Quest 1 · AI Art
AI Art
The quest, its one-liner and its Boss Check go live Mon 19 Oct, 09:00 SGT.
QUESTS
Four quests. Pick one.
YAI Singapore · Season 26/27 · Youth AI Hackathon. For students aged 7–19 studying in Singapore. Teams of 1–4. Organised by YCESS. Think it. Make it. Say it.
All four quests are open from day one. Pick the one you’d love to make and register your team. Your full challenge for your age group arrives as soon as you’re confirmed. Join early and you get more time; everyone has the same deadline, and every challenge can be done well in one week.
Every quest ends with a Boss Check: the first thing judges look for in your project.
The four quests go live Mon 19 Oct, 09:00 SGT, when registration opens.
The four quests
Quest 2 · AI Robotics & Smart Devices
AI Robotics & Smart Devices
The quest, its one-liner and its Boss Check go live Mon 19 Oct, 09:00 SGT.
No robot? No problem. Build on screen, in cardboard or with a kit; all three are judged the same.
Quest 3 · AI for Good
AI for Good
The quest, its one-liner and its Boss Check go live Mon 19 Oct, 09:00 SGT.
Quest 4 · AI Agents
AI Agents
The quest, its one-liner and its Boss Check go live Mon 19 Oct, 09:00 SGT.
Robotics: no robot? No problem.
Your sidekick can live on screen, in a cardboard body or on a kit. All three are judged the same, against the same checklist.
Screen
A Scratch character or a simulated robot that reacts to your own sound, hand sign or drawing.
Cardboard
A cardboard body with a laptop, tablet or phone camera as its eyes.
Kit
A micro:bit, a robot car or any kit you already have.
Judges score the loop, your tests and your decisions, not the hardware. Free, no-account tools can earn full marks.
AGE GROUPS
What each age group builds
Every quest is open to all three age groups. Age groups (7–12, 13–16, 17–19) go by your age on Sat 16 Jan 2027, and finalists are picked within each age group and track.
| Age group | Projects look like | Process log | Finalists on stage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ages 7–12 | Visual models, block coding, interactive stories or simple devices, with a simple test. | At least 3 dated entries | 5 min talk + 3 min Q&A |
| Ages 13–16 | A prototype you can demo, with a test table and one round of improvements. | At least 4 dated entries | 7 min talk + 3 min Q&A |
| Ages 17–19 | A working result, with a clear test method and known limits. | At least 5 dated entries | 10 min talk + 3 min Q&A |
Your full challenge for your track and age group, a starter card and the resource pack arrive by email once your place is confirmed.
The short version
- Your Singapore counts. You don't need to live in an HDB flat, eat at a hawker centre or speak a local language to take part.
- No kit to buy, no typed code required. Free, no-account tools and block coding can earn full marks.
- AI must do a real job. Quick test: take the AI out, and your project should stop doing its main job. Using AI only to brainstorm or write your intro doesn't count.
- What you hand in: your project (or a demo judges can open), a short intro and a dated diary of your work. No public video or public code needed.
- Age-appropriate tools. Each tool's own age rules apply; your full brief lists tools for your age. Under-13s don't use AI chat, image or music apps that are 13+, not even through a parent's account.
- Places, not people. No home addresses, and no faces, names or voices of anyone who hasn't agreed. Under-13s visit places with an adult, and talk only to people they know, with an adult present.
- Build safe. Battery or USB power only; nothing that heats, cuts, flies or sits outside a window. Adults do the risky steps (cutting, soldering) for under-13s.
- Make it this season. Build between Mon 19 Oct 2026 and Sat 9 Jan 2027.
- Age groups (7–12, 13–16, 17–19) go by your age on Sat 16 Jan 2027.
- One track change allowed until registration closes on Sat 2 Jan 2027.
- Share your build (optional). Post about your project with #YAISG and your team tag (#YourTeamName), and tag @yaisingapore. Under-13s' posts are shared by a parent or their school. The five most-liked team posts in each age group earn a small bonus at screening; your full brief has the rules and a safe-share checklist.
JUDGING
How projects are judged
Every project is scored 0–5 on five criteria, against what’s expected for its age group.
| Criterion | Weight | In plain words |
|---|---|---|
| Creativity | 30% | Is the idea really yours? |
| Understanding & independent work | 25% | Can you explain what you made, what the AI does and what you decided? |
| Completeness | 20% | Does it work, and did you test it? |
| Communication & teamwork | 20% | Can you explain it clearly, and did everyone pitch in? |
| Responsible AI use | 5% | Did you credit your tools and keep people safe? |
Lines of code, device cost, paid tools and project size don’t earn marks.
Key dates
- Registration opens
- Mon 19 Oct 2026
- Registration closes
- Sat 2 Jan 2027, 23:59 SGT
- Submissions close
- Sat 9 Jan 2027, 23:59 SGT
- Finalists notified
- Wed 13 Jan 2027
- Demo Weekend
- Sat 16 Jan (Finals Day) · Sun 17 Jan (Showcase & Awards Day)
Finals and Demo Weekend
- Open registration, no cap.
- 3–5 finalist teams per track in each age group present live.
- Every participant is welcome at Demo Weekend (Sat 16 – Sun 17 Jan).
- Every valid submission receives a certificate.
Prizes: Trophies and cash prizes; amounts announced once funded.
How to pick
Pick the quest that matches what you enjoy making, not the one that sounds hardest. Finalists are picked within your age group and track; awards are then decided within your age group across all four tracks, and the same five criteria apply to every track. Changed your mind? You can change track once, until Sat 2 Jan 2027, using the link in your confirmation email.
Already confirmed? Your full challenge, starter card and resource pack are in your confirmation email. Can’t find it? Write to us from the email address you registered with: see Contact.