HackIllinois 2026
Devpost hackathon: HackIllinois 2026. Imported automatically.
- Year
- 2026
- Winning projects
- 24
- Participants
- 678
- Prize pool
- $17,920
- Platform
- Devpost
Winners
1st Place
- ease 'n spectTrack: Best AI Inspection (1st Place)Caterpillar inspection process streamlined.FastAPIReact NativeSupabase
- EcoApi(Recost)Track: Best Web API (1st Place)Ever thought about how much your vibe-coded app is costing you? What about the sustainability of it?EcoApi solves these issues token by token one scan at a timeCloudflareReactSQLite
- OpenRealityTrack: Best AI Inference (1st Place)OpenClaw in the real world! Generate and reason in a 3d map with just your phone!ClaudeFlaskGemini
- TerraGlideTrack: Best Hardware Hack (John Deere Mechathon) (1st Place)TerraGlide is an autonomous leveler using dual-action parallel linkages for soil redistribution. It features AI human detection that auto-lifts the blade and trArduinoESP32Python
2nd Place
- Cat Vision CopilotTrack: Best AI Inspection (2nd Place)Cat Vision Copilot is an AI inspection assistant that analyzes live video in real time, ranks issue severity, and delivers insights via a chatbot, built to inteElevenLabsOpenAIOpenCV
- LARYNXTrack: Best AI Inference (2nd Place)Voice deepfake detection through articulatory physics. Not just if it's fake, but where the physics break.PythonReactTypeScript
- SuperstyleTrack: Best Web API (2nd Place)See exactly how clothes fit before you buy. Preview every detail, feel certain about every choice, shop with clarity, simplicity, certainty.GeminiNext.jsTypeScript
3rd Place
- Cat-AR-pillarTrack: Best AI Inspection (3rd Place)Preventive maintenance protects profits. Our AR Inspector for Caterpillar Inc. speeds inspections, reduces downtime, cuts labor hours, and catches issues early,PythonUnityYOLO
- Vizem Flow (the Voicepill mogger)Track: Best AI Inference (3rd Place)Voicepille was 2025. In 2026, you don’t need to use your voice. Press a key, & Vizem turns lip movements into text 5× faster than typing - its like speaking, buFastAPIOpenAIOpenCV
Category Winner
- AleithiaBest Use of OpenAI APIEnterprise-grade intelligence for small businesses.DockerPythonReact
- BrainrotTCGMost PopularTrading cards for brainrotJavaScriptReact
- CATCareBest Beginner HackOthers may rely on AI to fully generate insights, but our approach combines the analytical precision of AI with the field expertise and judgment of the inspectoFastAPIFlutterOpenCV
- DILLIGADMost UselessDo I Look Like I Give a Duck - A chrome extension for mindful browsing. Find ducks hidden in webpages you visit and take a break for a minute!JavaScript
- LigandsBest Social ImpactAn AI-powered pipeline that lets you ask a simple question, "Does this drug bind this protein?" and automatically handles all the computational bottlenecks behiDockerFastAPIGraphQL
- OrcaBest Voyager HackGlobal Agent Orchestration Network applied to label World Models for Emergency RespondersDockerFastAPIMapbox
- StuduvalleyBest UI/UX DesignBreak the cycle of infinite scrolling. Studuvalley replaces "brainrot' with meaningful focus. Join your friends in a shared digital workspace where every minuteJavaScriptNext.jsSupabase
- SynapseBest General HackThe most complete, scalable UI/UX feedback loop for developers. Turns user emotions, clicks, intent and direct, unfiltered feedback into automatic PRs to help yCloudflareDockerElevenLabs
- VelumBest Use of Capital One Nessie (Hackathon API)Decentralized Encryption To Keep Your IdentityPythonSolanaTypeScript
Track Winner
- John Deere Sand Leveling RobotTrack: Best Hardware Hack (John Deere Mechathon) (Medium Track Winner)We built a robot to automate sand leveling using a 4-bar linkage and multi-stage system. A front agitator, rake, and finisher manage mounds to deliver a smooth,ArduinoC++
- Mechathon Hard robotTrack: Best Hardware Hack (John Deere Mechathon) (Hard Track Winner)We have a robot that levels sand in a box.Arduino
Sponsor Prize
- Symbiote[MLH] Best Use of AI powered by Reach CapitalVoice agent orchestration platform for heavy equipment inspection. Voice-to-diagnosis in seconds with no delay, no human error, and no waiting.FastAPIGeminiPython
Honorable Mention
- CATalyst InspectTrack: Best AI Inspection (Honorable Mentions)CATalyst Inspect turns a quick walk‑around video into a structured inspection report in minutes, specializing in corrosion identification.ClaudeFastAPIOpenAI
- ExcaVisionTrack: Best AI Inspection (Honorable Mentions)Multimodal AI Inspection App for Excavator TechniciansGeminiPythonReact
- John Deere Track Team MEEPTrack: Best Hardware Hack (John Deere Mechathon) (Honorable Mentions)Sand leveler. Super cool robot with autonomous.C++