SIMATS SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING • DEPARTMENT OF MACHINE LEARNING PRESENTS

AASHAV

THE HOPE/ 2026

"Build what tomorrow needs."

A National-grade inter-college hybrid hackathon solving real-world high-impact problem statements.

1–4 MEMBERS
HYBRID (ONLINE + OFFLINE)
HARDWARE & SOFTWARE TRACKS
5 WINNING TEAMS HONORED
EXPLORE PROBLEMS
001 /MISSION & PHILOSOPHY

WHY AASHAV?

"Not just another hackathon. A proving ground for real-world technical innovation."

Engineered at SIMATS School of Engineering to bridge academic learning with competitive technical execution.

Aashav (Meaning "The hope") was conceived to solve a systemic gap in traditional student hackathons: the reliance on generic surface-level prototypes.

By leveraging authentic high-impact national & industry problem statements, Aashav provides student teams with an invaluable opportunity to understand complex problem statements, construct resilient system architectures, and deliver pitch-ready technical implementations.

Whether participating online or on-campus at SIMATS School of Engineering, your team will undergo rigorous evaluations designed to simulate national-level hackathon pressure.

Both Software & Hardware tracks are fully supported. Teams building physical hardware prototypes (IoT, embedded systems, robotics, smart sensor networks) and software applications (AI/ML, Web, Mobile, Cloud, GIS) compete under tailored evaluation rubrics focusing on technical depth, execution completeness, and architectural defense.

Teams are also strongly encouraged to bring their own problem statements, as long as the proposed challenge is meaningful, addresses a real-world civic or industry problem, and presents genuine technical depth.

All solutions will be rigorously evaluated by technical jury panels across multiple key metrics including completeness, real-world impact, usability, and technical feasibility.

EXPERT JURY EVALUATION & TECHNICAL ARCHITECTURE DEFENSE

REAL PROBLEMS

Problem statements adapted from real-world industry and civic challenges, ensuring authentic engineering relevance.

INDUSTRY THINKING

Move beyond toy applications. Architect scalable, production-ready solutions evaluated on code quality and technical depth.

RAPID BUILDING

Experience high-intensity development under strict timed constraints mirroring national competition pressure.

SOLO OR TEAMWORK

Participate solo or form 1–4 member teams to build and defend your technical solution before jury panels.

NATIONAL PREPARATION

Gain tactical experience presenting to technical panels and defending architectural choices prior to major national challenges.

INITIALIZING MISSION COUNTDOWN ENGINE...
003 /AT A GLANCE SPECIFICATIONS
SPEC 01 // EVENT DATE
29 AUGUST 2026
SATURDAY • 08:30 AM — 03:30 PM IST
SPEC 02 // VENUE LOCATION
SIMATS School of Engineering
CAMPUS ARENA & VIRTUAL HYBRID ROOMS
HYBRID HOSTING
SPEC 03 // PARTICIPATION TRACKS
SOFTWARE + HARDWARE
BOTH TRACKS FULLY SUPPORTED
SPEC 04 // SQUAD STRUCTURE
1–4 MEMBERS
SOLO OR TEAMS UP TO 4 ALLOWED
SPEC 05 // HONORED TEAMS
5 TEAMS
HONORED AS WINNERS
004 /TECHNICAL DOSSIER & PROBLEM STATEMENTS

CHOOSE THE PROBLEM
YOU WANT TO SOLVE.

Choose from the problem statements below or bring your own
We welcome custom real-world problem statements!

SOFTWARE TRACK

AI/ML, Web, Mobile, Cloud, GIS & Data Analytics

01 / 08
SW-08
Disaster Management & Emergency Response

DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE SYSTEM

Develop an intelligent disaster preparedness and response platform integrating real-time hazard monitoring, AI-based risk prediction, evacuation planning, resource coordination, and emergency communication to enhance public safety and enable rapid disaster response.

Software
SW-01
Smart Cities & Public Safety

SMART TOURIST SAFETY MONITORING & INCIDENT RESPONSE SYSTEM USING AI AND GEO-FENCING

Develop an AI-powered tourist safety platform integrating real-time geo-fencing, emergency incident detection, live location sharing, and automated alert mechanisms to enhance traveler safety and enable rapid emergency response.

SoftwareDOSSIER ACTIVE
SW-02
Transportation & Intelligent Mobility

AI-POWERED PRECISE TRAIN TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEM

Design an AI-driven railway traffic management system utilizing predictive scheduling, real-time train tracking, conflict detection, and route optimization algorithms to maximize section throughput while improving operational safety and efficiency.

Software

HARDWARE TRACK

IoT, Embedded Systems, Robotics, Sensors & Microgrids

01 / 08
HW-08
Agriculture, FoodTech & Rural Development

INTELLIGENT PESTICIDE SPRINKLING SYSTEM

Develop a low-cost intelligent pesticide sprinkling system integrating computer vision, HSV color thresholding, and precision spray actuators to detect plant leaf infection severity and automatically apply proportional pesticide dosage while minimizing chemical overuse without requiring machine learning models.

Hardware
HW-01
Assistive Technology

ECHOLOCATE — INDOOR NAVIGATION FOR THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED USING ULTRASONIC MESH

Develop a wearable indoor navigation system integrating ultrasonic ranging sensors, inertial motion tracking, and haptic feedback actuators to assist visually impaired users in safely navigating complex indoor environments without GPS or beacon-based infrastructure.

