Sensing Needs.
Inspiring Innovation.

Transform your ideas into real-world innovations using PixArt sensing technologies

Registration Opens · September 2026

Overview

The PixArt University Innovation Challenge

The PixArt University Innovation Challenge is an international competition organized by PixArt Imaging Inc. that encourages students from universities and other higher education institutions to address real-world problems through innovative applications of sensing technology.

Participants begin by identifying a meaningful challenge, then design and build a working prototype to demonstrate their proposed solution.

Projects may focus on improving accessibility, enabling smarter industrial operations, enhancing healthcare, or creating new forms of human–machine interaction.

Why did PixArt create this competition?

PixArt believes that meaningful innovation begins with understanding real user needs. Through this competition, we encourage students to explore new applications of sensing technologies and develop solutions that create lasting value.

What kind of projects are we looking for?

We are looking for projects that apply sensing technology to address meaningful problems. Strong submissions demonstrate not only solid technical implementation, but also a clear understanding of the problem, a well-designed solution, and the value it creates.

Why university students?

Great ideas can come from anywhere, but university (or higher education institution) is often where curiosity is encouraged, assumptions are challenged, and new ideas take shape. We believe it is one of the best places for ideas to be explored, challenged, and transformed into something meaningful.

International Competition
Open to university students worldwide.
Individual or Team Entry
Participate individually or in teams of up to three.
Prototype-based Challenge
Develop and build a working prototype.
Live Final Presentation
Present your prototype solution online.

Why Join

Why Join the PixArt University Innovation Challenge?

Gain more than recognition — build real-world experience, grow your skills, and shape the future.

Industry Exposure

Showcase your work to industry professionals, connect engineering with real-world applications, and gain valuable insights to prepare for your future career.

Portfolio Value

Create a standout project that demonstrates your creativity, engineering capability, problem-solving, and presentation skills to future employers.

Prizes & Awards

US$10,000
First Prize: US$8,000
Second Prize: US$6,000
Third Prize: US$3,000
Merit Awards • Up to 5 awards

Hardware Prototyping Experience

Design and build a working prototype using professional sensing technologies.

Career Development

Gain practical experience that supports internships, graduate programs, and future careers.

Why should I choose this competition over others?

Most engineering competitions give participants a predefined problem to solve. The PixArt University Innovation Challenge takes a different approach. Here, you can start with an issue you genuinely care about, identify a real-world challenge, and develop an innovative solution of your own.

It’s an opportunity to explore your creativity, apply your engineering skills, and turn what you’ve learned into a solution that addresses a real-world challenge—from concept to reality.

What makes this competition different?

This competition is not about building the fastest robot or the most advanced hardware. Instead, it focuses on how sensing technology can be applied to solve meaningful problems. Successful projects are evaluated not only on technical implementation, but also on innovation, practicality, and the value they create.

Eligibility

Is This the Right Competition for Me?

Quick Answers

Am I eligible?

If you're currently enrolled at an accredited university or higher education institution, you're likely eligible to participate. However, please carefully review the before registering to ensure you meet all the criteria.

Is this competition suitable for me?

If you're curious, hands-on, and passionate about building practical solutions, this competition is for you.

Can I participate individually?

Yes. You may participate individually or form a team of up to three students.

Is there an entry fee?

No. Participation is free of charge.

Do I need hardware experience?

No prior experience with PixArt products is required. However, having team members with general electronics knowledge in areas such as the following will greatly contribute to your project's success:

Working with microcontrollers or embedded platforms
Interfacing with external sensors or electronic peripherals
Embedded programming
Hardware–software integration
Building and testing functional hardware prototypes

What level of commitment is expected?

The competition is designed to fit alongside university studies, and most teams can participate with good planning. Teams progress through multiple stages over several months, allowing time to develop ideas, build and test prototypes, and refine their solutions.

If your team is shortlisted based on the initial proposal (i.e., the ), you will move on to several months of prototype development and testing using the PixArt . As the competition advances, only shortlisted teams continue to the later stages, allowing participants to focus their efforts where they matter most.

