Mackenzie is the Global Startup Evangelist at AWS. His days are spent traveling the globe to meet startups, share their stories, and connect engineering teams together. Every day there are a large number of startups launching on AWS across every imaginable industry. It’s Mackenzie’s mission to find stories of startups that are helping to improve the world and share these stories with a wide audience.
Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Vanderbilt University will join forces to host a groundbreaking hackathon focused on autonomous systems. This immersive five-day event, running from October 6th to 10th aims to push the boundaries of autonomous technology by challenging participants to develop innovative solutions that span the entire deployment cycle - from pre-mission planning to post-mission analysis.
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. Â
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 a 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.
Registration & Teams
Students should register as a complete team of 6–7 members. Team formation is not managed by the organizers.
*Registration Deadline: September 23, 2025
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 use state-of-the-art AI/ML algorithms and simulators (e.g., Gazebo, Unity, NVIDIA Isaac Sim, AirSim). Participants are encouraged to use their own computing devices in addition to AWS cloud resources. Additional information, including links to AWS service documentation, will be made available on the registration site.
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Travel, Lodging, and Meals
Participants are responsible for arranging and covering their own travel, lodging, and meals. Coffee, tea, and light refreshments will be provided during the event sessions.
A discounted group booking rate has been arranged at the Holiday Inn Vanderbilt for Oct. 5-9 at $149/night + tax. [Group booking link]. The deadline for booking rooms is Monday, September 22, 2025.
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