New Student Programs

HAcK at Transfer Bridge to UCLA Samueli Engineering is a summer Accelerator program designed to provide incoming engineering transfer students an opportunity to ‘get their hands dirty’ on a technical engineering design project; to use their math, science, and engineering concepts; to gain some professional development; and to have some fun.

Welcome to HAcK 2023!

Time Remaining at HAcK 2023

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About HAcK

During Basic Training, HAcKers received a crash course on engineering design tools that they will use during HAcK’s technical competition.  Through this experience you will hone these skills, better understand the iterative design process, and engineering work.

HAcK is designed to challenge you.  Not just with utilizing the skills you’ve learned; but, also in applying them in an effective way with the time that you have.  Let’s see what you can do in these few days. What will you walk away with?

Through this challenge you will learn what it’s like to be an actual engineer and develop your engineering mind-set! How are you going to deal with hardware issues? How are you going to work with someone on the other side of the planet? How are you going to make sure that everyone has something to do? But most importantly, you guys are going to build a prototype and have some fun with your teammates!

Photo from Basic Training 2023

The Challenge

 Attention all E-Heroes. There was a massive earthquake that struck has struck the UCLA campus. Bruin engineers have been trapped within Boelter Hall for a couple of days and they need your help. Be aware that there will be gas leaks, dark rooms, broken windows, pipes that have burst, and maybe enemies lurking in the shadows.

Your task is to design and build a gauntlet that can assist you to navigate Boelter Hall, rescue the trapped engineers, and come back in one piece.

Step 1: Designing the gauntlet
Chose the right electrical components to build your gauntlet to help you survive and rescue everyone!

      • Design a gauntlet that will house all your electrical components
      • Fabricate and build the gauntlet
      • Make sure that the electrical components you chose would work together and interact together
      • The mechanical parts would move properly with the components inside or on the gauntlet
      • Keep in mind that once you are in the building there might be aftershock, so make sure everything is secure in your gauntlet (won’t fall off)
      • What you look like adds to your credibility.  Like warriors of the past or modern-day superheros, you need to look the part.  Make sure your E-hero looks the part (the whole package)!
      • For your own benefit, no single gauntlet part that is being 3D printed should exceed 21(length)x21(width)x25(height)cm. Any 3D printed part should be able to print in less than 12 hours, so you will be able to iterate on your design 
      • The width of your gauntlet MUST NOT exceed 21 cm and the height of your gauntlet MUST NOT exceed 25 cm.
      • Your design MUST incorporate the OLED screen and at least one of these sensors: Gas Sensor, Temperature and Humidity Sensor, Ultrasonic Sensor.

Step 2: Create a website to send data to the team aka Mission Control
In order for us to check your safety, you would have to design a website that will have sensor data connected to your gauntlet sent outside of Boelter.

      • Create a website that your gauntlet communicates with.
      • Make sure the sensor data are transmitting in real time to the website.
      • Make sure your website is organized in a way that enables a user to easily read the data (make it user-friendly).

Step 3: Test & Iterate
Before you head-out and put your life on the line, we have a couple of testing stations for you to double check that your gauntlet will work correctly in Boelter Hall.

      • Teams will need to under-go testing of their technology.
      • Go through our testing stations and prepare for your mission

See submission guidelines for more information on the testing site and what you’ll need to submit.

Step 4: Edna E. Mode your suit

      • Teams will need to designate 1 E-hero to go out on the mission.
      • You need to look the part.  Suit them up and prepare them and your gauntlet for a photo shoot

Step 5: Add a section on your website dedicated to providing the details of your prototype
Finally, you must add your design specs and review to your website to be vetted by Mission Control before you head out on your rescue operation.  

      • Explain the main design goals your team had for the gauntlet
      • Explain why you chose the sensors and how that would benefit for your mission
      • Explain the code that you wrote and why you designed it in that way
      • Explain problems that occurred and how you used the engineering mindset to help you debug the issue
      • Explain how you solve those problems in coding, circuits, and Arduinos, what were the iterations you made to improve on those designs.
      • Explain your iterative design CAD, include screenshots of before and after. Explain why you made those changes
      • This website needs to be aesthetic and pleasing to the eye

Mission: Save the Bruin Engineers

      • Your E-hero will suit-up and head to the mock field of play in Boelter Hall to rescue the Bruin Engineers.
      • Before they go, we will take photos of your gauntlet and a picture of the E-hero in case they don’t come back.
      • You may take videos in the field of play if you choose to use it for your Design Review Presentation

Step 6: Record and submit a Design Review presentation

      • Each team will be required to submit a 10 minute recorded Design Review presentation that will be sent to our judges.  See Design Review presentation guidelines for more information.

