hackathon

NeuroVR Hackathon 25

Date
36-hour hackathon
Location
Shriners Hospitals for ChildrenMontreal, QC
Status
Completed
Participants at the NeuroVR Hackathon 25

Seventy-six students from 21 fields of study built 13 XR projects for healthcare over 36 hours at the Shriners Hospitals for Children.

The NeuroVR hackathon returned to unite students from interdisciplinary backgrounds, this time at the Shriners Hospitals for Children. Participants tackled the challenge of building XR applications for healthcare.

A hundred places were filled from more than 140 applicants across Quebec and Ontario. Seventy-six students formed thirteen teams over 36 hours, and every team submitted a project — even though half were first-time hackers and only one in five had built for VR before. Fourteen sponsors and partners contributed $32,500 in monetary and in-kind support.

Challenges

Teams chose from three open streams — rehabilitation, education and exploration, and pediatric care — or took on a sponsor challenge from SilicoLabs, Coopérathon 2025 or Queen’s University’s Aesculapian Society.

Prizes and winners

$5,666 CAD in prizes.

  • First place, $1,000 — OncoQuest turns children into “Agent Chemo”, a hero fighting cancer cells, to help them understand their treatment and feel less afraid. The winners also presented at a VR showcase hosted by the Shriners Hospitals for Children and were invited to the Dobson Cup bootcamp.

  • Second place, $600 — EcoCanvas is a calm, nature-inspired space for creative expression, built to support survivors of intimate partner violence.

  • Third place, $400 — Mr. Beats eases pain and anxiety for children during needle procedures by immersing them in an underwater world where they make music.

  • SilicoLabs challenge ($2,866) and Coopérathon challenge ($300) — CarnEYEval is a set of carnival games that use eye tracking as a playful alternative to traditional lazy-eye treatment.

  • Queen’s University Aesculapian Society prize — HumanDeepDive is a voice-driven VR anatomy explorer.

  • Best Beginner Hack — DailyRehab VR simulates everyday tasks, starting with a trip to the grocery store, for rehabilitation in VR.

Niantic Studio bonuses went to projects built with its WebXR tools. The full gallery is on Devpost.

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