini's capabilities. You'll apply its advanced features across areas like:
Data Analysis: Multimodal understanding of sensor data, satellite imagery, regulations, etc.
Design & Generation: Creative generation of content, optimized designs, or simulated scenarios.
Coding: Code assistance and generation for intelligent systems and automation.
Expression: Innovative ways to express complex ideas through multimedia generation.
Ready to make an impact? Registration is limited to 10 teams on a first-come, first-served basis.
Key Dates
Registration Period: Fri, August 15 - Fri, September 5
Cancellation Deadline: Fri, September 5
Office Hour for Hackathon Teams: Mon, September 8th
Submission Deliverables
Functional Prototype or PoC (Digital is okay)
10-minute Presentation (presented in English)
Any supplementary materials that help showcase your project
Join our esteemed panel of data center partners to gain insights on academic paths, career development, workplace experiences, AI's impact on work, and work-life balance strategies.
This session offers a unique opportunity to learn from our Data Center partners at the forefront of innovation. They'll share practical advice on educational planning, discuss career trajectories, offer first-hand workplace insights, explore the evolving landscape of work with AI, and provide strategies for balancing professional and personal life. Whether you're a student planning your next steps or a new graduate exploring opportunities, we hope you have a variety of interesting experiences and perspectives, drawing from the content and questions shared during this seminar.
The career panel is open to all hackathon participants and other interested individuals from different grades. Separate registration is required.
No, participation in Hack the Planet is completely free for all selected teams. However, participants are responsible for their own travel expenses, accommodation, and other personal costs to and from the venue.
Yes, this is a full-day, in-person event held at the GIS Taichung Xinwuri Convention Center. All team members are expected to attend.
What should I bring to the event?
Please bring your laptop (with HDMI adapter), chargers, and any other hardware you need for your project.
Do both oral presentations and written reports need to be in English?
Yes, both oral presentations and any written reports (including prototypes or project documentation) must be in English.
What can I gain from participating in the Hackathon / Career Panel?
You will gain rich practical experience from the hackathon activities, hone practical skills, and better understand the symbiotic relationship between data centers and local communities; in the career panel session, you can gain career insights and practical advice, and engage in in-depth exchanges with talent from various fields.
Are recording, live broadcasting, or media coverage permitted at the venue?
Please note that video or audio recording, live broadcasting, and interviews by external media are prohibited. Attendance is restricted to registered teams only.