Best Overall - Sponsored by Vitech

Awarded to the best software or hardware project overall. $3000 Amazon gift card split with the winning team.

Best Design

A project that delivers a polished, well-thought-out user experience. Bohm Bluetooth Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones for each member.

Most Technically Challenging Hack

Push the limits of technology with a unique, ambitious, and technically interesting project. One Amazon Fire for each member.

Best DIY Project

Create a hardware project from individual components: wires, sensors, microcontrollers, solder, and breadboards encouraged. One Bluetooth Sound Bar for each member.

Best VR/AR Hack

For the project with the best use of virtual or augmented reality. One Bnext 3D VR Headset for every member.

Best Use of Machine Learning

Show off a novel and interesting use of machine learning libraries or techniques. Echo Dot for each team member.

Best Use of Data Visualization

Visualize, analyze, or represent data in an interesting and beautiful way. Wacom digital drawing and graphics tablet for each member.

Best Internet of Things Hack

Use phyiscal sensors or devices to create a hack that connects hardware via the cloud. Cheerwing Syma X5SW-V3 Drone for each team member.

Made My Day

For a whimsical project that makes the judges smile :) One ice cream Pusheen plush for each member.

Audience Choice

The project that garners the most votes during the closing ceremony. One Anker Bluetooth speaker for each member.

Biggest Failure to Launch

For the team with the most spectacular last-minute flop. One stuffed tiger for each member.

Best Voice User Experience Using Amazon Alexa - Sponsored by Amazon (2)

Amazon Tap and Echo Dot for each person on the winning team

Best Use of Watson IoT - Sponsored by IBM

Leverage the power of cognitive computing and connect your IoT sensors to the the Watson IoT Platform in awe inspiring ways. The IBM Watson Cognitive Challenge will award the winning team for the best use of Watson Cognitive and Bluemix API. One Apple Beats Solo3 Wireless headphone for each member.

Best Financial Hack - Sponsored By Capital One

Projects submitted to this category do not not have to be specific to Capital One.

Nessie is Capital One’s Hackathon API that gives you access to a multitude of real public-facing data - such as ATM and bank branch locations - along with mock customer account data. Use HTTP requests to set up peer-to-peer transactions, simulate a weekly paycheck, or even schedule bills for customers! This is all structured in a way that resembles how we actually run things here at Capital One. You have the power of the bank at your fingertips – how will you reimagine banking? $250 Amazon gift cards to each member of the winning team.

Best First-Time Hack - Sponsored by Honeywell

For the newbie team who best demonstrates new hackathon skills. To qualify, a strict majority of the team must be attending their first hackathon, and you should demonstrate how your first-time attendees contributed to the project. One Chromecast for each member.

Best Emerging Platforms Hack - Sponsored by Viacom

Philips Hue Lightstrips and a Hue Bridge will be given to each member of the team that creates the most creative and technically impressive media-focused hack using emerging platforms, including Internet of Things, VR/AR, and so on.

Best Use of Cloud Services - Sponsored by Linode

The group that best utilizes the cloud. Das Keyboard 4 Professional Mechanical Keyboards for each member.

Best Use of JSL Dataset - Sponsored by John Snow Labs

The group that best uses the JSL dataset. The winning team will receive:
- All-you-can-eat, always-up-to-date, clean data from our entire catalog for a year
- A feature on our blog and social media, for both the project and the team members
- Our team will curate 3 datasets specifically for the needs of their project, and provide free updates, for a year

Impact and Innovation Prize - Sponsored by the AI for Good Foundation

Prize: $500 (and a chance to win up to $7,500 and a trip to present at the world's most prestigious data science conference)! Do you want your hacking to make a difference to millions of lives around the world? Join the AI for Good Foundation's Global Food Security Challenge! By making use of extensive crop data, plant genetics, soil, climate, and more, create new tools and analysis that help farmers and decision makers to make better decisions about what to grow, where, and the logistics surrounding it. Our world is running out of cropland. We’ll add 2 billion more people by the year 2050, but we’re currently using our arable land and water 50 percent faster than the planet can sustain. At the same time, the crops farmers plant face an unprecedented set of obstacles due to increasingly limited growing conditions and climate change. How will we be able to grow enough food to meet world demand?

Data is immediately accessible by registering at: https://www.ideaconnection.com/Syngenta-AI-Challenge/

Our forum will be staffed to answer questions throughout the competition: https://competitions.codalab.org/forums/12934/

Our data scientist will be on call at mahima.agarwal@gmail.com, in case the forum has issues.

BONUS: Don't forget to submit your projects to the AI Challenge as explained on the website, for a chance to win additional prizes ($7,500) and an all-expenses trip to present at the world's most prestigious data science conference!

Best Use of Amazon Web Services

$250 Amazon Web Services Credit

Best Domain Name from Domain.com

Domain.com Swag Bags

#HackHarassment

Use your tech skills for good and hack online harassment! Build a software solution that can help reduce the frequency and/or severity of online harassment. Members of the winning team receive Hack Harassment Battery Packs!

Best Princeton Sustainability App - Sponsored by the Office of Sustainability

Awarded to the best sustainability-related software project designed for Princeton students. Portable Solar Charger for each team member! Visit sustain.princeton.edu/tigerenergy for Princeton’s live energy data streams and more. At least one team member must be a Princeton student to be eligible.

Best Princeton TigerApp - Sponsored by USG Labs

Awarded to the best software project designed for Princeton students. Apple Watch for each member! Build a new TigerApp and we'll help you get it in the hands of students. Sponsored by USG Labs, the program that helps students build TigerApps. See labs.tigerapps.org for project ideas and more.

Runner-up Best Princeton TigerApp - Sponsored by USG Labs