Nov 14, 2026

Cornell Physical IntelligenceCUPICornell Entrepreneurship ClubCEC

The SO-101 robot arm, printed in fine white lines among contour stripes on black.
2026

Cornell University Physical Hackathon

11.14Duffield Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca
Registration opens soon

With support from

A week to design. A day to make it work.

The Cornell University Physical Hackathon is for builders who want to make real world impact.

Teams will have a week to plan and design working solutions to challenges, then have a day on site to integrate and test on real robots.

Date
Saturday, November 14, 2026
Time
To be announced
Close photograph of a silicon wafer, its rows of dies catching iridescent light.
Fig. 1 Compute
A Bambu Lab H2C 3D printer with its AMS 2 Pro unit on top, four spools of filament in white, blue, green and red.
Fig. 2 Bambu Lab H2C
7
days to plan and design, in simulation
1
day on site to integrate and test on real robots
3D
printers and extra hardware on the floor
Unlimited
cloud and AI compute

Robots for food, in the field or in the kitchen.

Hardware and a software SDK are provided. Teams arrive with simulation-tested stacks and compete live.

Rows of lettuce seedlings in a dark greenhouse under magenta grow lights.
Fig. 3 Field
A single brown egg standing on brushed steel against black.
Fig. 4 Kitchen

A week in simulation, then a day on real robots.

  1. The SO-101 robot arm standing upright, printed in fine white lines among blue contour stripes on black.
    01

    Design week

    7 daysPlan and design in simulation

    Teams pick a challenge and build their stack against the SDK, testing in simulation before anything touches hardware.

  2. The SO-101 robot arm bent low over the bench to pick, printed in white lines among red contour stripes on black.
    02

    Build day

    1 dayIntegrate and test on real robots

    A day on site at Duffield Hall with 3D printers, extra hardware and unlimited cloud and AI compute.

  3. The SO-101 robot arm reaching out across red, blue and green contour stripes on black.
    03

    Compete live

    LiveThe robots run in front of the judges

    Simulation-tested stacks meet the real world. Teams compete live, on the day.