Hardware + SoftwareDOSSIER ACTIVE
HW-02
Industrial Safety & Wearables

SMART HELMET FOR MINE WORKER SAFETY MONITORING

Engineer a rugged smart safety helmet featuring multi-gas sensors, temperature monitoring, impact detection, and wireless telemetry to continuously monitor underground mine conditions and instantly alert control centers during hazardous incidents.

Hardware
005 /HORIZONTAL MISSION ROADMAP

EXECUTION TIMELINE

Signal path tracking from team registration to the Valedictory Ceremony on 29 August 2026.

07 AUG 2026START

Registration Opens

Official portal opens for solo participants and 1–4 member team registrations.

PHASE 01
27 AUG 2026 — 02:00 PMDEADLINE

Registration Closes

Strict submission cutoff. No late team registrations will be accepted.

PHASE 01
27 AUG 2026 — Before 10:00 PMANNOUNCEMENT

Selected Team List Announced

Shortlisted teams notified via official channel & dashboard.

PHASE 02
28 AUG 2026 — Before 10:00 PMCONFIRMATION

Selected Teams Must Confirm Participation

Mandatory confirmation cutoff to secure hybrid hackathon slots.

PHASE 02
29 AUG 2026 — 08:30 AMAddress the crowd

Inauguration

Opening keynote, briefing on problem constraints, and mentor allocation.

PHASE 03
29 AUG 2026 — 09:00 AMLIVE CODE

Hackathon Begins

Countdown clock triggers. Teams start rapid prototyping & development.

PHASE 03
29 AUG 2026 — 12:30 PMEvaluation

First Round Evaluation

Mid-way progress checkpoint & architectural review by industry judges.

PHASE 03
29 AUG 2026 — 02:30 PMCODE FREEZE

Hackathon Ends + Final Evaluation

Repository freeze, code submission, and final jury presentation pitching.

PHASE 03
29 AUG 2026 — 03:00 PMCEREMONY

Valedictory Ceremony + Winner Announcement

Closing ceremony and formal honoring of the 5 winning teams.

PHASE 03
➔ SWIPE OR SCROLL HORIZONTALLY TO EXPLORE ROADMAP
006 /CHIEF GUESTS & EVALUATORS

EMINENT INDUSTRY LEADERS & JURY

Meet our distinguished chief guests and technical evaluators bringing industry benchmark standards and expert guidance to Aashav 2026.

Ananth Krishna S
CHIEF GUEST & EVALUATOR

Ananth Krishna S

Project Manager — Engineering

Kellogg Brown and Root (KBR)

IET Executive Member, Chennai Local Network

Engineering and project management leader with over 18 years of experience executing high-value international energy, oil & gas, and infrastructure projects across global giants including BP, Exxon, and Saudi Aramco. Chartered Engineer (UK) dedicated to mentoring future engineering talent.

18+ Years International Engineering Leadership
Chartered Engineer (UK) & IET Executive Member
IET Chennai Men Engineer Award 2022 Recipient
Kadiyala Vaisshnavi
CHIEF GUEST & EVALUATOR

Kadiyala Vaisshnavi

Manager — Active Safety & ADAS Team

Daimler India Commercial Vehicles

YP Secretary, IET Chennai | YP Member, IET Bangalore

Innovation-driven ADAS and Active Safety engineering manager at Daimler India specializing in autonomous safety systems, electric vehicle infrastructure, and smart IoT automation. Published IEEE researcher and recipient of the Best Women Engineer Award.

Active Safety & ADAS Manager at Daimler India
Published IEEE International Conference Researcher
Best Women Engineer Award Recipient
007 /HYBRID VENUE & PHYSICAL LOCATION

WHERE HOPE BEGINS

SIMATS School of Engineering

Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai, Tamil Nadu

COORDINATES: 13.0298° N, 79.9723° E
HYBRID ROOMS + ON-CAMPUS ARENA
SIMATS School of Engineering Campus
05
HONORED WINNERS
008 /RECOGNITION & HONORS

FIVE TEAMS WILL BE HONORED AS WINNERS.

At the conclusion of the final evaluation on 29 August 2026, selected 5 teams will be honored at the Valedictory Ceremony and awarded official Winner Certificates with Medals. All participating teams will receive official Participation Certificates.

WINNERS: MEDALS & CERTIFICATES

The 5 winning teams will be awarded official Winner Certificates along with Medals.

PARTICIPANTS

All participating teams that present their solution will receive official Participation Certificates.

009 /DIRECT INQUIRIES & SUPPORT

NEED ANSWERS?

Talk to the Aashav team.

Have questions regarding registration eligibility, hybrid participation, problem statements, or venue? Reach out directly to our Head Coordinator or Faculty Coordinator.

Head Coordinator

S Tanveer Muhammed

SIMATS SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING • DEPARTMENT OF MACHINE LEARNING
Faculty Coordinator

Dr Mahaboob Basha

SIMATS SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING • DEPARTMENT OF MACHINE LEARNING
010 /FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

CLEARING ALL DOUBTS

Everything you need to know about team constraints, selection rules, and event logistics for Aashav 2026.

Solo participants are welcome! Teams can consist of 1 to 4 members. Cross-disciplinary collaboration is encouraged.