Goodluck E-Heroes! We are counting on you!

Rules of Engagement
To preserve the spirt of good competition and keep the challenge interesting and meaningful as a technical design experience, teams will be required to follow a list of requirements outlined below.

Please DO NOT begin assembly or inspection of parts provided until the HAcK is revealed! Teams that show up to HAcK with parts assembled in any form will be disqualified.

Core Rules
  • Be respectful of others and your teammates.
  • Communicate with your teammates regardless of participating in-person or remote.  Please be mindful of time-zone difference.  Please make sure to communicate work and team meeting times with remote participants.
  • Each member MUST contribute to the project.
  • DON’T bring food or drink into the Makerspace, please eat outside or in designated resting area. Water is allowed.
  • Please clean up after yourself and return all tools to where you found them.
  • Please SLEEP (recommended at least 6 hours per 24 hour period).
  • The project protytpe must be left at the Makerspace at the end of each day. Teams CANNOT work on the project after HAcK ends for the day. However, teams are ALLOWED to work on CAD, coding, and other aspects on their own time.
  • In-person participants – please be on time and ready to work.  Please sign-in each day and inform a mentor when you leave for the day.
  • TRY your best and HAVE FUN!
Prohibited Items & Things to Bring
  • Students will NOT be allowed to bring in or use personal hardware components or use their personal equipment (3D printers, etc.) unless otherwise specified. These provide an unfair advantage to teams with members who are familiar with or have access to tools that other participants do not.  Teams run the risk of being disqualified.  Please check with a mentor when in doubt.
  • Use of outside software or libraries is allowed (provided that it is freely available online) for design analysis or algorithm enhancement. However, Accelerator Mentors will NOT provide training for any software other than the ones mentioned previously in workshops.
  • NO USC stuff.
  • Please bring your laptop, closed-toed shoes and water bottle (no water will be provided by HAcK).
  • Please bring food and snacks as you need (no refrigeration provided).
Materials Provided
Code to get you started on using the sensors and website: https://github.com/austinliuigi/HAcK2023-Communications
Tools in the Makerspace
Laser Cutter
If you have parts that needs to be laser cutted, contact any mentor available and they will help you out with laser cutting.

DO NOT operate the laser cutter unsupervised.

3D Printer
If you have parts that needs to be 3D printed, contact any mentor available and they will help you out with 3D printing.

DO NOT operate the 3D printer unsupervised.

Hand Tools
You can freely choose any available hand tools and use them in any manner except:

  1. DO NOT harm yourself or others
  2. DO NOT destroy the tools in the makerspace
  3. Always return the tool to where you found it after using it
Dremel
Please inform the Mentors before using the Dremel and proceed with the following rules:

  1. DO NOT harm yourself or others
  2. DO NOT destroy the Dremel in the makerspace
  3. Always return the Dremel to where you found it after using it
  4. If you hear a SCREECHING sound from you Dremel, cease operation immediately.
Drill
Please inform the Mentors before using the drill and proceed with the following rules:

  1. DO NOT harm yourself or others
  2. DO NOT destroy the Drill in the makerspace
  3. Always return the Drill to where you found it after using it
  4. When drilling on a table, use BUFFER material (i.e. a thick piece of wood) under the drilled material so as to not drill holes in the table
Band Saw
Contact the mentors if you want to use the band saw. They are locked and the mentors will find you the key.

Proceed with the following rules:

  1. DO NOT harm yourself or others
  2. DO NOT destroy the Saw in the makerspace
  3. Use a PUSH STICK to prevent cutting your fingers
Soldering Iron
Please inform the Mentors before using the drill and proceed with the following rules:

  1. Never touch the element of the soldering iron….400°C!
  2. Hold wires to be heated with tweezers or clamps.
  3. Keep the cleaning sponge wet during use.
  4. Always return the soldering iron to its stand when not in use. Never put it down on the workbench.
  5. Turn unit off and unplug when not in use.

