Mission Autonomy Hackathon at Vanderbilt (Oct 6–10, 2025)
Date: Oct 06, 2025 – Oct 10, 2025
Location: Nashville, TN
Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Vanderbilt University invite your students to participate in the Mission Autonomy Hackathon, an immersive five-day event advancing innovation in autonomous systems. The hackathon will be held October 6–10, 2025, with sessions at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN.
This national event will bring together over 100 student participants from universities across the country. Working in teams of 6–7, students will engage in a multi-phase challenge that mirrors real-world autonomous operations, spanning pre-mission planning through post-mission analysis. The autonomous missions will be based on real-world scenarios including Maritime Infrastructure Protection, Drone Swarm Reconnaissance, Disaster Response Coordination, and Supply Chain Protection among others.
Guided by expert mentors from academia, industry, and defense, participants will:
- Develop prototypes using AWS cloud services, edge AI/ML, and advanced modeling and simulation tools.
- Address complex operational problems in areas such as edge AI/ML, global infrastructure integration, and rapid capability deployment.
- Compete for $70,000 in awards, including a $25,000 grand prize, with evaluation criteria emphasizing technical innovation, integration strategy, and critical analysis.
The Mission Autonomy Hackathon provides students with a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience, expand their technical skills, and contribute to the future of autonomy research and innovation. Complementing the hands-on work, the hackathon will feature keynotes from distinguished experts in government, academia, and AWS, providing students with valuable insights into the state of research and practice in autonomous systems.
Key Details
Dates and Venue
- Oct 6–8: Holiday Inn Vanderbilt, 2613 West End Ave, Nashville, TN
- Oct 9–10: Featheringill Hall, 400 24th Ave S, Nashville, TN
(The first three days will be held at a hotel conference space for plenary sessions and team launches, followed by final presentations, judging, and an award ceremony at Vanderbilt’s engineering building. Both venues are within walking distance.)
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, snacks, and beverages will be provided each day.
Travel and Lodging: Participants are responsible for their own travel and accommodations. A discounted room block is available at the Holiday Inn Vanderbilt at $149/night plus tax. A booking link will be provided upon registration.
Registration and Teams: Students should register as a complete team of 6-7 members. Team formation is not managed by the organizers.
Technical Environment: The event will make use of AWS services (including IoT Greengrass, SageMaker, and others) in combination with industry-standard simulation tools. Participants will primarily work in Python, C++ and related languages, and are encouraged to work with state-of-the-art AI/ML algorithms and simulation tools (Gazebo, Unity, Nvidia Isaac Sim, Air Sim etc.). Participants are encouraged to use their own computing devices in addition to AWS cloud resources. Additional information, including links to documentation of AWS services, will be made available on the registration site.
Registration Deadline: September 23, 2025
Registration & Details: aws-mission-autonomy-hackathon.splashthat.com
Point of Contact: Katie Dey (katie.dey@vanderbilt.edu)
We invite you to share this opportunity with your students and research networks. More information, including award criteria, scoring process, and technical outcomes, will be available on the registration site.
Thank you for helping us inspire and equip the next generation of innovators in shaping the future of autonomy and autonomous systems.
Sincerely,
Mission Autonomy Hackathon Planning Team
Michael Almeida, Amazon Web Services
Sandeep Neema, Vanderbilt University
Submitted by Regan Williams
on
Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Vanderbilt University invite your students to participate in the Mission Autonomy Hackathon, an immersive five-day event advancing innovation in autonomous systems. The hackathon will be held October 6–10, 2025, with sessions at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN.
This national event will bring together over 100 student participants from universities across the country. Working in teams of 6–7, students will engage in a multi-phase challenge that mirrors real-world autonomous operations, spanning pre-mission planning through post-mission analysis. The autonomous missions will be based on real-world scenarios including Maritime Infrastructure Protection, Drone Swarm Reconnaissance, Disaster Response Coordination, and Supply Chain Protection among others.
Guided by expert mentors from academia, industry, and defense, participants will:
- Develop prototypes using AWS cloud services, edge AI/ML, and advanced modeling and simulation tools.
- Address complex operational problems in areas such as edge AI/ML, global infrastructure integration, and rapid capability deployment.
- Compete for $70,000 in awards, including a $25,000 grand prize, with evaluation criteria emphasizing technical innovation, integration strategy, and critical analysis.
The Mission Autonomy Hackathon provides students with a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience, expand their technical skills, and contribute to the future of autonomy research and innovation. Complementing the hands-on work, the hackathon will feature keynotes from distinguished experts in government, academia, and AWS, providing students with valuable insights into the state of research and practice in autonomous systems.
Key Details
Dates and Venue
- Oct 6–8: Holiday Inn Vanderbilt, 2613 West End Ave, Nashville, TN
- Oct 9–10: Featheringill Hall, 400 24th Ave S, Nashville, TN
(The first three days will be held at a hotel conference space for plenary sessions and team launches, followed by final presentations, judging, and an award ceremony at Vanderbilt’s engineering building. Both venues are within walking distance.)
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, snacks, and beverages will be provided each day.
Travel and Lodging: Participants are responsible for their own travel and accommodations. A discounted room block is available at the Holiday Inn Vanderbilt at $149/night plus tax. A booking link will be provided upon registration.
Registration and Teams: Students should register as a complete team of 6-7 members. Team formation is not managed by the organizers.
Technical Environment: The event will make use of AWS services (including IoT Greengrass, SageMaker, and others) in combination with industry-standard simulation tools. Participants will primarily work in Python, C++ and related languages, and are encouraged to work with state-of-the-art AI/ML algorithms and simulation tools (Gazebo, Unity, Nvidia Isaac Sim, Air Sim etc.). Participants are encouraged to use their own computing devices in addition to AWS cloud resources. Additional information, including links to documentation of AWS services, will be made available on the registration site.
Registration Deadline: September 23, 2025
Registration & Details: aws-mission-autonomy-hackathon.splashthat.com
Point of Contact: Katie Dey (katie.dey@vanderbilt.edu)
We invite you to share this opportunity with your students and research networks. More information, including award criteria, scoring process, and technical outcomes, will be available on the registration site.
Thank you for helping us inspire and equip the next generation of innovators in shaping the future of autonomy and autonomous systems.
Sincerely,
Mission Autonomy Hackathon Planning Team
Michael Almeida, Amazon Web Services
Sandeep Neema, Vanderbilt University