Mandatory to join the whatsapp group: https://tinyurl.com/AETHOS-Group If civilization had to begin again tomorrow, what would humanity build first? Unlike conventional hackathons that ask participants to build products around a technology, DAY ZERO challenges teams to engineer the foundations of an entirely new civilization. Participants are encouraged to think beyond applications and incremental improvements. Every project should solve a meaningful challenge that contributes to rebuilding society—whether through communication, energy, healthcare, infrastructure, education, resilience, exploration, or entirely new approaches that redefine the future. This is not about recreating yesterday. It is about engineering tomorrow.
The Mission: Design and develop an innovative solution that would help humanity rebuild after the collapse of modern civilization. Your project may be software, hardware, embedded systems, IoT, AI, robotics, communication systems, cybersecurity, biotechnology, space technology, sustainable engineering, or any interdisciplinary solution aligned with the mission. Projects should focus on solving real-world problems with practical engineering, long-term scalability, and meaningful societal impact.
Civilization Pillars: Every project belongs to one of the official Civilization Pillars that represent the essential functions required to rebuild society. The detailed descriptions of all pillars are provided separately. Choose the pillar that best represents the purpose of your solution, not simply the technologies you use. Who Can Participate? Students from any recognized institution are welcome. Participants from all engineering, science, technology, design, management, and interdisciplinary backgrounds are encouraged. Teams must follow the team size specified on the registration page. Innovation thrives when diverse disciplines work together. What Can You Build? We welcome projects across a wide range of domains, including but not limited to: Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning Embedded Systems & Electronics Internet of Things (IoT) Robotics & Automation Wireless Communication Systems Healthcare & Medical Technologies Renewable Energy Smart Infrastructure Disaster Management Cybersecurity Space & Aerospace Technologies Sustainability Human-Centered Design Frontier & Moonshot Innovations If your solution contributes meaningfully to rebuilding civilization, it belongs here.
Submission Requirements: Teams should be prepared to submit: Project presentation Technical documentation Source code repository Prototype or proof of concept Demonstration video (if applicable) Additional submission guidelines and templates will be shared with registered participants.
Evaluation: Projects will be assessed on their overall contribution toward rebuilding civilization, including: Innovation Engineering excellence Technical feasibility Scalability Societal impact Resilience Quality of presentation The complete judging rubric is available in the attached documentation.
General Rules: All submitted work must be original. Open-source libraries, frameworks, APIs, and development tools may be used with proper attribution. AI-assisted development is permitted unless otherwise specified. Plagiarism or intellectual property violations will result in immediate disqualification. Participants are expected to maintain professionalism and uphold the event's code of conduct. Decisions made by the organizing committee and judging panel will be final. A comprehensive rulebook is available in the attached resources. Why Participate? DAY ZERO is more than a competition. It is an opportunity to think like the engineers who would shape the first generation of a new civilization. Challenge assumptions. Collaborate across disciplines. Build technologies that matter. Engineer systems that could redefine humanity's future. Tomorrow Begins Here. History remembers the civilizations that were built. The next one starts with your idea.