Judging

In the Field of Play, there are 4 rooms with different scenarios that you need to determine if it is safe for the E-Hero to enter or not. Mission control will need to help the E-Hero differentiate between rooms with fire, gas leaks, the room where the Bruin Engineers are, and the safe rooms based on the information the gauntlet sends back to the website.

  • You will be required to use at least one of the ultrasonic, gas, or temperature and humidity sensors, but you can add more sensors to help you navigate the rooms and dangerous situations even better. The more integrated and useful your electrical components are, the better! (It first has to be useful – you can use your imagination)
  • You can also build other functionalities if you think of any– you might need to accommodate for more situations other than the 4 rooms to make the Bruins even safer! You will be judged on all the systems that you build, not just the ones that will help with the missions above.
  • Even though we are focused on bringing the Bruin Engineers safely home, the visuals of an E-hero are still important! How you choose to utilize the displays and lights that you chose will contribute in different ways to your aesthetic. For this, we also have helped you out a little with these base gloves, masks, and capes that you may use if you please.
  • Things to keep in mind for the integrity of the gauntlet:
    • The conditions will be harsh, so ensure that the gauntlet/electronics will not be affected by any earthquakes or movements that the user will make. Additionally, ensure that the electronics will not be harmed and rendered useless by any conditions (fire, burst pipes, falling debris, etc.)
    • You must iterate your design in order to ensure that this is the best version of the gauntlet you can make.
    • Making your gauntlet dynamic/able to move might be useful for some of these goals.

Rough Breakdown of Point Percentages:

Mechanical (~15%)

Electronic Individual Parts (~5%)

Electronic Networks (~20%) **ONLY up to 5 Networks Will be Judged**

    • A network is a group of electrical components that interact with each other that has a useful functionality to navigate Boelter Hall

Field of Play (~20%)

Technical Write-Up (~10%)

Organization of Supplementary Materials (~5%)

    • Everything is turned in correctly and properly

Aesthetics and Creativity (~10%)

Design Review Presentation(~15%)

Extra Credit (~1-5%) will be awarded to the top 3 teams that have the most creative/innovative/aesthetic designs in the areas of mechanical design, electrical components, and website (3 teams will receive points for each category)

Meet our Judges

Eli Foerst
UCLA IEEE Outreach Coordintaor &
Pre-OPS Lead

Lynne Duong
2022 HAcK Winner
Team MACH10

Mauricio Robles
Program Specialist
MESA|STEM Program
El Camino College

Nathan Nguyendinh
UCLA IEEE Outreach Coordinator &
Pre-OPS Lead

Ryan Rossmango
UCLA Mechanical Engineering, B.S. (2023)
2021 HAcK Mentor

More about Eli

Eli Foerst is a third-year Electrical Engineering student at UCLA with a technical breadth in Technology Management. He has been a member of IEEE at UCLA’s board for two years, first serving as an Open Project Space (OPS) Lead and now as an Outreach Coordinator. He is pursuing a career as a Radio Frequency Engineer to aid in the design of complex telecommunication systems for optimal data capture and performance optimization for high-fidelity systems.

More about Lynne

My name is Lynne Duong and I am a fourth year transfer student from Orange Coast College. Last summer before attending UCLA, I had the opportunity to participate in HAcK and place first with my teammates. Currently, I am a quality engineering intern at an adhesives manufacturing site: Henkel North America, Rancho Dominguez.

More about Mauricio

As a Program Specialist for the MESA|STEM Program at El Camino College, I take great joy in using my Engineering background to give back to the program that provided abundant resources and support to me. My goal is to share my personal and educational journey with students who are following a similar path, empowering them to reach their full potential.

More about Nathan

Hi! I’m Nathan, a Computer Engineering rising Junior at UCLA. I serve as one of the Outreach coordinators for IEEE at UCLA, where I help organize technical workshops at community colleges and assist other schools in developing their own technical programs. I’m excited to be here and get to see everything you all have made!

More about Ryan

I graduated from UCLA in 2023, where I studied mechanical engineering, played club ultimate, and was involved with ASME. Starting full-time work at HRL Laboratories, where I will design mechanical/thermal systems for quantum computers. Enjoys 3D-printing, building things, playing frisbee and baseball, and being active.

Submission Guidelines

 Let’s see what you’ve come up with!  Once you’ve finished perfecting your gauntlet, it’s time to submit your work. We will be doing part of the judging in real-time on the Field of Play, but we still need a couple things from you.