Before registering, please ensure that your team can commit to participating for the duration of the competition. The timeline below provides a general overview of the main deliveries. For the complete schedule of milestones, required actions, and deliverables, please refer to the Competition Journey.

Initial Proposal

All Teams

Oct – Dec 2026

Submit your project proposal after your team has been officially verified.

Prototype Development

Shortlisted Teams

Mar – Jul 2027

Develop and refine your prototype using the PixArt design kit. Submit a demo video and supporting materials to demonstrate, explain, and justify your development work.

Final Live Presentation

Finalist Teams

Sep 2027

Present and demonstrate your prototype during a live online presentation to the judging panel.

Example Application Areas

Your innovation can take many forms.

These are just examples. You're encouraged to explore any innovative
application using eligible PixArt products.

Robotics & Automation
Industrial Solutions
Medical Equipment
Human-Machine Interaction
Smart Devices
Accessibility
AI-powered Applications
…and More

Competition Journey

From Registration to Final Presentation

Use this journey as a guide throughout the competition to complete each milestone, take all required actions, submit all required deliverables, and meet all important deadlines.

Get Started

01

Register as a Participant

Register as a participant, confirm that you meet the , and then create or join a team starting October 15, 2026. The team formation and verification process are described in the next step.

Action Required

Sep 17 – Dec 8, 2026
02

Team Formation & Verification

, all team members must complete participant registration, upload a copy of their Student ID, complete the Participant Eligibility declaration, and provide all required information. Once these requirements have been met, the Team Leader may submit a Team Verification Request via the portal for PixArt's review. If additional information or corrections are required, the Team Leader will be asked to update the team's information and resubmit the Team Verification Request.

, the team becomes officially verified and is eligible to participate in the competition. The Team Leader may then submit the first deliverable (Team Proposal) on behalf of the team.

Action Required

Oct 15 – Dec 8, 2026
03

Submit Team Proposal

The Team Leader must submit a Team Proposal on behalf of the team describing the proposed solution, the real-world challenge it addresses, and how the incorporates an .

The proposal must also include a declaration confirming that both the project and the team satisfy all applicable eligibility requirements.

Oct 15 – Dec 15, 2026

Shortlist

04

Shortlisted Teams Announced

Selected teams will advance to the next round.

Competition Milestone

Jan 25, 2027
05

Complete Required Paperwork

All shortlisted teams must complete the required paperwork by February 26, 2027.

Shortlisted teams will see prompts on their dashboard to complete the required paperwork, including confirming their shipping information.

Action Required

By Feb 26, 2027
06

Receive Your Design Kit

Shortlisted teams will have their PixArt Design Kit delivered to their designated delivery address.

Competition Milestone

Feb – Mar, 2027

Build & Submit

07

Prototype Development

Use PixArt’s eligible design kit to develop, integrate, and test the prototype. Validate its real-world application and continuously refine it to ensure that it functions properly and fulfills the team’s original design concept.

Prototyping

Mar – Jul, 2027
08

Submit a Video Demonstrating Your Prototype

Submit a video demonstrating the prototype in operation, along with PowerPoint slides and relevant development materials.

By Jul 31, 2027

Final Round

09

Finalists Announced

Up to 12 finalist teams will advance to the final round.

Competition Milestone

Aug 15, 2027
10

Prepare for the Final Presentation

Schedule your online presentation with PixArt and submit your presentation materials before your scheduled presentation.

Aug 15 – Aug 31, 2027
11

Final Presentation & Online Prototype Demonstration

During the scheduled presentation session, present your project online to the judging panel and demonstrate the prototype in operation. Explain how the prototype reflects the team’s original design concept and meets the intended application needs, and answer questions from the judging panel.

Sep 1 – Sep 15, 2027
Winners Announced

Competition winners are officially announced.

Prize money will be transferred to the designated account provided by each winning team.

Competition Milestone

Oct 1, 2027

Dates are subject to change. Please check back regularly for the latest updates.

