The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Connected Systems Institute and Milwaukee School of Engineering will celebrate the conclusion of their Physical AI Hackathon, bringing together students, industry leaders and judges to showcase artificial intelligence solutions developed for real-world manufacturing challenges.

The two universities hosted the competition in partnership with Rockwell Automation and NVIDIA. It challenged students to build AI applications that can operate on an automated production line using real industrial equipment including robotic arms, cameras and advanced control systems.

The four-week hackathon is the largest hosted by either school. About 350 students from UWM and MSOE, evenly split between the two institutions, are participating in the competition, forming teams of four to five students from a wide range of academic disciplines. No prior coding experience was required.

Students worked on a production line like those used in modern factories. Teams selected one of three manufacturing-focused challenges and developed AI-powered solutions to help equipment detect defects, explain failures or autonomously pick and place parts.

Using NVIDIA’s AI and simulation tools, Rockwell Automation’s control solutions and CSI’s industrial automation equipment, students first developed and tested their ideas in a virtual representation of the production line. Teams then deployed their solutions on the physical equipment to test and refine their solutions on the production line.

“This hackathon gives students a rare opportunity to work with the same industrial AI technologies and robotics platforms used by leading manufacturers,” said Joe Hamann, director of UWM’s Connected Systems Institute.

At the Nov. 5 closing ceremony, the top six teams will present their projects to a panel of judges and share their lessons learned. Winning teams will receive cash prizes along with NVIDIA GPUs and computing resources. There also will be student poster presentations, complete with video of their robotic operations.

“Students are eager for opportunities to apply their skills to difficult, real-world problems,” said MSOE AI Club president Brett Storoe. “This year, NVIDIA and Rockwell Automation are helping make that possible by bringing relevant industry challenges to the hackathon. Students can work together to explore practical solutions, learn from one another, and gain new perspectives by collaborating across campuses. It’s exciting to see students from UW–Milwaukee’s CSI and MSOE AI Club combine their strengths and build connections with peers, mentors, and industry professionals.”

“Personally, MSOE AI Club helped me deepen my knowledge of AI and opened the door to several career opportunities,” Storoe continued. “That experience motivates me to help open doors for other students—to give them opportunities to learn, compete, and show what they can do.” Storoe is a senior majoring in computer science at MSOE.

“Developing the next generation of engineers requires creating opportunities for students to apply what they’re learning to real-world challenges. Hackathons like this demonstrate the value of strong partnerships between industry and universities, bringing together academic learning, emerging technology, and practical experience,” said Britney Flores, AI co-innovation engineering manager, Rockwell Automation. “For Rockwell, these collaborations are an important way to help students build the skills they’ll need to shape the future of manufacturing.”

The Physical AI Hackathon marks the first time this magnitude of UWM and MSOE students have had access to CSI’s new industrial AI production line, strengthening both schools’ efforts to prepare graduates for careers at the intersection of artificial intelligence, automation and advanced manufacturing.