What if AI wasn’t just for humans?

We know how to design technology for ourselves.

But what happens when the user has four legs, a completely different sensory world, and absolutely no interest in your touchscreen?

Creature Commons: Pet-Tech Edition is a 2-day interdisciplinary AI × Hardware hackathon exploring interspecies interaction, Animal-Computer Interaction and Physical AI - with dogs 🐶 as our users.

We're bringing together AI researchers, engineers, hardware hackers, designers, makers, animal behaviour researchers and dog lovers to build technology around the way dogs actually perceive, move, communicate and play.

Because maybe the problem isn't teaching animals to use human interfaces.

Maybe we need to invent better interfaces for animals.

Can you build a 🎮 co-op game you can play with your dog? A wearable interface ⚙ activated by a nose, paw, tug or bite? A robot 🤖 that responds to canine behaviour? A system that lets a dog 📞 communicate something to its human? A 🏡 home automation system that a service dog can operate?

Or something we haven't thought of yet.

This isn't a hackathon about putting AI on a dog.

It's about asking what happens when we stop treating humans as the default user.

What to expect

🐕 Build with the user. Bring your dog on Day 2 to test, observe and iterate on prototypes together.

📱 Design beyond the touchscreen. Explore canine-first interaction using movement, sound, scent, touch, force, vision and other modalities.

🤖 Push the boundaries of Physical AI. Build systems that sense, interpret and respond to behaviour in the physical world.

👨‍🏫 Learn from experts. Talks and workshops spanning Animal-Computer Interaction, Interspecies AI, Physical AI, canine behaviour and emerging interaction paradigms.

🛠 Get your hands dirty. Workshops on Electronics 101, Sensors & Motion, CAD & 3D Printing, Materials & Polymers, Power Tools & Prototyping and Product Design & Engineering to turn strange ideas into working things.

👩‍💻 Build with researchers and practitioners. Work alongside AI engineers, hardware hackers, product designers, researchers, ethologists and people who simply know dogs really, really well.Plus,- Access to cutting-edge 💻 AI tools and usage credits- Access to 🔧 hardware equipment & 3D printers​- Pizza 🍕 and coffee on the house

And yes: there will be 🐶 dogs and puppies.

Whether you're an AI researcher, a hardware tinkerer, a UX designer, an ethologist or just someone who's always wanted to build something for your pet, this is your hackathon.

Event Schedule

Day 1 (Saturday, 19 Sep)

9:00 AM - Check-in (Humans-only)10:00 AM - Welcome & Opening Experience10:30 AM - Keynote talks on Interspecies AI & Animal-Computer Interaction11:30 AM - Design Sprint begins1:30 PM - Lunch2:30 PM - Lightning Workshops + Build Session I4:00 PM - Progress Check & Mentor Feedback5:00 PM - Wrap-up & Day 2 Preview

Day 2 (Sunday, 20 Sep)

9:00 AM - Check-in (Bring your 🐕‍🦺 dog)10:00 AM - Morning kick-off10:30 AM - Keynote talks on Physical AI & Pet-Tech11:30 AM - Lightning Workshops + Build Session II1:30 PM - Lunch2:30 PM - Final Design Sprint4:00 PM - Projects Showcase & Community Demos5:30 PM - Closing & Networking

Hosted by Elseplay and knowshubhangi. Hardware provided by PCB Cupid.

If you want to support and partner, dm us on LinkedIn.