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With Google AI in their corner, NYU Tandon Hackathon Teams Built Real Solutions

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large group photo of hackathon participants wearing Goggle tshirts

What can a roomful of engineers, data scientists, and tech innovators accomplish in a single day? If the Build With Google AI Hackathon at NYU Tandon is any indication, the answer is: quite a lot.

Last month, NYU Tandon's Brooklyn campus buzzed with energy as competing teams raced to turn bold ideas into working AI prototypes. The event — featured as part of NYC Open Data Week — was organized by Tandon's Department of Technology Management and Innovation (TMI) and the Tandon Graduate Student Council (GSC), in partnership with Google Developer Groups (GDG) NYC.

The previous evening had featured a keynote on Google's Gemini Live API and Agent Development Kit, hands-on labs, and Google Cloud Credits to fuel the builds ahead. And the next morning, teams were heads-down, caffeinated, and coding, with mentorship on tap from Google developers, NYU faculty, and industry leaders. Stakes were high: top prizes included a private pitch opportunity with the Google AI Fund and tickets to Google I/O in Mountain View.

And the Winners Are...

First place went to TreeRoute, which has the potential to change the way you think about your morning walk. The team built an AI-powered route planner that factors in pollen levels, weather, and urban environmental data to recommend paths that are kinder to your lungs (and your overall wellbeing).

Team members:

  • Vera Vecherskaia (B.S. Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, NYU Tandon)
  • Daniel Naumov (M.S. Chemical Engineering, NYU Tandon)
  • Beibarys Nyussupov (M.S. Data Science, NYU)
  • Daniyar Abykhanov (University of Delaware)

Claiming second place, Sightline took on one of New York City's less glamorous but absolutely vital challenges: housing inspection. Their voice- and vision-enabled AI system helps city inspectors in the field by instantly surfacing building data, flagging potential violations, and drafting reports on the fly, meaning less paperwork, faster decisions, and better outcomes for tenants.

Team members:*

  • Poe Myint Swe
  • Sarah Machado
  • Chirag Dhiwar
  • Fatima Ortega
  • Lavinia Lin

* all M.S. Management of Technology, NYU Tandon

The Full Field

The remaining teams also tackled a remarkable range of New York City challenges:

  • TenantShield — AI-powered tools to help renters know and defend their rights
  • LuLLabs.ai — reimagining early childhood learning with AI
  • CityNerve / Smart311 Triage — smarter routing for NYC's 311 service requests
  • StreamPal — your new AI companion for navigating the streaming universe
  • PoKo Ko / BeforeYouSignNYC — because no one should sign a NYC lease without understanding what they're agreeing to
  • Decoded NYC — making city data legible for everyday New Yorkers
  • Vision / 311 Vision Reporter — snap a photo, file a complaint, done
  • Quack / NYC Lens — an AI-powered new way to see the city you think you know

“From tenant rights to early childhood education to the daily frustrations of urban life, the breadth of ideas on display was impressive,” Industry Associate Professor Shizhu Liu, Deputy Director of the MS in Management of Technology program, said. “What really stood out was how teams used AI with intention. They were clear on the problem, the users, and how it could make the city work better for everyone.”

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