Due Sunday, July 30 at 6 pm
Submit all links to your videos and files through this Google Form: https://forms.gle/L5hQF7Uh9FeTqiHE9. In the Google Form, you will need to submit:

  • Submit your CAD files – Provide confirmation of sharing Google Drive link to your CAD files you used in your final submission with all mentors
  • Share your GitHub repository link – Make sure your GitHub repository is public by the time of submission. It should contain any other files you used in your final submission
  • Share your website – W3Schools Spaces link to your website. With Austin’s code that we have provided, sensors should work on the W3Schools Space website. If W3Schools is not working, leave us a comment in the form, and we will check your website locally.
      • A URL/website title that reflects your team name
      • Integrations with your sensors that display data.
      • A technical report that includes your design specs and these items:
          • Explain why you chose the sensors and how that would benefit for your mission
          • Explain the code that you wrote and why you designed it in that way
          • Explain problems that occurred and how you used the engineering mindset to help you debug the issue
          • Explain how you solve those problems in coding, circuits, and Arduinos, what were the iterations you made to improve on those designs.
          • Explain your iterative design CAD, include screenshots of before and after. Explain why you made those changes
          • This website needs to be aesthetic and pleasing to the eye
There are instructions for sharing your CAD files, GitHub, and website below.
Due Tuesday, August 1, 2023 at 10 AM

All teams will create a Design Review presentation, a ten-minute recorded video that will be reviewed by our panel of HAcK judges.  Your team is responsible for explaining your design process from start to finish including iterations, showcase relevant CAD models and code snippets, show your website, and demonstrate their final gauntlet’s performance.

Detailed Submission Guidelines:

  • Presentations must be 10 minutes or less.  You will need to record the presentation, upload it to YouTube, and submit a link to your recording.
  • All team members must present equally.
  • Here are some guidelines of what should be included in the presentation:
      • The vision of what your gauntlet was supposed to look like and how that vision evolved through HAcK,
      • Show your CAD files and any iterations in design you made.
      • Show your code and explain the challenges you faced and how you overcame it or learned from it,
      • Explanation of what happened when you test your prototype and the iterations you made. Please include the variables you tweaked and measurable tweaks you made (when applicable).
      • What would be the next steps – future design work and/or how you would approach this differently if you were able to start over.
      • Any other meaningful experiences, thoughts, or reflections that will help the judges to understand your work on the project, your ability to engineer, and your use/development of your engineering mind-set.
  • Teams can submit their link to their video recordings and a link to a .pdf of your slides through this Google Form: https://forms.gle/JqvnzoQ2iKAhetij8.  Please make sure your materials are publicly viewable.  Your materials will not be reviewed if we cannot access them.
  • An automatic disqualification will be applied to teams that do not submit all required materials.
GitHub/CAD Files/W3Schools Spaces Submission
  GitHub Instructions:

  • Create a private repository to use during the hackathon. However, before you submit, please make it public so the mentors can view it.
  • Source codes or files on GitHub repository above must reflect the Final Prototype – any unnecessary files or codes must be removed.
  • File names should always have the following format “<TeamName>_<ReasonableNameOfFile>”
    • For example, “TeamHAcK_BluetoothCode.ino”
  • Comments are necessary throughout your code.
  • A README.md file must be included, and it should contain a brief description of each file in your private repository. Follow the template in this link.
  • Submission will be the link to that private repository. Submit your GitHub link here.
  • Helpful Guidelines:
    • Creating your repo and basic GitHub controls in this guide
    • Adding collaborators guide
    • See image below on how to get your link

CAD Files Instructions:

Create one Google Drive named “<team number>: <team name> CAD Submission” (ex “Team 0: Best Team CAD Submission”) with 2 folders inside. 1 folder should be named “Photos” and 1 folder should be named “CAD Files”.

