Students Build the Future of AI at Cal Poly Pomona's AI Fair & Hackathon
At Cal Poly Pomona, students aren’t just exploring artificial intelligence, they’re building it. The 2026 AI Fair & Hackathon in April brought campus innovation to life, showcasing student creativity, industry collaboration, and the growing role of intelligent technologies in everyday life.
Centered on the theme “Designing Tomorrow with AI, for Everyone,” students from across disciplines explored how AI is shaping the future through PolyX projects, club demonstrations, and hands-on competitions focused on accessibility, collaboration and real-world application.
“The AI Fair is where students don’t just learn AI, they show what they’ve built,” said Alex Harwood, CPP’s associate vice president of advanced computing and chief technology officer. “From club projects to our AI Sandbox powering the SAAM robotics effort, and an exciting hackathon, it’s all student-driven, hands-on work that makes what’s possible immediately real.”
Student clubs showcased projects ranging from an autonomous vehicle to a robot inspired by the one featured in the film “Interstellar.”
Sign Bridge, developed by students from Team Voice&Hand, is a project that demonstrates AI’s potential to close real-world communication gaps. The working sign language interpreter translates hand movements into spoken words, addressing a critical need, as fewer than 1 percent of hearing individuals know sign language. Beyond the technical achievement, the team also explored usability improvements and conducted a market analysis, demonstrating the project’s potential real-world impact.
The hackathon was a central feature of the event, challenging student teams to address real-world problems posed by industry partners alongside creative challenges developed by their peers. Judges evaluated projects based on creativity, impact, feasibility and storytelling.
More than 300 students submitted challenge solutions for 60 industry professionals serving as judges for the competition. Student teams had two weeks to research, iterate and build a presentation, culminating with a final round involving a 24-hour sprint and presentation at AI Fair.
“The AI Hackathon gave students far more than a competition. It gave them a reason to push past what they thought was possible,” said Indira Guzman, director of the Mitchell C. Hill Center for Digital Innovation at Cal Poly Pomona. “Students who had never built an AI solution before walked in, got trained, collaborated with peers across majors, engaged directly with industry experts, and walked out with a working prototype tackling a real business or societal problem.”
Throughout the event, attendees explored demonstrations from a wide range of technology-focused student organizations, including the Computer Science Society, Data Science and AI Club, Software Engineering Association, Women in Tech and the Autonomous Vehicle Laboratory. Together, these groups highlight the breadth of innovation across campus from cybersecurity and robotics to ethics and social impact.
CPP is striving to be at the forefront of emerging technologies including AI, cyber security and geographic information systems. The university’s partnerships with industry leaders like Avanade and Computing for Humanity also aligns with CSU Forward, which aims to increase upward mobility for students by strengthening California’s workforce.
The AI Fair & Hackathon also served as a platform for growth beyond technical skills, with students presenting their work and building confidence in public speaking and professional communication.
By combining technical exploration with creativity and communication, the AI Fair & Hackathon reflects how students engage with emerging technologies not just as learners, but as creators shaping what comes next.
“We want to provide students with a space to showcase their interests and hard work, whether through independent study, ongoing research, or a deeper exploration for exhibiting complex topics,” said Curtus Carpenter, CPP’s director of advanced computing and co-organizer of the AI Fair & Hackathon.
