Rules & Event Guidelines
Your complete reference for categories, themes, evaluation rubrics, and participation protocols.
🧬 1. What Is HelixHack?
HelixHack is Silicon Circle's inaugural teen innovation hackathon, held in Chennai in October 2026. It is a city-wide, team-based event that challenges students from Grade 8 to Grade 12 to design and build solutions to real-world problems using science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) as their foundation.
Why Silicon Circle Is Organising This
Most hackathons available to teens in Chennai are too senior in scope, too niche, or not locally accessible. HelixHack fills that gap by creating a structured, mentored, and genuinely rigorous competition designed specifically for school-age innovators.
Team Size
2 to 5 members per team
Eligibility
Grade 8 to Grade 12 teens
Location
Chennai-based (offline finale)
📦 2. Participation Categories
Teams choose to compete in one of two categories. Both categories compete within the same themes and use the same core judging rubric, but have different expectations for output:
Teams present a well-argued, research-backed idea or concept. No working model or prototype is required.
Key Focus: Depth of thinking, feasibility analysis, STEM rationale, and presentation skills.
Teams must build a working implementation: software (an app, web tool, system) or hardware (working model, physical device).
Key Focus: Pitch-Only criteria, plus engineering execution quality and technical sophistication. (Prototype teams receive additional weight on the Execution & Quality criterion).
💡 3. Hackathon Themes
All teams must build their projects within one of the four broad themes below:
Theme 1: AI & Emerging Technology
Projects that use, explore, or critically examine machine learning, automation, computer vision, robotics, or cutting-edge systems.
Example problems: AI tools to identify struggling students early; automated waste sorting systems; local-language AI assistants.
Theme 2: Sustainability & Climate
Projects focused on environmental preservation, renewable energy, climate resilience, food security, or water conservation.
Example problems: Rooftop rainwater harvesting systems for Chennai apartments; carbon footprint trackers; biodegradable alternatives to single-use plastics.
Theme 3: Student Wellbeing & EdTech
Projects addressing student mental health challenges or using technology to improve how young people learn, study, and grow.
Example problems: Peer-support chat platforms; smart study schedulers accounting for burnout; gamified revision tools.
Theme 4: Accessibility & Inclusion
Projects removing barriers for people with disabilities, language differences, economic disadvantages, or other societal challenges.
Example problems: Sign-language translation tools; low-cost assistive hardware; simplified apps for first-gen smartphone users.
📊 4. Scoring Rubric (100 Points)
Judges apply this core rubric across all rounds. Score details are made visible to participants in their dashboards.
| Criterion | Weight | What Judges Look For | Weighting Info |
|---|---|---|---|
| Innovation & Originality | 25 pts | Is the idea novel? Does it address a real, meaningful problem in a new or creative way? | Equal across all rounds |
| STEM Integration | 20 pts | Is there a clear scientific, engineering, or mathematical basis? Are data, calculations, or technical rationale used? | Equal across all rounds |
| Feasibility & Practicality | 20 pts | Can this realistically be built? Are real-world constraints and resource availability acknowledged? | Equal across all rounds |
| Impact & Theme Relevance | 15 pts | How significant is the problem? Does the solution meaningfully align with the chosen theme? | Equal across all rounds |
| Execution & Quality | 10 pts | Online rounds: clarity and depth of plan. Finale: quality of prototype or working model (scored more rigorously). | Higher weight at Finale |
| Presentation & Communication | 10 pts | Does the team explain their idea clearly? Can they answer judge Q&A questions confidently? | Equal across all rounds |
| Daily Discord Consistency | +5 bonus | Consistency and quality of daily progress logs submitted during the Build Period. | Finale only (bonus) |
📝 5. Discord Daily Progress Protocol
During the Build Period, all finalist teams must post daily progress updates on the Silicon Circle Discord server in the dedicated finalist channel. Missed days reduce your Daily Discord bonus score (up to 5 points).
What each update MUST include:
- One or more photos showing physical or digital progress made that day.
- A written typeout of at least 3-5 sentences covering: what was done today, what worked, what didn't work, and what is next.
Rules & Authenticity:
- Frequency: One update per day, every day of the Build Period.
- Authenticity: Updates must reflect genuine progress. Copying previous updates or submitting placeholder posts will be penalized.
- Scope: Share the process, not the punchline. You are not required to reveal your core innovation idea publicly.
🤖 6. AI & Coding Tool Policy
Core Principle: AI is a tool, not a team member. Evaluated on understanding, not prompt mechanics.
✅ Permitted Use
Using AI tools (Cursor, ChatGPT, Claude, GitHub Copilot, etc.) to generate, assist, debug, or refactor code; scaffold boilerplate; generate design assets; or summarize background research. Using AI-generated components is allowed *provided the team fully understands what the code does and why*.
❌ Not Permitted Use
Using AI to generate the core problem identification or innovation idea. The insight and framing must originate from the team. Submitting AI-generated work that team members cannot explain is treated as academic dishonesty and results in disqualification.
💡 Judge Expectation: At the finale, judges will ask teams to walk through sections of their code or implementation and explain what it does and why that approach was chosen. Inability to answer clearly will result in score deductions under STEM Integration and Presentation criteria.
🏆 7. Special Awards
In addition to the main placement rubrics (1st, 2nd, 3rd place cash prizes & trophies), teams can qualify for these special distinctions at the Chennai finale:
Voted on by the public via social media engagement (Instagram and LinkedIn) during the Build Period. Spot prizes and certificates will be awarded.
Awarded to the team with the most creative, well-organized, and visually effective stall presentation.
Awarded to the team whose project most rigorously applies STEM principles, regardless of their final podium placements.
Awarded to the school whose teams collectively score the highest points across all rounds, fostering inter-school collaboration.
A formal recognition and certificate given to the most promising non-finalists eliminated in earlier rounds.