In the folder named “CAD Files”:

  1. Upload all CAD part files (.sldprt files)
  2. Upload one CAD assembly file which puts all the parts together to make your gauntlet(.sldasm file)
  3. Make sure the Drive is public so mentors can view it

The “Photos” folder should contain these 7 photos of your final gauntlet prototype

1. Top down view

2. Front side

3. Side views (From the left)

4. Side views (From the right)

5. Back side

6. Interior of gauntlet (circuits, wiring, etc)

7. A photo of it being worn

W3Schools Space Instructions:

Follow the instructions on this page: https://www.w3schools.com/howto/howto_website_host_staticwebsite.asp

About Us

Meet the Mentors & HAcK Hours
Austin Liu
Electrical Engineering
Transfer from Skyline College

Hi everyone! My name is Austin and I’m a senior Electrical Engineering major. I transferred to UCLA in 2022 from Skyline College in South San Francisco, the city that I grew up in. I’m interested in software, robotics, signal processing, and just generally learning new things. I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing a bunch of different opportunities since coming to UCLA, including (1) designing an Electrocardiogram in ENGR 96, (2) participating in the Aircopter and SPI projects from IEEE, and (3) doing a summer internship abroad in Berlin! Aside from engineering related activities, I enjoy watching movies, trying new foods, and spending my off time just relaxing. I hope you guys have a great experience this summer, and I look forward to meeting you all and watching you HAcK!

HAcK hours:
Friday 10am – 10pm

Sat: 10am-10pm

Sun: 10am – 10pm

Daniel Paul
Aerospace Engineering

Hi guys! My name is Daniel Paul; I am a rising senior majoring in Aerospace Engineering and I’m from San Diego, California. I’ve been part of the hardware team for Uncrewed Aerial Systems at UCLA for the last three years, and I currently serve as the club secretary on the admin board. My passion for engineering was kindled by robotics competitions and hands-on experiences from middle school and high school. I love science-fiction books and movies and playing video games. I can’t wait to meet everyone this summer!

HAcK hours:

Friday 10am – 10pm

Sat: 10am-10pm

Sun: 12 pm – 10pm

Harvey Zhao
Computer Science

My name is Harvey Zhao, and I am a junior studying Computer Science. I have always had a passion for technology and the endless possibilities it offers. As a child, I was fascinated by games and spent countless hours tinkering with them, trying to understand how they worked. In my free time, I love to hike and explore nature. There is something so peaceful about being surrounded by nature and disconnecting from the constant distractions. Hiking allows me to clear my mind and focus on the beauty of the world around me. I am excited to meet you and learn from your stories. Please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions or just want to say hello.

HAcK hours:

Friday 10am – 5pm

Sat: 10am-10pm

Sun: 10am – 10pm

Jessica Chang
Electrical Engineering
Transfer from Foothill College

Hello Everyone! My name is Jessica Chang, and I am a senior studying Electrical Engineering. I come from Kaohsiung, Taiwan, and I am super excited to be one of your HAcK mentors this summer. I transferred from Foothill college to UCLA back in 2021. I also participated in the summer accelerator program like you guys. It was such a great experience, and I met so many friends that later became my study buddies at UCLA. Besides studying, this past year I served as the workshop manager in IEEE at UCLA. It is a student organization that holds all kinds of technical workshops, year-long projects, and socials throughout the year. It became the highlight of my year and I really enjoyed being an officer there. In the future, I would like to go into the field of biomedical devices. Thus, I joined STL research lab led by Professor Candler. I am currently working on a noninvasive glucose detecting device using NMR. If you have any questions about transitioning to UCLA, clubs, research, or in general feel free ask me anytime. I’m looking forward to getting to know all of you this summer! 😀

HAcK hours:

Friday 10am – 10pm

Sat: 10am-10pm

Sun: 10am – 10pm

Rudy Ruiz
Mechanical Engineering

Hi, my name is Rudy Ruiz and I’m a rising 3rd year mechanical engineering major from Los Angeles. At UCLA, I am a part of the Bruin Racing Supermileage Vehicle Team and the Society of Latinx Engineers and Scientists. I have many different hobbies including sports, gaming, photography, and more. I am looking forward to meeting all of you this summer; it should be a lot of learning and fun!

HAcK hours:

Friday 10am – 10pm

Sat: 10am-10pm

Sun: 10am – 10pm

Theo Zhang
Computer Science

I am a rising 3rd year Computer Science Major! I was the 2022-23 Secretary and EDI Chair for IEEE at UCLA and part of the Pocket Racers project. This year, I am the External Vice President for IEEE at UCLA, and I will be organizing IDEA Hacks, the largest hardware hackathon on the West Coast. In my free time, I like to read, write, sew, and garden. I am excited to meet all of you and hope that it will be a fun and educational summer!

