1. The challenge will be announced  on October 6 on-site 🙂
2. The challenge lasts 24 hours from the moment the timer starts. Teams must stop hacking once the time is up. No code added to GitLab account after the timer stopped will be taken into account. However, teams are allowed to debug and make small fixes to their programs after time is up, e.g. during demoing your scene you find a bug that breaks your application and the fix is only a few lines of code, it’s okay to fix that. Making large changes or adding new features is not allowed. Adding new features to existing projects is allowed. Judges will only consider new functionality introduced or new features added during the hackathon in determining the winners. 
3. At the end you will be given 10 minutes to present your project. The jury will decide your score on the basis of the criteria below. You should start to work on the presentation/demo at least one hour before the timer stops.
4. Teams may have a maximum of 5 members, including remote participants. Participants who want to switch teams after the timer has started need to receive acceptance of organizers. 
5. Teams should be made up exclusively of accepted hackers who are not organizers, volunteers, mentors, judges, sponsors, or any other privileged position at the Hackathon.
6. Individual team members can leave the Hackathon area at any time, although team members not present during the pitches are removed from the Hackathon.
7. Teams can gain advice and support from all organizers and all mentors. All work on a project must be done at the hackathon. Teams can use libraries, frameworks, or open-source code in their projects. Working on a project before the event and open-sourcing it for the sole purpose of using the code during the event is against the spirit of the rules and is not allowed.
8. Projects and behaviours that violate the basic code of conduct (see FAQ) are not allowed. Repeated behaviour violating CoC will result in immediate removal from the Hackathon. Just be kind to others.
9. Prizes will be shared by winning team members on a basis of a separate contract signed with respective sponsors or their legal representatives.

Everyone is welcome! Attendees from all backgrounds, skills, genders, and geographies are welcome. We accept a wide range of applicants, from beginners, to experienced AR/VR hackathon veterans. No prior AR/VR or programming experience is required (provided there is at least one coder in the team).

While no prior AR/VR programming experience is necessary to participate, we highly recommend that each team includes at least one member with some coding background to facilitate the development process.

No prior experience is required! Any prior experience is always useful; however, we will have lots of helpful design, platform and vertical workshops for those new to VR/AR and for experienced designers and developers seeking to improve their skills.

We prefer that you come as an individual and form a team with new people that you meet here! Last year, all the members on the winning team became acquainted at the hackathon. They created memorable experiences together and found lifetime friendships. It’s the spirit of the hackathon this year. All the members also have to register for the event individually. One participant cannot represent a group to register for the hackathon. You should enter your teams name in the registration form, however.

While forming teams before the hackathon is completely fine, we want to highlight the unique opportunities that come with meeting and teaming up with new people during the event. Fresh collaborations often lead to unexpected, innovative solutions and foster a rich learning environment.To facilitate this spirit of spontaneity and creativity, our registration process encourages individuals to come ready to form new alliances. Judges will be particularly interested in the innovative outcomes from teams that harness diverse perspectives. So, we invite you to come open to new connections and ready to name your newly-formed team in the application form. 

We encourage you to join a team on site or online. You can find people to work with either on the dedicated Discord channel or during Matchmaking events on October 4 and 5 (see VR Summit Schedule

Don’t worry. We will find you someone in Bochum to team up with during the matchmaking events. Feel free to also use the Discord channel for this.

All IP produced during the Hackathon is required to be registered in the public domain under an open source license without residual rights to the IP and available for public use. The spirit of the Hackathon is to encourage innovation and collaboration. We want any developments created during the Hackathon to be openly shared with other participants after the event to foster further development for the benefit of the greater good and to be available to the public to spread awareness and appreciation of the creations made during the Hackathon.

Additionally, we would like to cut out the potential for any conflict resulting from the creations. We want participants to meet new people, form interdisciplinary teams that create original work that deepens our understanding of how XR technology can be applied, and, at the same time avoid any potential for IP disputes. RUB also has IP policies regarding creations by its students. Open source licensing avoids potential conflicts arising from having an RUB student team member. Lastly, IP protection often covers creations which are more fully developed. We expect that most material created over the weekend to be in a preliminary phase which may not be suitable for IP protection. If you object to registering your work made during the Hackathon in the public domain with no residual rights, please do not participate in the event.

Our hackathon stands out due to its unique requirement that all project sources be available for open and free redistribution. This means the use of assets from sources such as the Unity asset store, which cannot be freely shared, is prohibited. A good rule of thumb to ensure compliance is to ask yourself whether anyone, anywhere in the world, could download, run, modify, and redistribute your application without encountering any license or copyright fees.

If you’re unsure where to find assets that comply with these rules, don’t hesitate to reach out. The hackathon team is more than happy to assist you in finding resources that can be used for your projects.

For further clarity and guidance, please refer to the ‘hackathon rules’ section, which outlines the essential regulations all participants must adhere to.”

It’s free, there are no fees to attend the event! You just need to cover your own travel and lodging. We will provide you with some food and beverages.

Yes. Each team gets an Meta Quest Pro to work with plus a big screen for remote collaboration and presentation. If you have any equipment and can bring it (desktops/laptops/monitors/HMDs), you should bring it. Please email us about this if you have further questions.

All attendees are required to bring a valid ID (or driver’s license / passport) for admission. Also, bring your laptop, and any hardware you wish to use in your hack. As mentioned we will have sponsors loaning out VR headsets!

Yes. The RUB Makerspace will be open overnight. Entrance will be allowed only to Hackathon participants.

As RUB Makerspace is hosting the Hackathon as a guest event, we respect their house rules. Some spaces will be clearly marked as excluded from use. Entering these spaces will result in automatic elimination of the whole team.

We provide a basic Unity environment. You are welcome to build on any hardware and software platform your team prefers, granting you the freedom to fully unleash your creativity. We only ask you that you adhere to the event rules of the event. So, go ahead – we can’t wait to see what you’ll create!

We will have rolling admissions. You will receive an email from us to notify you of your acceptance status shortly after your submission. Applications are open until the time we are near our limit of 50 participants.

The MakerSpace is located inside the O-Werk building.

When your application form goes through you will receive a confirmation of transmission on the website that reads: “Thank you for your submission! We’ll keep you posted.” You should also receive an email.

Do not resubmit your application form. Just email your resume to us as an attachment. We will match it with your application. Please email your resume to VRSummit@rub.de using the same email included with your application. And please include your name in the filename of the resume.

We’d love to help you out 🙂