Winer: Hackweek 15 - Spherez

Winner: Hackweek 15 - Spherez

Spherez: Rapid IoT Product & Hardware–Software Co - Design

I designed and built Spherez, an IoT - based visual notification device intended to provide non - intrusive, ambient status signaling across teams and organizations.The device used light - based visual cues displayed within an opaque spherical enclosure, enabling information to be communicated passively without disrupting focus or workflows.

The project was conceived, engineered, and delivered end - to - end in just five days and won Judges’ Choice at Hackweek 15, recognizing both technical execution and product vision.

Embedded Software & Device Control

The device software was implemented using C and Go, balancing low - level hardware control with higher - level orchestration logic.

Key capabilities included: • Creation and management of configurable notification states • Queuing and prioritization of visual events • Deterministic rendering of light patterns within the sphere • Lightweight runtime optimized for constrained hardware environments

The system allowed notifications to be dynamically updated and displayed without requiring direct user interaction.

Hardware Engineering & Physical Design

Spherez combined hardware engineering with industrial design: • Custom enclosure designed through 3D modeling • Rapid prototyping using 3D printing to iterate on form factor and light diffusion • Integration of LEDs, controllers, and power components within a compact, opaque housing • Physical design optimized to softly diffuse light while concealing internal components

This ensured the device communicated information clearly while maintaining a clean, unobtrusive aesthetic suitable for office environments.

End - to - End System Integration

The project required tight coordination across multiple disciplines: • Embedded systems programming • Hardware assembly and wiring • Firmware - to - device interaction • Physical design and manufacturing constraints

By designing the hardware and software in parallel, the team was able to iterate rapidly and deliver a polished, functional prototype under extreme time constraints.

Innovation & Outcome

Spherez demonstrated: • Rapid execution of a complete IoT product lifecycle • Effective integration of software, hardware, and physical design • A novel approach to ambient, non - disruptive communication • Strong product intuition aligned with real workplace needs

The project’s success—culminating in Judges’ Choice recognition—highlighted the ability to move from concept to working hardware / software system in days, not weeks.