HAcK hours:

Friday 10am – 10pm

Sat: 10am-10pm

Sun: 10am – 10pm

Wes Uehara

Hello, my name is Wes Uehara.  I am the Director of the Engineering Transfer Center and look forward to working with all our UCLA Samueli Engineering Transfer Students!  I have worked with for the University of California system since 2000.  First as an academic counselor at UC Irvine.  I joined the Bruin family in 2004 as the Education Director for the Center for Embedded Networked Sensing, a NSF Science & Technology Center headquartered at UCLA Engineering.  In 2012, I transitioned to the Dean’s Team to help run high school outreach programs.  In 2017 I was hired as the School’s first Community College Outreach Coordinator and opened the doors to the Engineering Transfer Center in 2018.  In my free time I enjoy spending time with family and friends.  I am a nomad in spirit and love adventuring off and wandering into the world.  I have been known to dabble in photography, music (I play a little ukulele and piano), and my aging body is trying to transition from running to exercise (like hiking & yoga) that has less impact.  I am not human until I have cups of coffee in the morning.

Meet the Teams

Team 1: Engineering League
Members:

      • Amelie Salas, Mechanical Engineering, El Camino College
      • Gabriel Ramos, Electrical Engineering, El Camino College
      • June Lee, Aerospace Engineering, Irvine Valley College
Team 2
Members:

      • Daisuke Asai, Computer Science & Engineering, El Camino College
      • Kelvin Jiang, Computer Science, De Anza College
      • Ryan Posti, Computer Science, Los Angeles Pierce College
Team 3
Members:

      • Mohamed Elshal, Aerospace Engineering, San Diego City College
      • Naimeh Dughbaj, Mechanical Engineering, El Camino College
      • Xingbo Wu, Computer Science & Engineering, East Los Angeles College
Team 4
Members:

      • Andrea Asprer, Computer Science, El Camino College
      • Christian Gonzalez, Computer Science, Mt. San Antonio College
      • Jaz Reyes, Electrical Engineering, Mission College
Team 5
Members:

      • Jacob White, Electrical Engineering, El Camino College
      • Michael Khojastegan, Computer Science, Santa Monica College
      • Yousra Merzougui, Electrical Engineering, Irvine Valley College
Team 6
Members:

      • Alex Chang, Computer Engineering, Irvine Valley College
      • Brandon Rodmel, Computer Engineering, MiraCosta College
      • Phi Nguyen, Computer Science, Moorpark College
Team 7
Members:

      • Christopher Maruca, Computer Science, American River College
      • Christophyer Payan, Electrical Engineering, El Camino College
      • Jesse Kimie-Brylka, Mechanical Engineering, Foothill College
Team 8
Members:

      • Antonio Ramirez, Mechanical Engineering, Moorpark College
      • Jonathan Kim, Electrical Engineering, El Camino College
      • Lyra Latifi, Computer Science & Engineering, Diablo Valley College
Team 9
Members:

      • Alireza Shahnazari, Electrical Engineering, Los Angeles Harbor College
      • Huu Nhan Nguyen, Computer Science, De Anza College
      • Mario Flores-Martinez, Computer Science, Los Angeles Trade Tech
Team 10
Members:

      • Chloe Nguyen, Chemical Engineering, Orange Coast College
      • Derek Nguyen, Electrical Engineering, Irvine Valley College
      • Sina Ghadimi, Electrical Engineering, West Valley College
Team 11
Members:

      • Ali Shreif, Electrical Engineering, El Camino College
      • Devon Wong, Computer Science, Pasadena City College
      • Cameron Fish, Electrical Engineering, City College of San Francisco
Team 12
Members:

      • Josh Yeh, Computer Science, Pasadena City College
      • Thu Nguyen, Chemical Engineering, College of the Desert
      • Tahbert Bui, Mechanical Engineering, Mt. San Jacinto College
Team 13
Members:

      • David Nguyen, Computer Science & Engineering, Cypress College
      • Lito Lawrence Go, Mechanical Engineering, El Camino College
      • Riley Jahanshahi, Computer Engineering, Irvine Valley College
Team Registration
Team registration is due by Friday, July 28, 2023 at 12 AM. One submission per team.

Register your team here: https://forms.gle/BMUEbVk5Y2Xa83F18

Teams are required to include their team name, logo design, team photo, and the names of their individual team members.