About PixArt

PixArt Imaging Inc. is a global leader in CMOS image sensing technology. For more than two decades, we have been developing innovative sensing solutions that enable intuitive interactions between people and technology across a wide range of consumer and industrial applications.

Our sensing technologies power products used by millions of people every day, from gaming peripherals and smart devices to robotics, industrial automation, healthcare, and many other emerging applications. Through continuous innovation and close collaboration with customers worldwide, PixArt continues to expand the possibilities of sensing technology.

For this year's competition, we have chosen to focus on our Optical Tracking Sensor (OTS) and Smart Pixel Sensing product lines. While PixArt offers a broad portfolio of sensing technologies, we believe these two product families provide an ideal platform for innovation due to their versatility and potential to address a wide range of real-world challenges across robotics, smart devices, accessibility, medical equipment, industrial automation, and many other innovative applications. We look forward to seeing how participants apply these technologies in ways we have never imagined.

Resources

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Criteria	Weight
Innovation with eligible PixArt products	25%
Human, social, or industry impact	25%
Technical feasibility	20%
Overall Presentation Quality (prototypes, demonstrations, materials)	30%

Name	Content Requirements	Submission Format
Project Name	Give the project a short, descriptive name of no more than 60 characters. This is the name announced alongside the team if it is selected as a winner.	Text field with a character limitation
Abstract	Provide a concise summary of the proposed project in no more than 300 words, including the challenge, the proposed solution, and the intended application.	Textbox with a word count limitation
Description of the challenge and the proposed solution	Clearly outline a real-world problem or opportunity the project aims to address, explain why it is important, and describe how the proposed solution responds to the challenge.	Textbox
Intended Application	Explain the intended application of the proposed solution, including the target users or industry, and the expected benefits or impact.	Textbox
Select PixArt product for the application	Specify which product from PixArt’s you intend to use to develop the prototype for this application, and briefly explain why the selected product is suitable for the proposed solution.	Select one eligible PixArt product from the dropdown list and briefly explain why it is suitable for the proposed solution.
Supporting attachment(s) (Optional)	Upload any supporting materials that help explain the proposed solution or communicate the project concept, such as diagrams, sketches, flowcharts, mock-ups, presentation slides, or other relevant documents.	File attachment

Submission Material	Content Requirements	File Format & Details
1. Demonstration Video	Submit one video covering the following topics: (a) Begin with all team members waving to the camera for at least 5 seconds. (b) Demonstrate a fully functional prototype and show its key functionality in operation. (c) Demonstrate how the prototype would be used in its intended application, either by showing how an end user would interact with it or how the prototype performs its intended function in practice. The demonstration should also show how the prototype addresses the challenge identified in the Team Proposal (1st Deliverable). (d) Whenever practical, demonstrate the prototype under conditions that are representative of its intended application, such as using a similar tracking surface, operating environment, or operating conditions.	Must be submitted in MP4 format. Must not exceed 3 minutes in length. Must not exceed 500 MB.
2. Presentation Slides	Submit one PowerPoint presentation covering the following topics: (a) Provide a brief overview of the problem being addressed and the proposed solution. (b) Include an overview of the prototype design, including the system architecture, workflow, or flowchart. (c) Highlight the key innovations of the prototype and explain how they contribute to the proposed solution. (d) Describe the technical challenges encountered, design limitations, and possible future improvements. (e) Summarize the test methodology, test results, and conclusions. Raw test data may also be included but is optional.	Must be submitted in Microsoft PowerPoint (.ppt or .pptx) format.
3. Mechanical Design File(s)	Submit one or more files describing the mechanical design of the prototype, including, but not limited to: Sensor placement Working distance Other relevant mechanical design details	May be submitted in any commonly used file format. Clear photographs or scans of hand-drawn sketches are also acceptable.
4. System Schematic or Block Diagram	Submit one or more files that show the system schematic or block diagram of the prototype.	May be submitted in any commonly used file format. Clear photographs or scans of hand-drawn sketches are also acceptable.

Sensing Needs.
Inspiring Innovation.