Immers-Ed Global Hackathon
The Immers-Ed Global Hackathon was a 72-hour international event presented by the University of Oxford's X-Reality Hub (OXR). It aimed to spark multidisciplinary collaborations on a global scale and develop solutions that leverage immersive technologies. Modeled on programming hackathons, the event tasked participants with devising solutions to challenges created or amplified by the pandemic in four key areas: cultural heritage, medicine, education, and environmental sustainability. Teams received mentoring, AWS cloud credits, and the chance to compete for theme prizes and a winning team award including substantial AWS credit and expert business mentoring.
University of Oxford
Winner of the Hackathon Challenge: Dr. Fjorda Kazazi
The winning project was an innovative virtual reality (VR) application that integrated eye tracking and real-time neurofeedback into a single immersive platform. Users completed a series of cognitive and attention tasks while their gaze and brain activity were recorded; neurofeedback allowed them to interact with and influence the virtual environment through their brain waves, creating a direct link between neural signals and in-world outcomes. By combining VR, eye tracking, and neurofeedback, the application demonstrated the potential of immersive technologies for cognitive assessment, attention training, and research into brain–behaviour relationships. The solution stood out for its technical integration, user-centred design, and relevance to the hackathon’s themes in medicine and education, and was selected as the winning entry at the Immers-Ed Global Hackathon.