Guidelines for team name and logo – please have fun with this; but, keep in mind that it will be what is published and shown to judges and donors.  Your logo must be 2 x 2 inches max.  Canva is a great resource if you want it to look fancy.

Guidelines for team photo – all members need to be in the picture along with your team name.

Example logo from 2022 HAcK.

Schedule

HAcK Specialized Training & Reveal (virtual)

Monday, July 24, 2023 | 6 – 9 PM | virtual
HAcK Training Day 1 – Moving Parts
With Rudy

Session slides

Tuesday, July 25, 2023 | 6 – 9 PM | virtual
HAcK Training Day 2 – Ring LED & ESP
With Jessica & Austin

Session slides

Link to recording

Wednesday, July 26, 2023 | 6 – 9 PM | virtual
HAcK Training Day 3 – Git & Project Management
With Jessica, Austin, Harvey, and Theo

Session slides

Thursday, July 27, 2023 | 6 – 9 PM | virtual
HAcK Reveal & Team Assignments
All mentors

Session slides

Link to Basic Training workshops & recordings
HAcK Competition

Map and Driving Directions for Day 1
Map and Driving Directiosn for Day 2 & 3

HAcK Day 1 – Friday, July 28, 2023 | 10 AM – 10 PM | In-person or remote (if out of area)

      • 10:00 AM | In-person check-in
      • 10:00 – 1:00 PM | Team planning & design work Mong Auditorium (Engineering 6 Room 180)
      • 1:00 – 2:00 PM | Lunch (Subway)
      • 2:00 – 5:00 PM | HAcK work continues
      • 5:00 – 6:00 PM | Dinner (Panda Express)
      • 6:00 – 10:00 PM | Fabrication work begins (UCLA Engineering MakerSpace – Boelter Room 1805)
      • 10:00 PM | Prototype check-in & MakerSpace closes.  Good night.

HAcK Day 2 – Saturday, July 29, 2023 | 10 AM – 10 PM | In-person or remote (if out of area)

      • 10:00 AM | In-person check-in.  Snack barn opens.
      • 10:00 – 1:00 PM | HAcK work continues
      • 1:00 – 2:00 PM | Lunch (Chipotle)
      • 2:00 – 6:00 PM | HAcK work continues
      • 6:00 – 7:00 PM | Dinner(Ono Hawaiian BBQ)
      • 7:00 – 10:00 PM | HAcK work continues
      • 10:00 PM | Prototype check-in & MakerSpace closes. Good night.

HAcK Day 3 – Sunday, July 30, 2023 | 10 AM – 10 PM | In-person or remote (if out of area)

      • 10:00 AM | In-person check-in
      • 10:00 – 1:00 PM | HAcK work continues
      • 1:00 – 2:00 PM | Lunch (Sunnin – Falafel or Chicken kebab wraps)
      • 2:00 – 6:00 PM | HAcK work continues
      • 6:00 – 7:00 PM | Dinner (In & Out)
      • 7:00 – 8:00 PM | Prep for Final Prototype Testing
      • 8:00 – 9:30 PM | Final Prototype Testing & Recording
      • 9:30 – 10:00 PM | HAcK Debreif
      • 10:00 PM | Technical portion of HAcK ends.  Good night.
      • 12 AM | Supplemental Materials due (see submission guidelines for instructions)

Tuesday,  August 1, 2023 | 10 AM | Deadline to submit design review presentation

Saturday, August 5, 2023 | 9 AM – 12 PM | HAcK Competition Awards Ceremony (virtual) – invite your family to attend!

Benchmarks & Timeline
Friday July 28:

      • MakerSpace will be open at 5 PM.
      • Teams should have finished design work for their first prototype and begun assembly by the end of the day.

Saturday July 29:

      • Testing stations for prototype testing will be open at the start of the day.
      • Teams should have tested their first prototype by the end of the day.

