Drexel University’s College of Computing & Informatics (CCI) welcomed more than 450 participants, sponsors and guests to the 12th annual Philly Codefest on March 1-2, 2025, resulting in a remarkable 97 project submissions to address the hackathon’s theme of “AI in Industry.”
A Philly Codefest 2025 team working on their project.
Photo courtesy of The Triangle – Drexel University’s
Independent Student Newspaper.
Competing for more than $7,000 in prizes, the almost-400 participants worked in teams within the CCI space at 3675 Market Street, using their know-how to envision how AI can revolutionize industry sectors including manufacturing & automation, entertainment & media, healthcare, energy & utilities, retail & e-commerce, financial services, transportation, education & edtech, insurance and more.
The project teams comprised:
- More than 300 Drexel students from CCI, the College of Engineering (CoE), the LeBow College of Business, the College of Arts and Sciences (CoAS), the School of Biomedical Engineering, Science, and Health Systems, the Goodwin College of Professional Studies and the College of Nursing and Health Professions (CNHP);
- 52 participants from more than 20 other colleges (including Penn, Temple, Haverford, Penn State, Pitt, Rutgers, CCP, NYU, Georgia Tech, Northeastern, Alabama, Clemson, Rowan and Stevens Institute of Tech);
- 19 professionals.
The teams’ 97 project submissions set a new record over last year’s 66.
A Philly Codefest 2025 team demonstrating their project.
Photo courtesy of The Triangle – Drexel University’s
Independent Student Newspaper.
Sponsors of Philly Codefest 2025 were Apollo, Comcast, Bentley, Wexford, Ventas, Penn Mutual, Monster Energy, CSL, CIC and Wawa, with Comcast, Wexford, and CSL offering six challenges to the hackathon’s participants (see our winners list below for more details).
Drexel student organizations Drexel AI, Women in Computing Society (WiCS), Society of Women Engineers (SWE), Drexel Gaming Association (DGA) and CyberDragons lent the two-day event additional assistance and expertise.
A panel of judges — comprised of Drexel faculty, event sponsors and Philadelphia tech community leaders — selected the following projects as winners of Philly Codefest 2025 after demonstrations in University City Science Center’s Quorum (demos/descriptions are linked within project names):
Philly Codefest - Advanced Track Winners
First Place
Photo courtesy of The Triangle – Drexel University’s Independent
Student Newspaper.
GreenSort AI Bin
Members: Darya Dorash, Saniya Mukhambetkaliyeva
What it is: GreenSort AI Bin is an AI-powered smart trash bin that helps users recycle correctly by detecting waste and determining whether it is recyclable. When a user places an item near the bin and presses a button, a camera captures an image and sends it to a pre-trained YOLOv8 waste classification model to classify waste via cloud-based inference. If the item is recyclable, the bin opens; if not, it stays shut, preventing contamination.
Second Place
FarmAssist
Members: Sean O'Connor, Emma Romero, Madeline Burger
What it is: FarmAssist is a fully customizable, AI-powered crop management system leveraging soil data, satellite imaging, market trends, location data, and growth history sourced from a combination of user input and publicly available APIs to optimize crop rotation.
Third Place
SafeGlow
Members: Siwu Li, Naron Chen, Daniel Erbynn, David Nana Dwomoh Sarpong
What it is: Imagine a map that thinks before you walk! Our app uses ML-powered A* pathfinding to guide you on the safest walking route possible—not just the fastest. Each intersection is weighted by real-time + historical crime data, severity, and recency, ensuring you avoid risky areas. Live alerts dynamically re-route you as new data comes in—because safety isn’t static!
Philly Codefest - Beginner Track Winners
First Place
Photo courtesy of The Triangle – Drexel University’s Independent
Student Newspaper.
koalify me
Members: Brooke Brooks, Grace Hermkens, Savannah El-Haron, Zeyan Lin, Armaan Zahid, Andersen Hu
What it is: Our team is making a website integrated with artificial intelligence in order to help high school students in the Philadelphia area who want to get started in their path toward the tech industry. Users will take a short quiz that OpenAI will then analyze to match them with their most fitted career path, potential colleges, and extracurriculars to aid them in their future. The website includes detailed descriptions of universities in the area that fit their desired career, online courses or certificates for developing sought-out skills, and if they have one, resume feedback.