Sunday July 30:

      • Hacking ends at 6 pm. Any teams still hacking after this time will be disqualified.
      • The field of play will open at 6 pm and there will be a predetermined order of teams for the final competition, to be released

Sustenance at HAcK

Friday, July 28, 2023

      • Lunch – Subway box lunches*
          • Turkey, Italian BMT, Cold Cut combo sandwiches
          • Chips and a cookie
      • Dinner – Panda Express*
          • White rice, fried rice, chow mein, broccoli beef, orange chicken, kung pao chicken, and eggplant tofu
Saturday, July 29, 2023

      • Lunch – Chipotle burritos*
          • Choice of chicken, carnitas, or steak burritos
          • 1 Sofritas and 1 vegetarian burrito
      • Dinner – Ono Hawaiian Barbecue Aloha plates*
          • Choice of BBQ Chicken, BBQ Beef, Chicken Katsu
          • 2 White fish plates
Sunday, July 30, 2023

      • Lunch – Sunnin*
        • Choice of chicken or falafel wraps
        • Chips
      • Dinner – In & Out
        • Cheeseburger & fries
Snack Barn – opens on Day 2 and will be stocked with a limited amount of snacks and beverages for meals.  Please limit your consumption as items will NOT be restocked.  When taking something from the refrigerator, please replace the item from the stock-pile. No eating or drinking in the MakerSpace!

*Please plan your own meals if you have strict dietary restrictions and/or if you think you’ll need more than what we are providing.  Please keep in mind that we do not have refrigeration available. 

Communication & Fun Stuff at HAcK

Team Channels on the ETC Discord Server

The HAcK Team has created a channel on the ETC Discord Server for each of your teams.  Only the mentors and your team mates will be able to access your team Discord Channel.  Please feel free to use this to communicate with your mentors and teammates.  For assistance, please contact Harvey Zhao at zichengzhao@g.ucla.edu. 

 

Pick-up Zoom Sessions

There may be a need to communicate with all HAcKers (remote and in-person).  Please utilize this Zoom session anytime we need an all group chat during HAcK: https://ucla.zoom.us/j/91506143060?pwd=VjVlK1Mwd0tuMFNQM1VsTytzM1lnUT09

 

Add your HAcK photos here: add your photos to the Basic Training Fun Stuff channel!

Help us to make some capture some memories from HAcK and for those of you participating remotely.  Add your pics to the Google Folder!

 

HAcK Juke Box – https://forms.gle/Jprf964FH2jaStsm8
Help us to create the playlist of music to play at HAcK.  Please keep it clean and respectful!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What should I bring to HAcK?
Please bring a laptop with the Arduino IDE and SolidWorks downloaded if you have one, as all teams will need at least one shared laptop with each software. Please also bring a refillable water bottle.  You’ll need closed toed shoes, fitted clothing, and something to tie your hair back if you have long hair.
Do I need to have participated in Basic Training in order to participate in HAcK?

Yes, participation in Basic Training is required for participation in HAcK. Basic Training provides a lot of valuable skills designed to support students through the HAcK project, which is why we require participation in both programs. However, if you were unable to attend all of Basic Training synchronously, please let Wes and the mentors know and they can coordinate with how to best assist you.

I'm not able to attend in-person for some or all of the days of HAcK. Can I still participate?
Likely yes, but let Wes and the mentors know. We’re making sure to divide the teams such that at least one person on each team will be able to attend in-person, so if you physically cannot be in-person, please contact Wes and the mentors if you haven’t already to let them know your situation.
When will we find out more about the HAcK project?
The HAcK design challenge will be announced July 27, 2023 at the 2023 HAcK Reveal!
Can we choose our own teams?
Because it’s important for the teams to be evenly balanced, teams will be selected by the mentors in order to ensure that all teams will have a variety of prior skill-sets represented, as well as include at least one person who has indicated that they will be attending the HAcK in-person. Stay tuned for the team announcements at the Reveal!
Will meals be provided during HAcK?
Yes, lunch and dinner will be provided during the three days of the HAcK competition (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday). We will do our best to accommodate dietary restrictions indicated during registration.  We recommend that you provide your own meal accommodations if you have strict requirements.
Can I bring my own tools, parts or supplies.
The short answer is no.  We want to provide an even playing field for all participants.  Teams should not win because they have their own supplies, access to equipment, etc.

You should not be using any parts or supplies that are not provided to you by HAcK and you shouldn’t be using any of your own tools beyond laptops, calculators, writing tools, etc.  If you have questions or ideas please contact a mentor.

Do I have to work at UCLA?
Yes.  Members working on their team’s prototypes should be working in the MakerSpace where the prototype-testing stations will be located.  Please check-in and out with a mentor each day.  If you are not working on the prototype; then you are able to participate remotely.  If you have questions or concerns about this please contact one of the mentors.

Please email the eTransfer Center for additional questions or concerns at etransfercenter@hsseas.ucla.edu.