Second Place
GreenPrompts
Members: Greeva Yava, Namrata Niraula, Ruhma Hashmi, Uyanga Chuluunbaatar
What it is: Do you use ChatGPT or any other generative AI chatbot? How often in a day? Every time you enter a prompt, it consumes energy—about 2.9 watt-hours per request. That’s enough to power a lightbulb for 17 minutes—17 minutes of potential darkness somewhere in the world. We realized that asking big corporations to cut AI energy consumption would be a long, uncertain battle. So why not start with something we can control? That’s why we built GreenPrompts, a Chrome extension that helps you use AI more efficiently. It refines your input into a sharper, more effective prompt—reducing unnecessary energy waste while improving results.
Third Place
AI-Powered Sign Language Translation - LinguaSign
Members: Muhammad Malik, Muhammad Hazrat, Muhammad Rohan Khan
What it is: Break down communication barriers with LinguaSign, the revolutionary sign language translation app. Using cutting edge on-device AI, LinguaSign translates your signs into text instantly, with no lag and no need for Wi-Fi. Key Features: Real-time translation, offline functionality, on-device AI, sentence construction, empowering communication. LinguaSign is designed to empower the deaf community and foster seamless communication.
Social Impact Innovation Award
SafeSpace
Members: Parth Vaswani, Veer Mistry
What it is: SafeSpace is a groundbreaking mental health app designed to make emotional well-being more affordable and accessible for everyone. Leveraging AI-driven sentiment analysis and name entity recognition, the app helps users to identify triggers, while also offering free resources like daily read articles. Whether you're managing stress, anxiety, or simply seeking a safe space to talk, SafeSpace is here to ensure mental health care is within reach for all.
Comcast Challenges
Challenge: AI in Entertainment
AI MovieVerse
Members: Darshit Rai, Aman Ostwal, Sanjoli Sogani, Aryan Jain, Anamika Tiwary
What it is: Imagine Super Mario, Bob the Minion, Popeye, and the Grinch sharing the screen in an AI-generated blockbuster! Our project brings these iconic characters together using cutting-edge Generative AI, crafting an entertaining, and completely unique movie scene. By training AI to replicate character personalities, interactions, and expressions, we ensured a blend that stays true to each beloved figure. The result? A never-before-seen adventure filled with humor and unexpected twists—all powered by AI-driven storytelling.
Challenge: Use of AI to Predict Skill Shortages for Resumes
SkillEdge Pro
Members: Samyantaka Mohanty, Vedant Srivastava, Avinash Sharma, Neel Patel, Sarthak Vinod Shrungare
What it is: SkillEdge Pro revolutionizes internal talent development by seamlessly connecting employees with the right project opportunities through intelligent role discovery, precise skill gap analysis, and dynamic learning path generation.
Challenge: Personal Recommendation System for Xfinity Products
SmartSearch.ai
Members: Subhrato Som, Shubham Jadhav, Yash Gupta, Imon Bera
What it is: SmartSearch.AI makes finding the best service bundles from Xfinity easy. Our AI understands what you need and compares prices and features to give you the best, most cost-effective options.
Wexford Challenge
Challenge: Event & Activity Aggregator
SyncSphere
Members: Kai Thompson, Zacharia Hammad, Bashir Abdalla
What it is: The SyncSphere Console is an AI-enhanced Human Resources platform for corporate networking and team bonding for remote or decentralized workforces. It leverages AI and Machine Learning to identify clusters of employees and recommend events and activities perfectly tailored to the employee preferences of that cluster. Whether you host a small business Happy Hour for 5 employees in a suburb or a Charity Bike Build for 50 employees scattered across a city, SyncSphere brings your employees together to offer the in-person experience anywhere.
CSL Challenges
Challenge: Creative Solutions to Combat Flu Vaccine Fatigue
VaxiNation
Members: Stuti Mohan, Princie Shah, Anya Patel, Spoorthi Pyarilal
What it is: In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, flu vaccine fatigue has become a growing challenge, leading to declining vaccination rates and increased public health risks. VaxiNation is an innovative solution designed to remove barriers, combat hesitancy, and make flu prevention effortless. Our platform empowers users by providing a seamless way to locate nearby pharmacies offering flu shots, schedule appointments, track vaccination history, and access trusted flu-related information—all in one place. With a user-friendly interface and interactive features, VaxiNation transforms the flu vaccination process from an overlooked task into an engaging and rewarding experience.
Challenge: Plasma Heroes
GeneSight
Members: Muhammad Rashid, Arpita Naidu, Likitha Tejaswini Kambidi, Dishita Singh
What it is: GeneSight is an AI-powered platform that transforms complex genomic data into clear, personalized insights. With our tool, you can quickly understand your disease risk and receive tailored prevention tips—all in one simple, user-friendly interface. Whether you're a researcher or someone interested in your own health, GeneSight empowers you to make smart, informed decisions for a healthier future.